The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music concert show in Nashville, Tennessee, which began as a radio barn dance on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay and has since become one of the genre's most enduring and revered stages. Each show consists of multiple guest artists as well as Opry members, who are selected by Opry management based on several factors including critical and commercial success, respect for the history of country music and commitment to appearing on the program. Publicly, once a new member is chosen, an existing member will ask the new member to join the Opry live on-air during the broadcast, usually when the new member is performing as a guest. Being invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry is considered one of country music's crowning achievements.
Opry members have permission to perform at any Opry show they wish, with each show typically consisting of between five and seven members. Each show is split into four "segments", each hosted by a different Opry member who entertains the crowd, performs and introduces other members and guest artists. As such, the Opry has featured a large, rotating ensemble of members ranging from all-time greats and neotraditionalists to contemporary stars. As the Opry is a running series, membership requires that the performer appear regularly (at least 12 shows per year, according to rules in place for most of the 21st century, down from 26 in the 1960s) on the program to remain a member of the show, and if a performer ceases performing regularly at the Opry or runs afoul of management, they can be stripped of their membership; if the exiled performer reconciles and renews their commitment to the show, they can be reinstated. Membership expires when the performer dies; if a single member of a duo or group retires or dies, the surviving members may continue to maintain Opry membership on the group's behalf. The Opry, in general, allows performers who retire, or are no longer physically able to perform on a regular basis to stay as members. The Grand Ole Opry House maintains a wall of fame backstage that contains a name plate for every person who has ever been a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
There are currently 67 Grand Ole Opry members, seven of whom have retired from performing. Over the course of the program's history, over 200 acts have held Opry membership since the show's inception. As of 2021, Jesse McReynolds of Jim & Jesse is the oldest living Opry member and Lauren Alaina is the youngest.
Indicates active members
‡ Indicates acts in which one of the members is deceased or retired, and the other(s) maintain active membership
Acts with a † are deceased.
1920s
Founding member
DeFord Bailey was the Opry's only black member until his 1941 departure; no others would be inducted until 1993.
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
1
|
Uncle Jimmy Thompson†
|
November 28, 1925
|
2
|
Humphrey Bate†
|
January 2, 1926
|
3
|
Henry Bandy†
|
March 13, 1926
|
4
|
The McGee Brothers†
|
1926
|
5
|
Mazy Todd†
|
April 3, 1926
|
6
|
Uncle Dave Macon†
|
April 17, 1926
|
7
|
The Pikard Family†
|
May 8, 1926
|
8
|
Deford Bailey†
|
June 19, 1926
|
9
|
The Crook Brothers†
|
July 24, 1926
|
10
|
Sid Harkreader†
|
July 24, 1926
|
11
|
Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers†
|
October 30, 1926
|
12
|
Theron Hale and his Daughters†
|
November 13, 1926
|
13
|
Arthur Smith†
|
July 16, 1927
|
14
|
The Fruit Jar Drinkers†
|
December 17, 1927
|
15
|
The Gully Jumpers†
|
December 24, 1927
|
16
|
Kitty Cora Cline†
|
March 24, 1928
|
17
|
Ed Poplin and his Barn Dance Orchestra†
|
April 21, 1928
|
18
|
Uncle Joe Mangrum and Fred Schriver†
|
July 30, 1928
|
1930s
1938 inductee
Roy Acuff, singer and publisher, was the public face of the Opry from the 1970s until his death.
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Notes
|
19
|
Ford Rush†
|
|
|
20
|
Hilltop Harmonizers†
|
|
|
21
|
Nap and Dee†
|
|
|
22
|
The Vagabonds†
|
September 5, 1931
|
|
23
|
Asher and Little Jimmy Sizemore†
|
September 24, 1932
|
|
24
|
Curly Fox†
|
September 24, 1932
|
|
25
|
Zeke Clements†
|
September 24, 1932
|
|
26
|
The Delmore Brothers†
|
April 29, 1933
|
|
27
|
Robert Lunn†
|
March 31, 1934
|
|
28
|
Lee White†
|
April 21, 1934
|
|
29
|
Sarie and Sally†
|
January 26, 1935
|
|
30
|
Jack Shook and his Missouri Mountaineers†
|
February 2, 1935
|
|
31
|
The Lakeland Sisters†
|
January 23, 1937
|
|
32
|
Bob Wills†
|
May 22, 1937
|
|
33
|
Pee Wee King†
|
June 27, 1937
|
|
34
|
Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys†
|
February 9, 1938
|
Left the Opry in 1946 and returned in the early 1960s. Bashful Brother Oswald represented the Smoky Mountain Boys after Acuff's 1992 death until his own death in 2002.
