Opry member Garth Brooks, Opry member Jon Pardi, Opry’s Dan Rogers
Photo credit: Chris Hollo
Capitol Records Nashville Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter/producer Jon Pardi was officially welcomed into the Grand Ole Opry family tonight by Opry member Garth Brooks, an overwhelming surprise to Pardi.
“This is me and you joined in holy matrimony shared by our love of country music,” said Brooks as he stepped into the circle with Pardi to hand him the official Opry member award
Watch the induction HERE.
“It’s full circle to watch my hero, from flying around an arena in concert to right now,” said Pardi. “I love the Opry and being a part of its family. The future is so bright.”
Pardi’s Opry induction and performance will air as a Saturday night Opry Live on November 18th on the Opry’s television broadcast home, Circle Network, Circle All Access Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Capitol Records Nashville’s multi-Platinum singer/songwriter/producer will release his first Christmas album Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi this Friday (October 27th). Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi, the 12-track holiday album produced by the award-winning team of Pardi, Bart Butler and Ryan Gore, is available now for pre-add/pre-save here. As one of his first activities as an official Opry member, Pardi will be kicking off the third season of “Opry Country Christmas” on November 26th.
While performing at country music’s Stagecoach festival in April, Pardi was surprised on stage by his friend and Emmy Award-winning restauranteur Guy Fieri, and directed to a video on the big screen where Opry member and Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson appeared with the official Opry ask to the country star. Sharing the moment with thousands of cheering fans in his home state was a fitting celebration as Pardi will become the first California native inducted into the Opry. Click HERE to watch the invitation.
Jon, who just released his new single “Cowboys And Plowboys” with Luke Bryan, is currently headlining Mr. Saturday Night World Tour. For a full list of tour dates and information visit JonPardi.com.
Audio / Prior to being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, Jon Pardi talked about his favorite memories from performing at the Opry.
DownloadJon Pardi (Grand Ole Opry induction) 1 OC: …I would say. 1:07
“I remember seeing Charlie Daniels for the first time backstage. He played the Opry quite a bit and him talking. He was he was always one of the guys that would always say hello and the Blue Grassers, man, those guys are my favorite because they’re always in the dressing rooms like just jamming, and Ricky Skaggs and his band. And there’s just a lot of musical memories, more than just artists itself, there’s like everybody’s getting pumped up, and it’s more in a way more than a dressing room. I said the Grand Ole Opry is like if you look at green room in a movie, that’s what an Opry backstage is. There’s people practicing. They’re actually getting ready. They’re talking about what songs, like everybody’s hyped up a part of the show. The Opry always has that dream to it backstage. But for me the memory is the music and walking the hallways and hearing other band members, and seeing Dierks (Bentley), you know, just his band’s always jamming bluegrass you know, so I just love the music. The power of remembering practicing the music ready to get on stage, the anticipation is very more real here at the Opry than anywhere else, I would say.”
Audio / Prior to his Grand Ole Opry induction, Jon Pardi talked to the media about what he'll do for new artists playing the Grand Ole Opry for the first time.
DownloadJon Pardi (Grand Ole Opry induction) OC: …I’m changing. :38
“Being the guy with the dressing room door open, that’s how you help new artists that come through and play the Opry for the first time, and you kind of get that experience like I did when I was long -haired Jon, ‘Like, Oh man, that’s Dierks Bentley jamming with his bluegrass band…’ And then you go up and you’re approachable and you answer questions. And I feel like the Opry goes back to the movie green room where you’re like, ‘Man, it’s like, there’s Charlie Daniels. Hey, Charlie, how you doing?’ ‘How you doing, man?’ So, it’s just little things like that that I think that’s a good way to kind of talk about new artists to the Grand Opry is the dressing room door open…just not while I’m changing.”
