Rhonda Vincent, often referred to as the “Queen of Bluegrass,” was formally inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night -- finally.
Why finally? Because the invitation was delivered to her in February of 2020 by Opry member Jeannie Seely, with an original induction date scheduled for March 24, 2020.
You don’t have to be a bluegrass or country music fan to realized what happened to her anticipated celebration. The coronavirus pandemic arrived, and anything and everything seemed to be canceled.
Now that the Grand Ole Opry has welcomed back audiences to Friday and Saturday night shows, her official induction was finally able to take place.
“It’s been 343 days, seven hours, three minutes, and five seconds,” Vincent said on Saturday, laughing as she shared how long it had been since the Opry invitation came last year.
As she was formally inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Opry member Dierks Bentley, she said, “This is a night I will never forget and will cherish the rest of my life. I am proof that dreams really do come true,” according to a 2911 Media press release.
Bentley said, “I’ll never forget the night that our mutual friend Marty Stuart made me an official member of the Opry and I’m so pleased to get to do the same for you tonight. Rhonda, you are now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry! I know you will carry the Opry banner proudly wherever you go.”
“It’s great to have the supremely
talented and very patient Rhonda Vincent as an official Opry member,”
said Dan Rogers, vice president and executive producer, Grand Ole Opry.
“She brings with her countless fans, industry respect, and heartfelt
passion for keeping the Opry vibrant and entertaining for generations to
come. We look forward to Rhonda spending the rest of her career with us
as part of the Opry family.”
Vincent then performed a few numbers, including Merle Haggard’s “Momma Tried” with Bentley.
Additional performers that night included Opry members Riders In The Sky, Jeannie Seely and Mark Wills, as well as special guests Don Schlitz and Parker McCollum, who made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
Vincent is well known in the central Pennsylvania area. Vincent and her band The Rage have performed at the iconic Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival approximately 40 times according to Rich Winkelmann, festival co-host and co-owner of Granite Hill Camping Resort, the site of the festival.
The festival is an internationally-acclaimed music festival held over a span of four days every May and August at Granite Hill since 1979. (Although both 2020 festivals were canceled.)
Opry presents the country music live every week from Nashville, and can be heard on the Opry’s website and the WSM 650 radio station website.
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