|
35
|
Cousin Jody†
|
|
|
36
|
Jamup and Honey†
|
January 7, 1939
|
|
37
|
Bill Monroe†
|
October 28, 1939
|
|
1940s
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Notes
|
38
|
Danny Dill†
|
|
|
39
|
Johnnie and Jack†
|
|
|
40
|
Milton Estes and his Musical Millers†
|
|
|
41
|
Old Hickory Singers †
|
|
|
42
|
Minnie Pearl†
|
November 30, 1940
|
|
43
|
The Duke of Paducah†
|
1942
|
|
44
|
John Daniel Quartet†
|
1942
|
Included among its members Wally Fowler, who was inducted with his own group in 1945 (see below).
|
45
|
Eddy Arnold†
|
1943
|
|
46
|
Cowboy Copas†
|
1943
|
|
47
|
Ernest Tubb†
|
February 13, 1943
|
|
48
|
Curley Williams†
|
September 4, 1943
|
|
49
|
The Bailes Brothers†
|
1944
|
|
50
|
The DeZurik Sisters†
|
1944
|
|
51
|
The Poe Sisters†
|
June 17, 1944
|
|
52
|
Rod Brasfield†
|
July 15, 1944
|
|
53
|
David "Stringbean" Akeman†
|
1945
|
|
54
|
Lew Childre, Sr.†
|
1945
|
|
55
|
Bradley Kincaid†
|
1945
|
|
56
|
Wally Fowler† and The Oak Ridge Quintet†
|
January 27, 1945
|
Fowler was already a de facto member by way of his membership in the John Daniel Quartet. The Oak Ridge Quintet was a direct predecessor to the group now known as The Oak Ridge Boys. The quintet became a quartet as it evolved and all of its personnel were replaced by the time Fowler sold the rights to the name to Smitty Gatlin in 1957. In 1966, Gatlin turned the group over to Duane Allen, who along with William Lee Golden transitioned to a new lineup that solidified in October 1973; other than a period between 1988 and 1995 in which Golden temporarily left the group, this lineup has served as "The Oak Ridge Boys" ever since. The Allen-era lineup of the quartet was invited and then inducted into the Opry as its own group by Little Jimmy Dickens on August 6, 2011.
|
57
|
Jimmy Wakely†
|
September 29, 1945
|
|
58
|
The Willis Brothers†
|
1946
|
|
59
|
Grandpa Jones†
|
March 16, 1946
|
|
60
|
Red Foley†
|
April 13, 1946
|
|
61
|
Lonzo and Oscar†
|
1947
|
|
62
|
Paul Howard and the Arkansas Cotton Pickers†
|
1947
|
|
63
|
George Morgan†
|
September 25, 1948
|
|
64
|
Little Jimmy Dickens†
|
November 6, 1948
|
|
65
|
Jordanaires†
|
1949
|
|
66
|
Hank Williams†
|
June 11, 1949
|
Dismissed and membership revoked August 11, 1952, for habitual drunkenness and missing shows.
|
1950s
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Notes
|
67
|
Chet Atkins†
|
1950
|
|
68
|
Kitty Wells†
|
1952
|
|
69
|
Hawkshaw Hawkins†
|
June 1955
|
|
70
|
Goldie Hill†
|
August 22 1953
|
71
|
The Ladells†
|
1955
|
|
72
|
Red Sovine†
|
1955
|
|
73
|
Ray Price†
|
1951
|
|
74
|
Hank Snow†
|
January 7, 1950
|
Inducted by Ernest Tubb
|
75
|
Carl Smith†
|
April 29, 1950
|
|
76
|
Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters†
|
May 13, 1950
|
|
77
|
Moon Mullican†
|
1951
|
|
78
|
Lefty Frizzell†
|
July 21, 1951
|
|
79
|
Martha Carson†
|
April 26, 1952
|
|
80
|
Opry Square Dancers
|
July 5, 1952
|
Originally inducted as Ralph Sloan and his Tennessee Travelers. The Opry's square-dance troupe has gone through several incarnations through its history and is a regular fixture on shows, though it has a sui generis status separate from the rest of the Opry members. Ralph's younger brother Melvin Sloan ran the troupe from Ralph's death in 1980 until his 2002 retirement, when the Opry took over operations of the troupe. It merged with the other square-dance troupe, Ben Smathers and his Stoney Mountain Cloggers, when Smathers died in 1990. The last dancer from the Ralph Sloan era, Eddie Oliver, retired in 2016.
