Rhett Akins Inducted Into the Grand Ole Opry During All-Star Celebration: ‘The Greatest Night of My Life’
A star-studded lineup of friends and fellow artists, including Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Jon Pardi and Jamey Johnson, joined Akins to celebrate the career milestone.
Luke Bryan, Jon Pardi, Jason Aldean, Rhett Akins, Rhett Akins, Jamey Johnson, Thomas Rhett; Photo by Chris Hollo, Courtesy of Grand Ole Opry
Rhett Akins officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday evening, marking a milestone career moment on his 57th birthday. The country hitmaker was welcomed into the iconic institution following an all-star celebration featuring Opry members, longtime friends and songwriting collaborators.
Opry host Kelly Sutton welcomed Akins to the stage as the night’s co-host after he opened the show with a performance of his 1996 No. 1 single, “Don’t Get Me Started.”
Akins then welcomed his friends to the stage, including Jon Pardi, who surprised him with the invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry a few months ago. Pardi and Akins teamed up to sing “Dirt On My Boots” before Akins welcomed his longtime friend Jamey Johnson to the stage.
Akins reminisced about being on the same record label as Johnson and touring together, likening their friendship to that of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. The two later joined forces to perform Merle Haggard’s “Ramblin’ Fever.”
Fellow Georgia native Jason Aldean was next to take the stage, reflecting on his years of friendship with Akins and recalling the first time he saw him perform live. The show took place in a Walmart parking lot in Perry, Georgia, when Aldean was just 18 or 19 years old. He remembered feeling inspired as he watched Akins, thinking to himself, “this is a guy from where I’m from…he’s really doing it. He’s making it happen.”
Although he was under the weather, Luke Bryan couldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate his friend and co-writer. He joined Akins on the Opry stage for an acoustic set, sharing stories about writing songs together and performing two of their hits, “I Don’t Want This Night to End” and “Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day.”
Bryan, another Georgia native, also reminisced about seeing Akins perform while growing up in Georgia and feeling inspired to chase his own dreams after witnessing his success.
When Akins welcomed his son, Thomas Rhett, to the stage, he appeared visibly emotional. Addressing the packed Opry House, he admitted, “this don’t even make any sense how this is even true.”
Akins reflected on writing songs with his now-superstar son since he was just five years old, bringing him along on the tour bus as a young boy and the way his son’s first cut as a songwriter changed everything for him.
“This is a real deal superstar…this is like as big as it comes,” he shared as he sang his son’s praises.
Thomas Rhett also appeared emotional as he described the occasion as one of the coolest things he has gotten to do in his career. He thanked his father for helping shape the artist and songwriter he has become.
After performing their co-written song “Half Of Me” and his fan-favorite “Die A Happy Man,” Thomas Rhett welcomed his dad back to the stage to perform another hit they co-penned, “What’s Your Country Song.” It was a special father-son moment!
Akins’ big moment finally arrived toward the end of the show when he returned to the stage to perform two Blake Shelton hits he co-wrote. Then, Opry members Jon Pardi and Jamey Johnson stepped into the circle to make his membership official.
“Rhett Akins, you are now a member of the Grand Ole Opry,” Pardi declared.
Johnson had the entire room laughing as he added, “Congratulations. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy … but it did. It happened to me.”
The show wrapped with Akins’ friends rejoining him onstage to perform his signature hit “That Ain’t My Truck,” followed by a crowd-wide rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
Throughout the night, Akins appeared emotional as he took in what he called “the greatest night of my life.” He took a moment to reflect on the day he was dropped from his record label and considered giving up music altogether, but felt a strong pull toward songwriting.
Now with 36 (and counting) No. 1 hits to his name, Akins has become one of country music’s most celebrated songwriters. With his induction into the Grand Ole Opry, he has officially fulfilled a lifelong dream.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
