15+ Opry Members Who Didn’t Attend The Opry 100 Celebration
on Mar 20, 2025
Out of the 75 living Grand Ole Opry members, only about 50 were in attendance for Wednesday night’s historic birthday celebration.
The biggest celebration in the history of country music took place at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Wednesday night (March 19).
The Opry 100 was truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was the only time so many country stars were in one place at one time to celebrate such a historic country music moment. From 64-year member Whisperin’ Bill Anderson to the Opry’s newest member, Steven Curtis Chapman, the Opry family paid tribute to the stars who paved the way and those changing the face of country music today.
Unlike awards shows, there was no politics, competition, or suspense—just pure love for country music and its rich history.
With more than four dozen Opry members in attendance and only 3 hours to celebrate, it would have been impossible to give every artist their moment in the spotlight. But, eagle-eyed fans spotted some of them in an Opry choir backing up Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and Sonya Isaacs’ on “Go Rest High” during an emotional In Memoriam segment. The rest gathered for a powerful finale number honoring Dolly Parton with “I Will Always Love You” followed by “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”
There were some Opry members who were noticeably absent.
Among those who skipped the event was Dolly Parton. While Dolly made an appearance in a pre-recorded video message, she didn’t attend in person. The reason is likely due to the fact that she is grieving the recent death of her husband of 58 years, Carl Dean.
Dolly did step out at her Dollywood theme park last week to kick off its 40th anniversary celebration. She has also granted a few interviews since Carl’s death, but the Opry event may have just been too much for the star to handle at the moment.
RELATED: DOLLY PARTON SPEAKS ABOUT LATE HUSBAND IN FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE HIS DEATH
Another star whose absence was addressed on the red carpet was Patty Loveless. Loveless, who joined the Opry in 1988, was unable to attend due to her husband’s health.
In an interview prior to the live celebration, Ricky Skaggs shared that Patty was home “where she should be” taking care of her husband, Emory Gordy Jr. He added that Sonya Isaacs would be taking Patty’s place singing harmony with him during Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High” performance.
RELATED: PATTY LOVELESS SHARES THE SELFLESS REASON SHE STEPPED AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT
Rascal Flatts, who are in the middle of their Life Is A Highway Tour, didn’t attend. Neither did Darius Rucker who recently shared that he had moved to London, albeit temporarily.
Chris Janson, Emmylou Harris, Jon Pardi, Ricky Van Shelton, Chris Young, Steve Wariner, Josh Turner, Lorrie Morgan, Sara Evans, Craig Morgan, Pam Tillis, and Martina McBride were also missing from the event. None of these artists have made statements about their absence.