|
81
|
Webb Pierce†
|
September 13, 1952
|
|
82
|
Marty Robbins†
|
January 19, 1953
|
|
83
|
Carl Butler†
|
October 17, 1953
|
|
84
|
Del Wood†
|
November 13, 1953
|
|
85
|
The Carlisles†
|
November 14, 1953
|
|
86
|
Ferlin Husky†
|
June 12, 1954
|
|
87
|
Faron Young†
|
November 19, 1954
|
|
88
|
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs†
|
January 1, 1955
|
|
89
|
Porter Wagoner†
|
February 23, 1957
|
|
90
|
The Louvin Brothers†
|
February 26, 1955
|
Ira Louvin left in 1963 (and died in 1965); Charlie Louvin represented the duo until his own death.
|
91
|
Justin Tubb†
|
September 10, 1955
|
|
92
|
Jim Reeves†
|
October 22, 1955
|
|
93
|
Slim Whitman†
|
October 29, 1955
|
|
94
|
Jean Shepard†
|
November 21, 1955
|
|
95
|
Johnny Cash†
|
July 7, 1956
|
Expelled in 1965 for breaking the stage lights with his microphone stand during an Opry performance. Reconciled in 1968 and remained a member the rest of his life.
|
96
|
Jimmy C. Newman†
|
August 4, 1956
|
|
97
|
George Jones†
|
August 4, 1956
|
|
98
|
Rose Maddox†
|
September 29, 1956
|
|
99
|
Stonewall Jackson†
|
November 3, 1956
|
Filed age discrimination case in 2006 and membership was temporarily revoked. His case was settled and he returned from 2008 until his 2012 retirement due to vascular dementia; he remained a standing member until his death.
|
100
|
The Wilburn Brothers†
|
November 10, 1956
|
Briefly members in 1940, the child stars could not legally work in Tennessee and had to wait until adulthood to officially rejoin.
|
101
|
Wilma Lee Cooper†
|
January 12, 1957
|
|
102
|
Rusty† & Doug
|
May 18, 1957
|
Departed prior to the duo's breakup in 1963.
|
103
|
The Everly Brothers†
|
1957
|
Disowned the Opry and dissolved their membership in 1960.
|
104
|
Margie Bowes†
|
1958
|
|
105
|
Archie Campbell†
|
1958
|
|
106
|
Don Gibson†
|
May 20, 1958
|
|
107
|
Ben Smathers and the Stoney Mountain Cloggers†
|
September 13, 1958
|
Merged with the Melvin Sloan Dancers in 1990 (now the Opry Square Dancers).
|
108
|
Billy Grammer†
|
February 27, 1959
|
|
109
|
Roy Drusky†
|
June 13, 1959
|
|
110
|
Skeeter Davis†
|
August 4, 1959
|
|
1960s
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Notes
|
111
|
Jimmy Driftwood†
|
|
|
112
|
Tompall and the Glaser Brothers†
|
|
Last performance was in 1990.
|
113
|
Bobby Lord†
|
1960
|
|
114
|
Billy Walker†
|
January 1, 1960
|
|
115
|
Patsy Cline†
|
January 9, 1960
|
|
116
|
George Hamilton IV†
|
February 6, 1960
|
|
117
|
Hank Locklin†
|
November 12, 1960
|
|
118
|
Bill Anderson
|
July 15, 1961
|
|
119
|
Loretta Lynn
|
September 25, 1962
|
|
120
|
Leroy Van Dyke
|
October 20, 1962
|
Membership lapsed prior to 1998; still makes occasional appearances.
|
121
|
Sonny James†
|
October 27, 1962
|
|
122
|
Marion Worth†
|
1963
|
|
123
|
The Browns†
|
August 17, 1963
|
Jim Ed Brown continued to hold Opry membership from the group's breakup in 1967 until his 2015 death.
|
124
|
Jim & Jesse‡
|
March 2, 1964
|
Represented by Jesse McReynolds after Jim's death in 2001.
|
125
|
Ernie Ashworth†
|
March 7, 1964
|
|
126
|
The Osborne Brothers‡
|
August 8, 1964
|
Represented by Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press since Sonny Osborne's retirement in 2005.
|
127
|
Dottie West†
|
August 8, 1964
|
|
128
|
Willie Nelson
|
November 28, 1964
|
Membership lapsed prior to 1998.
|
129
|
Norma Jean
|
January 9, 1965
|
Mostly retired from the music industry after 1973.
