Gary Mule Deer Joins The Grand Ole Opry Family

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Gary Mule Deer with family and friends as he is welcomed into the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo

Comedian Gary Mule Deer was officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Friday, March 10 by his friend and Opry member Vince Gill.

“This is a dream come true for Gary,” said Gill. “Comedy, the people who make us laugh have been a huge part of the Grand Ole Opry for these 97 years plus. This place is special. You will be blessed by the family that you are going to inherit from this day forward. On behalf of all of us, congratulations on becoming the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”

“I think this is the first time a GOAT has inducted a Mule Deer,” joked the inductee as the crowd laughed. “Greatest of all time, right back there,” he continued in reference to Gill.

“There is not enough time to tell you what this means to me. I have been doing this over 60 years and there have been certain pinnacles of my life like my first Tonight Show, meeting my wife Nita, going on the road with Johnny Mathis for 30 something years in the orchestra. Then this … Thank you all. Thank you so much! This is the best. It doesn’t get any better than this,” concluded Mule Deer.

Mule Deer and Henry Cho, who was inducted last month, were surprised in January with invitations to join the Opry by Marty Stuart. The two have each played the Opry more than 100 times and are the first comedians to be inducted as members of the Opry since comedian Jerry Clower joined nearly 50 years ago.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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