Luke Combs Invited To Become Next Member Of The Grand Ole Opry

Luke Combs will be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry. The "Beautiful Crazy" singer was invited on Tuesday night, June 11, while taking the famous stage for the 16th time. After performing his hit, "She Got the Best of Me," Combs was surprised to be joined on stage by fellow Opry members Chris Janson, Craig Morgan and John Conlee.

"We actually came out here to interrupt you because we want a little bit of your heat. We want to touch you," Conlee quipped. "What a career this guy is having. It is incredible. You all know that. We all know that. The Grand Ole Opry wants you to know that we just love you."

"Well I love the Grand Ole Opry," Combs said.

"We are proud you're here tonight, and I'm especially proud. I just love you," continued Morgan, before joining voices with Janson to together say, "How would you like to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry?"

Combs immediately broke down in tears, taking several seconds to compose himself.  His official induction date has yet to be set but you can watch the heart-warming video below:

That Nashville Sound Wednesday Newsbytes- Music Videos, New John Conlee & Johnny Cash

Lots and lots of music videos out the last couple of days- would be interested to know if you have any favorites. And item number one on today's list will certainly be on my Christmas list.

- Johnny Cash’s much-acclaimed box set of primarily unreleased material, Unearthed, is to be reissued as a nine-album vinyl box set on November 3, 2017. To celebrate the Man in Black’s enduring and influential legacy, American Recordings and UMe have reconfigured this monolithic collection for its first-ever vinyl release, spreading Unearthed’s 79 songs over nine high-quality 180-gram vinyl LPs while expanding the original box's distinctive packaging for the long-playing format. The Unearthed vinyl box features a pair of cloth-bound books housed in an LP-sized black cloth slipcase. One book holds the nine LPs, while the other is a gorgeous 60-page coffee table book that incorporates Sylvie Simmons' extensive liner notes, drawn from five days of interviews at Cash's home in Tennessee, as well as Cash and Rubin's comments on every song on the set, plus a copious selection of photographs from the recording sessions, including some of the last photos ever taken of Cash.  Unearthed was originally released as a CD box set by producer Rick Rubin’s American Recordings in November 2003, two months after the country superstar’s passing.

- After 2000's Classics and 2015's Classics 2, John Conlee is prepping to release Classics 3 on November 17 on his own Rose Colored Glasses label.

- The Bottom Live Archive (a Northeast nightclub that recorded thousands of performances from the early 80's to the mid 90's) is releasing Harry Chapin: The Bottom Line Archive Series from a performance Chapin did in 1981.

- Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers went by NPR and did a Tiny Desk Concert together. Martin's in rare form like normal.

- Shania Twain released a new music video for "Swingin' With My Eyes Closed."

- Kenny Chesney released a new music video for "Young." 

- Danielle Bradbery released a new music video for "Hello Summer."

- Becca Mancari released a new music video for "Golden."

- Jenna Paulette released a new music video for "Coolest Girl in the World."

- Jarrod Dickenson released a new music video for "Take It From Me."

- The Kenny Shepherd Band released a new music video for "Nothing But The Night."

- Willie Watson premiered a new music video for "Gallows Pole." 

- Paul Cauthen released a new music video for "Saddle." 

John Conlee To Release Classics 2 On 4/7

Not only will John Conlee release a new album titled Classics 2 on April 7, Conlee returns to the radio with the emotional single “Walkin’ Behind The Star,” released on his own RCR (Rose Colored Records) label.

The song was written by Nashville industry veterans Ronnie Scaife and Phil Thomas, who collaborated on the Johnny Paycheck hits “Colorado Cool Aid” and “Me and the IRS” together. The touching lyrics were inspired by Phil’s grandfather and great-grandfather, both of whom served in their local sheriff’s department. The song had yet to be cut until recent events made the song a little timelier, and the song was pitched to the Grand Ole Opry star, who was touched by the song’s honesty. “Recent deadly attacks against the people who keep us safe is unprecedented in America and I wanted to sing this song in honor of their sacrifice and willingness to serve,” says Conlee.
 
“Walkin’ Behind The Star,“ can be found on his upcoming release Classics 2, which will feature some new material along with many of Conlee’s latter classics. The set features Conlee hits such as “Harmony,” “Mama’s Rockin’ Chair” and “Hit The Ground Runnin,” which are being issued on CD for the first time since their releases on Columbia and 16th Avenue Records.
 
Conlee recently celebrated the 36th anniversary of his breakthrough hit “Rose Colored Glasses,” and can be found on the road throughout 2015 as well as the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, where he has been a member since 1981.
 
TRACK LISTING FOR JOHN CONLEE / CLASSICS 2
 1.   Domestic Life
 2.   Stuff That Works
 3.   Walkin’ Behind The Star
 4.   Hit The Ground Runnin’
5.   A Lot Of Things Different
 6.   Mama’s Rockin’ Chair
 7.   Love In The Real World
 8.   Pocket Full Of Crosses
 9.   Harmony
 10. The In Crowd
 11. Bread And Water
 12. Sure

Good Guy Craig Morgan Named Newest Opry Member

Craig Morgan has been invited to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry yesterday at a special concert for U.S. troops at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. Craig, who was stationed at Ft. Bragg from 1990 to 1992 during his 10-year active duty tenure in the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division,will be formally inducted into the Opry on October 25.

Opry member John Conlee joined Craig on stage during a performance of “Rose Colored Glasses,” (originally sung by Conlee in the 70’s) and said, “Craig, where are your rose colored glasses?” to which Morgan said he must have left them at home. Conlee then asked Craig if he knew where he was going to be on October 25th and he replied “I don’t know.” “Well, I happen to know that you’re going be on the Opry,” said Conlee. “How would you like to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry?” Morgan then proceeded to break down on stage and exclaimed “Oh, God Yes. I do love the Grand Ole Opry. And I gotta tell you, it’s cool to be invited right here.”

The induction will also coincide nicely with Craig’s release of his fifth album, “That’s Why,” on October 21!