|
130
|
Tex Ritter†
|
June 12, 1965
|
|
131
|
Connie Smith
|
August 21, 1965
|
|
132
|
Bob Luman†
|
September 18, 1965
|
|
133
|
Ray Pillow
|
April 30, 1966
|
Hasn't performed in recent years; still a standing member
|
134
|
Del Reeves†
|
October 14, 1966
|
|
135
|
The Four Guys
|
April 22, 1967
|
Disbanded in 1999. An attempt to continue the group's membership with a new lineup was rejected by Opry management, and the group was formally expelled in 2000.
|
136
|
Stu Phillips
|
June 1, 1967
|
Hasn't performed in recent years; still a standing member.
|
137
|
Charlie Walker†
|
August 19, 1967
|
|
138
|
Jeannie Seely
|
September 16, 1967
|
|
139
|
Jack Greene†
|
December 27, 1967
|
Greene had already been a de facto member as part of Ernest Tubb's band since 1962.
|
140
|
Dolly Parton
|
January 4, 1969
|
|
141
|
Tammy Wynette†
|
January 4, 1969
|
|
1970s
Jan Howard performing at the Opry in 2007. After the death of
Little Jimmy Dickens in 2015, Howard was the oldest member of the current Opry cast until her death in 2020.
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Notes
|
142
|
Tom T. Hall†
|
January 1, 1971
|
Retired since 1996 but remained a standing member until his death.
|
143
|
Jan Howard†
|
March 27, 1971
|
|
144
|
Freddie Hart†
|
October 16, 1971
|
|
145
|
Barbara Mandrell
|
July 29, 1972
|
Retired since 1997, but still listed as a standing member.
|
146
|
David Houston†
|
August 12, 1972
|
|
147
|
Jeanne Pruett
|
July 21, 1973
|
Retired since 2006, but still listed as a standing member.
|
148
|
Jerry Clower†
|
October 27, 1973
|
|
149
|
Ronnie Milsap
|
February 6, 1976
|
|
150
|
Don Williams†
|
April 23, 1976
|
|
151
|
Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
|
December 25, 1976
|
|
1980s
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Notes
|
152
|
John Conlee
|
February 7, 1981
|
|
153
|
Boxcar Willie†
|
February 21, 1981
|
|
154
|
B. J. Thomas†
|
August 7, 1981
|
Full-time membership lapsed prior to 1998; continued to make occasional appearances until his death.
|
155
|
Ricky Skaggs
|
May 15, 1982
|
|
156
|
Riders in the Sky
|
June 19, 1982
|
|
157
|
The Whites
|
March 2, 1984
|
|
158
|
Lorrie Morgan
|
June 9, 1984
|
|
159
|
Johnny Russell †
|
July 6, 1985
|
|
160
|
Mel McDaniel†
|
January 11, 1986
|
|
161
|
Reba McEntire
|
January 17, 1986
|
|
162
|
Randy Travis
|
December 20, 1986
|
Retired from singing due to a 2013 stroke; still a standing member, he makes occasional appearances.
|
163
|
Roy Clark†
|
August 22, 1987
|
|
164
|
Ricky Van Shelton
|
June 10, 1988
|
Retired in 2006; still officially a standing member.
|
165
|
Patty Loveless
|
June 11, 1988
|
|
166
|
Holly Dunn†
|
October 14, 1989
|
Retired in 2003 and died in 2015.
|
1990s
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Invited by
|
Inducted by
|
Notes
|
167
|
Mike Snider
|
June 2, 1990
|
|
Minnie Pearl
|
|
168
|
Garth Brooks
|
October 6, 1990
|
|
Johnny Russell
|
|
169
|
Clint Black
|
January 10, 1991
|
|
Garth Brooks
|
|
170
|
Alan Jackson
|
June 7, 1991
|
|
Roy Acuff and Randy Travis
|
|
171
|
Vince Gill
|
August 10, 1991
|
|
Roy Acuff
|
|
172
|
Emmylou Harris
|
January 25, 1992
|
|
|
|
173
|
Travis Tritt
|
February 29, 1992
|
|
|
|
174
|
Marty Stuart
|
November 28, 1992
|
|
|
|
175
|
Charley Pride†
|
May 1, 1993
|
|
Jimmy C. Newman
|
|
176
|
Alison Krauss
|
July 3, 1993
|
|
Garth Brooks
|
|
177
|
Joe Diffie†
|
November 27, 1993
|
|
|
|
178
|
Hal Ketchum†
|
January 22, 1994
|
|
Little Jimmy Dickens
|
|
179
|
Martina McBride
|
November 30, 1995
|
|
Loretta Lynn
|
|
180
|
Steve Wariner
|
May 11, 1996
|
|
|
|
181
|
Johnny Paycheck†
|
1997
|
Bob Whittaker
|
Porter Wagoner and Johnny Russell
|
|
182
|
Diamond Rio
|
April 18, 1998
|
Bob Whittaker
|
Little Jimmy Dickens
|
|
183
|
Trisha Yearwood
|
March 13, 1999
|
Ricky Skaggs
|
Porter Wagoner
|
|
2000s
1961 inductee
Bill Anderson, the Opry's longest-tenured active member as of 2021, inducts his friend
Mel Tillis into the Opry in 2007.
