Grand Ole Opry Suddenly Postpones Show Honoring Connie Smith’s 60th Anniversary As A Member
Connie Smith was supposed to celebrate her 60th anniversary as an Opry member during a "special evening" on August 20, but that event has since been postponed. (Photo Credit: Terry Wyatt / Getty Images)
“Special Evening” Celebrating Connie Smith At The Opry Postponed Until Further Notice
Country music icon Connie Smith will celebrate her 60th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Thursday (August 21). The Opry originally planned to mark the occasion during a “special evening” on August 20. However, that event needed to be postponed.
The postponement news came on Tuesday (August 19), one day before the show. Smith’s team shared a statement on social media, reading as follows.
“Unfortunately, the special evening at the Grand Ole Opry planned for tomorrow night celebrating Connie Smith’s 60 years as an Opry member must be postponed. We look forward to rescheduling this soon and to listening to [the] wonderful lineup of folks performing tomorrow night!“
The Opry and Smith were upfront about why the show could not go on. Smith’s husband and fellow Opry member, Marty Stuart, said they have dealt with “the unwelcome presence of COVID in [their] home.” The announcement did not specify if Smith, Stuart, or both had been sick.
The Opry added, “We will look forward to celebrating Connie’s 60th with her (and with Marty by her side) on a future date to be announced soon.”
Stuart and Smith form one of only four married couples in which both partners are current Opry members. The other couples are Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White of the Whites, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook.
The Opry still plans to host a show on Wednesday evening. Performers include John Conlee, Dailey & Vincent, Sierra Ferrell, Mandy Barnett, Vince Gill, The Isaacs, Old Crow Medicine Show, Riders in the Sky, and The Whites.
Another Opry Member Was Recently Forced To Cancel A Show
Connie Smith isn’t the only Opry member who recently had to cancel an appearance. Bill Anderson, who holds the record as the longest-serving member of the Opry, canceled his performance on August 16.
In a statement released on August 18, Anderson revealed he injured himself in a “freak accident.”
“…I simply twisted or tore some ligaments or muscles or something in the back of my left leg trying to climb into bed, and I fell to the floor unable to walk. I was in excruciating pain and had to cancel a songwriting appointment with T. Graham Brown on Friday, the Opry on Saturday, and an appearance at the State Fair for WSM on Sunday. If you know me, you know how much it bothers me to go back on any commitment I may have made,” Anderson said.
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Anderson had just appeared at the Opry House for Jeannie Seely’s memorial service a few days prior.
We’ll be keeping Anderson, Smith, and Stuart in our prayers. Hopefully, Smith feels better soon so the Opry can give her the anniversary celebration she deserves!
Watch Smith sing “Peace in the Valley” at a 2023 Opry show below.
