Eric Church Honors Route 91 Victims With Emotional Tribute At “Opry 100”
on Mar 19, 2025
Eric Church Has A Rich History At The Grand Ole Opry
Eric Church is one of the performers who graced the Grand Ole Opry stage during the Opry 100, a live celebration marking 100 years of the most iconic performances in country music.
Church has a long history with the Grand Ole Opry; he first performed there on April 1, 2006, singing “How ‘Bout You,” which was a debut single from his first album, Sinners Like Me.
He also performed the song “Black Betty” in a last-minute decision, according to The Boot,
“It was funny — we thought, ‘Can we do Ram Jam at the Opry?’ It was a last-minute decision before the late show, right before we walked out onstage. I told the guys, ‘I’ll give you a thumbs up or thumbs down.’ So I gave them a thumbs up, and we went for it. And the crowd loved it.”
Church shared that his connection to the Grand Ole Opry is generational, mentioning that his grandmother listened to the Opry her entire life. In his own words, he stated,
“My grandmother has listened to the Opry her whole life, so as a young kid, I can remember listening to it,” Church says. “By the time I became a teenager, you could see the Opry on television and go to the Opry. I was 14 years old when I went to the Opry for the first time. We visited Nashville and went to the Opry, so I knew the tradition of it.
Eric Church’s Moving Performance At The Opry 100
Eric Church walked out onto the boisterous stage to a loud cheering crowd at the Opry 100. His mood was somber.
He spoke about the Route 91 Harvest Festival, where tragically, 58 people died during a mass shooting.
On the Opry stage, live during the Opry 100, The singer recounted the harrowing day.
“On October 4 of 2017, I stood on this stage a broken man. I was shattered. I had just played what is now known as the deadliest mass shooting in US history.”
He continued, “It was the people in this room and the Opry that put one piece of my heart back together.”
Church had played at the festival days prior to the shooting. He then wrote the song “Why Not Me” in remembrance.
The song is in tribute to those who lost their lives during the mass shooting. It is a somber reminder of the devastating day.
He performed his original song “Why Not Me” during the live show. Return here for the full moving performance.
