Grand Ole Opry Unveils ‘Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes’ Display Honoring Scotty McCreery, Josh Turner, and Randy Travis

Randy Travis, Josh Turner, and Scotty McCreery shared an unforgettable moment on the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage on April 20, 2024, as McCreery was officially inducted into the Opry family. His musical heroes, Turner and Travis, stood by his side to help welcome him into this legendary circle.

Now, that special night has been commemorated at the Opry with a brand-new display that documents the moment in a unique and meaningful way.

Titled “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes,” a nod to the George Jones classic, the display features the actual shoes worn by all three artists on the night of McCreery’s induction. The exhibit symbolizes three generations of Opry greatness and pays tribute to Josh Turner’s emotional speech, in which he quoted lyrics from the iconic Jones song while celebrating McCreery’s place in country music history.

That night, Turner shared, “I stand here tonight proud of the fact that I bridged the gap between the generation of Randy Travis and Scotty McCreery. Only time will tell who will be inspired by Scotty.”

While standing on the Opry stage, Turner then shared the chorus of George Jones’ “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes”: “Who’s gonna fill their shoes? Who’s gonna stand that tall? Who’s gonna play the Opry/ And the Wabash cannonball? Who’s gonna give their heart and soul/ To get to me and you? Lord, I wonder who’s gonna fill their shoes.” 

Turner later added, “Scotty is not only a fine singer and a songwriter but he’s a great man, husband, and now father. I’m proud of him and I’m proud that he is filling the shoes of the artists before him. With artists like him, country music is in great shape.” 

The display includes McCreery’s black Lucchese boots, Travis’ black low-top Converse shoes, and Turner’s square-toed Ariat Cowboy boots and an autographed copy of the speech Turner read aloud on stage that evening. 

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Alongside a photo of the new display, Turner reflected on that evening on social media, writing, “The Grand Ole Opry came up with the idea for this very cool display and when I saw it for the first time I was really moved. This night will always be a highlight of my career. I was honored Scotty McCreery  asked me to induct him, and I was honored to have my hero, Randy Travis  standing by my side.” 

McCreery later shared, “I will always be honored that the Opry created this backstage display of the boots and shoes that Josh Turner, Randy Travis, and I wore when they inducted me into the Opry last year.” 

Fans can view the display during backstage tours of the Grand Ole Opry.