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modern-day string band Old Crow Medicine Show was
invited to join the Grand Ole Opry this evening by
Opry member and friend Marty Stuart during the
group’s concert at the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse
Square. The group will formally be inducted into the
Opry at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on
Tuesday, September 17. Among the award-winning
group’s first performances in Nashville were on the
sidewalks outside the Opry House in Summer 2000,
playing for fans entering and exiting Opry
performances. The band graduated to the Opry stage
for its official Opry debut on January 13, 2001, and
has become a fan favorite during dozens of Opry
performances since. Near the end of the concert, Stuart surprised the group on stage, saying, “In 1925, there was a show started in Nashville called the Grand Ole Opry. It was founded on a traditional fiddle tune. It was founded on hard-hitting old-time music. It was founded on being a good-natured riot. And it’s been going on for 88 years. It’s a great American story. Would you all consider becoming a part of this great American story and becoming Grand Ole Opry members?” Old Crow members answered with a resounding yes and hands in the air while the sold-out crowd responded with a standing ovation. Stuart and the band then combined forces on “We Don’t Grow Tobacco” before the band launched into its signature crowd favorite, “Wagon Wheel.” “Inviting Old Crow to become our next member is truly exciting for us,” said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. “For one, Old Crow has grown before our eyes from entertaining Opry-goers for free in the Opry Plaza a dozen years ago to rank today among the most respected and popular acts in music. The band leaves the audience wanting more every time it takes the Opry stage, or any stage." “It’s also exciting that in many ways Old Crow looks and sounds a lot like some of the string bands of the 1920s which helped first propel the Opry to national prominence,” Fisher continued. “While recent Opry inductees and contemporary hit-makers such as Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Dierks Bentley, will help shape the Opry in coming years, our future is also in excellent hands with this group which happens to be quite reminiscent of our musical past. It’s an awesome full circle.” About Old Crow Medicine Show Old Crow Medicine Show got its’ start busking on street corners in New York state and up through Canada, winning audiences along the way with their boundless energy and spirit. The band eventually found themselves in Boone, North Carolina where they caught the attention of legendary folk icon Doc Watson who invited them to play at his Merlefest, helping to launch their career. Shortly after, the band relocated to Nashville for a residency at the Grand Ole Opry, where they entertained the crowd between shows. Fifteen years later, the band has toured the world, sold over 800,000 albums, and performed at renowned festivals like Bonnaroo, Coachella, and The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. 2013 was a big year for Old Crow Medicine Show. The band along with Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, won the Grammy Award for "Best Long Form Music Video" for the film Big Easy Expresswhich was shot as they toured from California to New Orleans on a vintage train, playing shows along the way. In May, the band's classic single "Wagon Wheel" received the RIAA's Platinum certification for selling over 1,000,000 copies. On their newest ATO Records release, Carry Me Back, Old Crow continues to craft classic American roots music while pushing themselves in new directions.  |