Elmo and Abby Cadabby Talk Cowboy Hats, Nashville and Their Grand Ole Opry Debuts
Elmo and Abby added a stop in Nashville to their summer road trip.
Elmo and Abby Cadabby; Country Now Screenshot
In honor of its ongoing 100th birthday celebration, the Grand Ole Opry welcomed two very special guests to its legendary stage on Thursday: Elmo and Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street. Both beloved characters served as guest announcers and made their Opry performance debuts, delighting fans with their first-ever appearances on the iconic stage.
Ahead of their big moment, Country Now caught up with Elmo and Abby to talk about adding Nashville to their summer road trip, how they prepared for performing at the Opry, and what it meant to bring a little Sesame Street magic to Music City.
Elmo shared that the duo had been longtime fans of Nashville and were excited to take in everything the city has to offer.
Abby revealed that a country superstar also inspired their visit.
“Our friend Chris Stapleton stopped by and he was singing to us about how music brings everybody together with friendship, and so he said, ‘You should come to Nashville.’ So here we are,” she declared.
The 11-time GRAMMY winner encouraged them to pick up cowboy hats for their trip, adding an extra layer of Nashville flair. The pair also spent time exploring downtown, soaking in the sights and sounds of Music City’s famous Lower Broadway.
“We went down Broadway and then we just…music after music after music, we followed our ears to about five or six different bands,” Abby revealed, sharing how much fun they had discovering live performances throughout the city.
In preparation for their Opry debut, both Elmo and Abby dedicated time to rehearsing and made country music a big part of their road trip sound track.
“We’ve been rehearsing our songs and Elmo’s been singing in the car and listening to a lot of country music, listening to a lot of Dolly [Parton],” Elmo explained.
“We love Dolly,” Abby, who revealed she looked to Parton’s iconic style when deciding what to wear for her debut, added.
That evening, Elmo joined Opry member Lauren Alaina for a performance of her No.1 hit “Road Less Traveled,” while Abby sang alongside Tayla Lynn on “You’re Lookin’ At Country.” Lynn followed in the footsteps of her Opry-member grandmother, Loretta Lynn, who appeared on Sesame Street more than 40 years ago.
In the second half of the show, both Elmo and Abby joined a growing lineup of performers, actors, athletes, journalists, and more as guest announcers alongside the Opry’s award-winning radio broadcasters.
The pair was excited to help the Grand Ole Opry celebrate 100 years, and even more excited about what comes along with the celebration.
“How do you celebrate a big milestone? Like a hundred years of Opry? Oh my goodness. Cake!” Elmo exclaimed.
Fans can follow Elmo on Instagram for more.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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