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Invited by
|
Inducted by
|
Notes
|
184
|
Pam Tillis
|
August 26, 2000
|
Little Jimmy Dickens
|
Marty Stuart
|
|
185
|
Brad Paisley
|
February 17, 2001
|
Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely and Little Jimmy Dickens
|
Steve Wariner
|
|
186
|
Trace Adkins
|
August 23, 2003
|
Little Jimmy Dickens
|
Ronnie Milsap and Lorrie Morgan
|
|
187
|
Del McCoury
|
October 25, 2003
|
|
Patty Loveless
|
|
188
|
Terri Clark
|
June 12, 2004
|
Steve Wariner
|
Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, and Patty Loveless
|
|
189
|
Dierks Bentley
|
October 1, 2005
|
Marty Stuart
|
|
190
|
Mel Tillis†
|
June 9, 2007
|
Bill Anderson
|
Pam Tillis
|
|
191
|
Josh Turner
|
October 27, 2007
|
Roy Clark
|
Vince Gill
|
|
192
|
Charlie Daniels†
|
January 19, 2008
|
Martina McBride
|
Marty Stuart and Connie Smith
|
|
193
|
Carrie Underwood
|
May 10, 2008
|
Randy Travis
|
Garth Brooks
|
|
194
|
Craig Morgan
|
October 25, 2008
|
John Conlee
|
|
195
|
Montgomery Gentry‡
|
June 23, 2009
|
Charlie Daniels
|
Marty Stuart and Little Jimmy Dickens
|
Represented by Eddie Montgomery since Troy Gentry's death in 2017.
|
2010s
Bobby Bare was a member from 1964 to 1974, then rejoined in 2018.
No.
|
Name
|
Induction date
|
Invited by
|
Inducted by
|
Notes
|
196
|
Blake Shelton
|
October 23, 2010
|
Trace Adkins
|
|
197
|
The Oak Ridge Boys
|
August 6, 2011
|
Little Jimmy Dickens
|
|
198
|
Rascal Flatts
|
October 8, 2011
|
Vince Gill
|
Little Jimmy Dickens
|
Disbanded in 2020. Gary LeVox has appeared on behalf of the band since then.
|
199
|
Keith Urban
|
April 21, 2012
|
Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, and The Oak Ridge Boys
|
Trace Adkins and Josh Turner
|
|
200
|
Darius Rucker
|
October 16, 2012
|
Brad Paisley
|
Vince Gill and Keith Urban
|
|
201
|
Old Crow Medicine Show
|
September 17, 2013
|
Marty Stuart
|
Marty Stuart and Dierks Bentley
|
|
202
|
Little Big Town
|
October 17, 2014
|
Reba McEntire
|
Vince Gill and Little Jimmy Dickens
|
|
203
|
Crystal Gayle
|
January 21, 2017
|
Carrie Underwood
|
Loretta Lynn
|
|
204
|
Dailey & Vincent
|
March 11, 2017
|
Marty Stuart
|
Old Crow Medicine Show and Jeannie Seely
|
|
205
|
Chris Young
|
October 17, 2017
|
Vince Gill
|
Brad Paisley
|
|
206
|
Chris Janson
|
March 20, 2018
|
Keith Urban
|
Garth Brooks
|
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207
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Bobby Bare
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April 7, 2018
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Garth Brooks
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Original induction date was August 14, 1964. Membership lapsed 1974. Inducted again by Brooks on 4/7/2018.
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208
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Dustin Lynch
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September 18, 2018
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Trace Adkins
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Reba McEntire
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209
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Mark Wills
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January 11, 2019
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Vince Gill
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Craig Morgan
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210
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Kelsea Ballerini
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April 16, 2019
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Little Big Town
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Carrie Underwood
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211
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Luke Combs
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July 16, 2019
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Craig Morgan, Chris Janson, and John Conlee
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Joe Diffie and Vince Gill
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2020s
Gene Watson, the sole new member in 2020, performing on the Opry in 2007
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Member Groups | |
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Member Female Artists | |
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Member Male Artists | |
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Member Artist Legends | |
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Venues | |
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Current members | |
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Former members | |
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