Trace Adkins Marks 20 Years at the Grand Ole Opry with Unforgettable Celebration

Trace Adkins appeared on the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage Wednesday evening (Aug. 23) to celebrate a career milestone of being an Opry member for 20 years. 

Adkins was invited by the Late Jimmy Dickens in 2003 and then that same year he was officially inducted on August 23 by his personal hero, Ronnie Milsap. Since his induction into the world-famous home of country music, Adkins has represented the Opry family with countless performances.

During this special 20-year celebration, Adkins took the stage two different times. He performed “Kiss You All Over” with Exile, and then he went on to deliver a four-song set which included “Songs About Me” and “You’re Gonna Miss This.” In between songs, the Opry surprised Adkins with a congratulatory video message from Blake Shelton, where he jokingly said “I’m so happy that I could not be there.”

While on stage, the “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” singer explained what being an Opry member meant to him.

“For me, it means that I’m a better man than I would have been had I not been a member of the Grand Ole Opry because I take it very seriously… And I try to conduct myself every day, keeping in mind that I’m a member of the Grand Ole Opry and I represent this institution, and I don’t want to do anything that might disrespect my family at the Grand Ole Opry. It probably kept me out of jail more times than I would have gone,” Adkins said.

To conclude the night, Adkins sang the title track from his most recent album “THE WAY I WANNA GO.” As he sang, the Opry house put together a collection of photos from the past two decades and they lit up the famous barn.

Following the performance, a cake-cutting ceremony took place to prove the love and respect the Opry has for Adkins. The cake was tailored to Adkins as it was his favorite flavor, red velvet. 

Adkins’s most recent album, THE WAY I WANNA GO, was released in 2021 as a 25th-anniversary album. It features 25 tracks with special guests including Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Melissa Etheridge, Pitbull, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, and more.

Also included on the album is his latest single “Somewhere In America.” The popular tune is a red-white-and-blue anthem and it was written by Jon Nite, Hunter Phelps, Michael Hardy, and Zach Crowell. It’s uplifting and inspiring message led Adkins to hold a free benefit concert called “SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA: A Concert For Mayfield” presented by KIOTI Tractor in May, which raised funds and support for the Western Kentucky area after it was devastated by tornadoes last December. 

The official music video for “Somewhere In America” was filmed during the benefit concert show and it premiered on CMT in July.

“It seems like over the last couple years we could have picked a lot of places,” Adkins previously explained to CMT’s Cody Alan. “I think Mayfield is representative of all those communities that have had to come together in light of these terrible storms. We just wanted to come in here and give them a pat on the back and say, ‘There are people out there that haven’t forgotten about you.’ That’s what I was hoping to do.”

Adkins traveled all across the country this summer for his nationwide SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA 2023 TOUR and he will continue that trek into early December.