The Grand Ole Opry is widely recognized as the most esteemed stage in country music. For musicians, receiving an invitation to perform at this iconic venue is a significant milestone in their career. Furthermore, being granted official membership at the Grand Ole Opry is considered a highly cherished achievement.
Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for country music stars to have a less than perfect connection with the Opry over their entire career. Throughout the years, several performers have been requested to leave the stage due to various reasons. These reasons may include breaking the venue's unwritten rules of behavior or not meeting the official requirements for membership.
At a tribute show called Opry Goes Dolly, held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to celebrate Dolly Parton's 78th birthday in 2024, there was a controversial incident involving performer Elle King. During her performance, Elle King appeared to be drunk and openly admitted it to the audience by using explicit language. She engaged in slightly confrontational conversations with the concert-goers and even forgot the lyrics to Dolly Parton's song "Marry Me," causing a stir among the audience.
The location expressed regret to those who were upset by King's choice of words. However, numerous supporters of the Opry on social media believed that King should be the one to apologize and that her actions were severe enough to be banned from performing on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Over the years, there have been multiple occasions where artists were banned from performing at the Opry. However, the question arises whether King's actions truly justify such a drastic measure. To gain perspective, it is worth considering a few incidents that occurred in the venue's earlier years, all of which took place in 1973 or before. These instances demonstrate that King's behavior could indeed warrant such action.
Johnny Cash was prohibited from performing at the Opry due to a memorable performance in 1973, during which he destroyed stage lights using a microphone stand. Alcohol played a significant role in causing this incident. Hank Williams, who is widely known as the most famous artist banned from the Opry, had his membership revoked due to his consistent drunkenness and unreliability. Jerry Lee Lewis was also removed from the Opry stage due to various reasons, including his explicit language, specifically dropping an F-Bomb during a live broadcast.
However, it is important to note that there is only one instance where a singer was permanently banned from the Opry, and it was not the decision of the venue to keep this ban in place indefinitely. Therefore, it is probable that even if King's actions justify a temporary absence from the Opry stage, it will not have lasting consequences on her ability to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
Continue reading to explore the celebrities who have been prohibited from performing on the Opry stage due to their inappropriate actions and conduct.
6 Celebrities Excluded from the Grand Ole Opry (and the Reasons for their Removal)
Image Credit: Carena Liptak
26 Country Artists Who Are Surprisingly Not Members of the Grand Ole Opry
Gallery Attribution: Billy Dukes
Additional content from Taste of Country
Details
Connect with Us