Charlie Daniels (r) becomes the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 19, 2008, as Opry members Connie Smith (l) and Marty Stuart (c) help induct him. Photo courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry.
January 22, 2008 — An emotional Charlie Daniels became the newest addition to the roster of the Grand Ole Opry during Saturday’s edition of Opry Live on GAC.
The induction came after Marty Stuart joined the Charlie Daniels Band at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for a rendition of "Long Haired Country Boy." Marty, aided by wife Connie Smith in welcoming Charlie, noted that the Opry is "a steady force in the midst of many passing trends," adding that that is "also an exact, word-for-word description of you."
Charlie remembered how his family would listen to the Opry every Saturday night when he grew up in North Carolina. "For me to stand on this stage tonight," he said, "the same stage that Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff and Hank Williams and Bill Monroe and all of those wonderful, wonderful people — my heroes — stood on, and to stand in front of this crowd, especially in this building, and to go out over the airwaves is more than I can say."
Marty and Connie accompanied him on a rendition of "Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye," and Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins joined the group for Carter Family classic "Will The Circle Be Unbroken."
Grand Ole Opry Live airs every Saturday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
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