On Wednesday, March 19th, 2025, NBC aired the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th Anniversary celebration. Before the show, there were some concerns that the performances would be more of a pop country/major label type of show, as so many country award shows have been nowadays; this was not the case in the slightest.
The celebration paid tribute to many of the country music legends who paved the way of making the Grand Ole Opry as iconic as it is today.
One of the most memorable moments of the night was when Carrie Underwood performed a Randy Travis tribute. Back in 2008, Randy Travis had invited Carrie Underwood to become a member of the Opry. Carrie explained the significance of this moment in her career with an emotional speech. She then performed “Three Wooden Crosses” and “Forever and Ever, Amen.” The performance ended with Randy singing the final “Amen.” This goosebump-invoking performance received a massive standing ovation
Alan Jackson then took the stage, singing “Chattahoochee.” His performance was entertaining and iconic. Alan Jackson has a neurological disorder, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which damages the peripheral nerves, causing progressive muscle weakness and loss of sensation in mainly your legs, hands, and feet. Alan is currently on his last tour ever and it’s hard to tell if his condition will let him perform live as much as he once did. He powered through for this performance, earning himself a standing ovation.
Later on in the night, Eric Church gave an incredibly emotional speech and performance. He recalled how he played at the Opry just days after performing at America’s worst mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. Church said, “It was the Opry .. that put one piece of my heart back together.” He explained in detail why The Opry is so special before performing the same song he did back in 2017, reflecting on his experience with survivor’s guilt.
As a way to remember all the Opry members who’ve passed on, Vince Gill performed “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” Pictures of Opry greats flashed on the display screens and tears filled the room.
The grand finale of the celebration included all of the performers of the evening on stage together singing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
