HARDY Surprised With Honorary Professor Distinction During Grand Ole Opry Set
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On Thursday, Nov. 5, HARDY headlined a special show at the Grand Ole Opry, joined by fellow artists who graduated from Middle Tennessee State University.
Performing some of his biggest hit songs, including a captivating solo rendition of his concept track “McArthur,” the prolific singer-songwriter was in his element.
However, the evening didn’t end there for HARDY.
Partway through his set, he was surprised by his alma mater’s dean with an honorary distinction: professor.
“It’s got a nice ring to it,” declared HARDY.
RELATED: Morgan Wallen, Tim McGraw, Eric Church, And HARDY Release New Song, “McArthur”
Watch HARDY Get Surprised With Honorary Professor Status During Opry Set
During HARDY’s set as part of MTSU Night at the Opry on Nov. 5, the singer-songwriter was surprised by Beverly Keel, the dean of MTSU’s Scott Borchetta College of Media & Entertainment.
Joining HARDY onstage, Dean Keel began her remarks, saying, “Sorry to interrupt your set, but I hope you won’t mind if you’ll stand awkwardly while I say good things about you for a minute.”
From there, Dean Keel said, “HARDY is one of the most influential artists today, and our students will be studying your work for decades.”
In 2013, HARDY graduated from MTSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recording Industry, with a concentration in Commercial Songwriting.
“Today, you are a master of a genre, as you take the Opry stage,” Dean Keel said. “To understand HARDY’s brilliance is to understand the power of authentic American storytelling.”
Powerfully, she then told HARDY, “You are the John Steinbeck of modern country music.”
Expounding on that superlative, Dean Keel stated:
“Just as Steinbeck gave a voice of grit and dignity to laborers and farmers, HARDY uses music to chronicle the raw, unvarnished lives of blue-collar, rural America. You don’t just write hooks, you write modern American literature.”
Giving some standout examples of HARDY’s craft as a songwriter, she said, “From the harrowing cinematic justice of ‘Wait In The Truck,’ to the multi-generational Dust Bowl tragedy of ‘McArthur’ … your work treats the struggles, heartbreaks, and triumphs of everyday working people with the weight of a grand tragedy.”
How all of this is conveyed is through music, with Dean Keel saying, “You bridge the gap between traditional country narrative and the raw, visceral energy of rock ‘n’ roll, proving that a great story can be told just as powerfully through a wall of distorted guitars as it can with an acoustic guitar.”
Namedropping the title of HARDY’s second album, The Mockingbird & the Crow, she said the dichotomy of the mockingbird and the crow illustrated HARDY’s sound and approach to storytelling through song.
Turning to his songwriting accolades, Dean Keel cited some of his biggest hits that he’s written for other artists, singling out his work with Morgan Wallen on tracks like “Sand In My Boots,” “This Bar,” and “I Wrote The Book; as well as Blake Shelton‘s “God’s Country;” and Dierks Bentley‘s “Beers On Me.”
Dean Keel even described HARDY as “one of the best commencement speakers MTSU has ever had,” as HARDY delivered that address — which can be seen below — in 2024.
“You stand as a testament to what an MTSU education can achieve when paired with relentless authenticity and undeniable talent,” she said.
She then proceeded to present HARDY with the distinction of honorary professor, saying that this was bestowed upon him “for rewriting the rule book of national songwriting, for teaching us how to blend ‘the Mockingbird and the Crow,’ and for always keeping [his] boots planted firmly in the mud of real world storytelling.”
The crowd then erupted in applause, and the Opry announcer said, “Please welcome to the stage Professor HARDY.”
Responding to this, HARDY described this as “a huge honor,” adding, “I did not know that was happening and that is so cool, man. If there’s anybody out here that’s a songwriting student at MTSU, I’d love to come and kick y’all’s ass sometime and show you what’s up.”
Watch HARDY get surprised with the distinction of honorary professor at MTSU, here:
See some of HARDY’s response to receiving this distinction, here.
Here’s a social media post by Beverly Keel, the Dean of MTSU’s Scott Borchetta College of Media & Entertainment, celebrating HARDY receiving this academic distinction:
Revisit HARDY’s 2024 commencement address at MTSU, here:
