Grand Ole Opry Plans Celebration For Barbara Mandrell’s 50th Opry Anniversary

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Barbara Mandrell will celebrate her 50th anniversary as a member of the Opry family with two special shows on Saturday, July 30. The three-time ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on July 29, 1972.

Opry member Carrie Underwood, who considers Mandrell one of her musical and professional inspirations, is slated to perform and help honor the legend, who will be in attendance at both shows. Tickets are available now.

One hour of the night’s first show will air live as Opry Live on Circle Network, and will livestream via Circle’s social channels. Both shows will air in their entirety on WSM Radio, opry.com, and SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse.

In honor of Mandrell’s golden Opry anniversary, a special commissioned Hatch show print will be available in the Opry shop and online. The exclusive merch line that Mandrell and the Opry launched last year in celebration of the 40th anniversary of her signature hit, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” will again be available exclusively online and in the Opry gift shop. The collection includes branded t-shirts, a Hatch poster, a coffee mug, and more.

Mandrell released “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” in April 1981 as the lead single from her album Barbara Mandrell Live. The song hit the No. 1 spot on July 4, 1981 and helped propel her Live album to be certified Gold, as well as cement her win for the 1981 CMA Entertainer of the Year.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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