The Grand Ole Opry is widely considered as the most respected stage in country music. When musicians receive their initial invitation to perform at this prestigious venue, and later when they achieve official membership, it is often regarded as a significant milestone in their career.
However, not all country music stars have a consistently positive relationship with the Opry throughout their entire career. Throughout the years, several performers have been required to leave the stage for various reasons, such as breaking the venue's unwritten rules of behavior or not meeting the official requirements for membership.
At Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, there was a tribute show called Opry Goes Dolly which was organized by Opry to celebrate Dolly Parton's 78th birthday in the year 2024. However, one of the performers, Elle King, caused a lot of anger and shock among the audience. She appeared on stage clearly intoxicated, openly admitting that she was very drunk. She engaged in a slightly confrontational conversation with the concert attendees and even forgot the lyrics to Dolly Parton's song "Marry Me."
The location expressed regret to those who were upset by King's choice of words. However, numerous fans of the Opry believed that King should be the one to apologize and some even felt that her actions were serious enough to justify a ban from performing on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Throughout the years, the Opry has banned numerous artists, but is King's conduct truly deserving of such a drastic measure? If we examine a few incidents that took place in the venue's early days, specifically in 1973 or earlier, it becomes clear that it is indeed possible.
Johnny Cash was no longer allowed to perform at the Opry after a memorable show in 1973 where he used a microphone stand to destroy stage lights. The incident was greatly influenced by his consumption of alcohol. Hank Williams, who is widely known as one of the Opry's most famous banned artists, lost his membership due to his frequent drunkenness and lack of reliability. Jerry Lee Lewis was also removed from the Opry stage for various offenses, including the inappropriate use of explicit language during a live broadcast.
However, it is important to note that there is only one singer who has been permanently banned from the Opry, and this decision was not made by the venue itself. Therefore, it is probable that even if King's actions result in her being temporarily removed from the Opry stage, it is unlikely to have a lasting impact 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 and the actions that led to their removal!
6 Celebrities Denied Access to Perform at the Grand Ole Opry (and the Reasons Behind Their Exclusion)
Image Credit: Carena Liptak
Here are 26 country stars who surprisingly are not members of the Grand Ole Opry. This list is credited to Billy Dukes.
Additional content from Taste of Country can be found here. For more information, please