Tonight (March 19), the Grand Ole Opry is celebrating 100 years with an evening of performances from some of country music’s brightest stars. Many of the performances see modern artists paying homage to those who came before them. For instance, tonight sees Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood taking the stage to honor George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
Brooks and Yearwood are a modern country music power couple. Both have long successful careers and deep connections to the Opry. As a result, they were the perfect choice to take on a trio of hits to pay homage to Jones and Wynette. Unlike their predecessors, Yearwood and Brooks don’t have a deep catalog of recorded duets. So, tonight’s performance was a treat for fans across the country.
Brooks kicked things off with a rendition of “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” He opined that fate brought together the greatest voice in country music with the greatest country song ever written when Jones recorded the song. Then, Yearwood took the stage to perform “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” in honor of Wynette, the First Lady of Country Music.
Finally, Brooks and Yearwood came together to perform “Golden Ring,” the iconic duet recorded by Jones and Wynette in 1975.
Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks’ History with the Grand Ole Opry
Both Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks have long histories with the Grand Ole Opry. Yearwood made her Opry debut on Leap Day (February 29) in 1992. She became a member seven years later on March 13. 1999. Last year, she celebrated her 25th year as part of country music’s longest-running institution with a night of great music featuring some of the genre’s most powerful women. The night included Pam Tillis, Terri Clark, Suzy Bogguss, and more.
Brooks was a member of the famed “Class of ’89,” a group of artists that also included the likes of Clint Black and Alan Jackson who helped bring traditional country to the forefront of the ’90s. He made his Opry debut in the summer of 1989. A little more than a year later, on October 6, 1990, he became a full-fledged member of the Opry family.
While both Brooks and Yearwood have long tenures in the Grand Ole Opry and long, storied solo careers, they know the genre wouldn’t be the same without the likes of George Jones and Tammy Wynette. As a result, they were the perfect pair to pay homage to the late great power couple during tonight’s celebratory event.
Watching the couple dig into George and Tammy’s catalog while standing in the Circle was like watching the intersection of the past and present which is fitting for Opry 100: A Live Celebration.
