Country Music Herald

She’s come a long way from talent shows in Oklahoma. American Idol winner Carrie Underwood has certainly made the most of her opportunity with her six number one singles so far, and now one of her long time dreams is coming true. After performing on the Grand Ole Opry stage this past weekend, Opry member and legend Randy Travis came on stage and invited Carrie to join the Grand Ole Opry. She obviously happily accepted and will be formally inducted after a performance on May 10th.

Randy Travis joined Carrie on stage after she performed a song originally written and performed by Travis, “I Told You So”. An emotional Carrie told her fans and the rest of the Grand Ole Opry membership and audience, “This is one of the best nights of my life, and it’s certainly something I’ll never forget. And I’m glad each and every one of you were here to share it with me. This has been absolutely amazing.” Underwood just turned 25 last week, and finished out her birthday week on a high note.

Check the TV listings at GAC’s official website to see times for the rerun of her performance and invitation into the Opry.

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While I’ve been off stuffing myself with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, Nashville news kept on cranking out, so let’s take some time and see what I’ve missed in my tryptophan induced sleepiness.

File This Under “It’s About Time!”

Charlie Daniels has become the latest country superstar to be asked to join the Grand Ole Opry ranks. Current Opry member Martina McBride surprised him during one of his concerts on November 19th. He was performing a Christmas concert for children at the storied Ryman Theatre in Nashville when she extended the invitation. Daniels became emotional and was pleased with the offer. All I have to say to that is “it’s about time” considering the decades of country music classics the Charlie Daniels Band has been producing. Josh Turner was the most recent inductee into the Grand Ole Opry.

Grammy News

Country music’s teenage phenom Taylor Swift will be helping with the announcing duties for nomination ceremony for the 2008 Grammy Awards. Taylor will join other stars like Akon, Linkin Park, and Qunicy Jones at 8:30 am on December 6th to read the nominees. The 2008 Grammy Awards will be broadcast on February 10, 2008 on CBS.

Garth Brooks Concert to Help Fire Victims

Garth Brooks just finished up a string of 10 concerts in Kansas City with his wife Trisha Yearwood, and now the entertainer will be performing a show in Los Angeles to benefit the victims of the recent widespread fires in Southern California. Brooks will perform on January 26, 2008 at the Staples Center. More information, including how and when to purchase tickets, will be available on Monday November 26th.

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This past weekend, the country music star with the deep, rich voice, Josh Turner, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He was introduced by Vince Gill and performed his current hit “Firecracker” and the song that propelled him to stardom, “Long Black Train”. Josh broke onto the scene back in late 2001 on the very same Grand Ole Opry stage on which he was inducted into the fraternity this past weekend. He joins other current country stars in the Grand Ole Opry like Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and is currently the youngest member at the age of 29. His induction was broadcast live on GAC’s program “Opry Live” and will be rerun periodically on the network. Turner’s new album, “Everything is Fine” was released yesterday.

Speaking of “Opry Live”, the show has a brand new theme song, courtesy of Grand Ole Opry member Brad Paisley. Paisley and his band, the newly monikered Drama Kings, wanted to create a theme that would span the generations of music the Grand Ole Opry has showcased. The title is “From Uncle Jimmy to Justin” in honor of Jimmy Thompson, the first fiddle player on the inaugural broadcast and Justin Williamson fiddle player for the Drama Kings.

Unfortunately, not all of the Grand Ole Opry news is as happy as Turner’s induction. Legendary country artist Porter Wagoner lost his battle with lung cancer on Sunday night at the age of 80 at the Alive Hospice in Nashville. His flashy rhinestone suits and melodic voice will be missed on the Grand Ole Opry stage, and in the world of country music in general. Wagoner’s visitation will be tonight (October 31st) and the funeral is tomorrow. All memorials in Porter Wagoner’s name can be made to the Alive Hospice or the The Opry Trust Fund. Porter had celebrated his 50th anniversary in the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year.

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