Daniel Grindstaff & The Uptown Troubadours debut on the Opry (715/26) – photo © Ethan Burkhardt
Wednesday, July 15, was a memorable day for banjo player Daniel Grindstaff and his band, The Uptown Troubadours, as they made their Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville. Daniel and his bandmates have played the Opry before, but always in a supporting roles as a sidemen, but this time, it was all them, though they did have some surprise guests.
They got the full debut treatment, with a special gift, and interview, and a parking sign, but let’s have Daniel tell the story himself.
“Our Grand Ole Opry debut was one of the greatest honors of my life, I had often dreamed about what it would be like to hear my name called and step into the Opry circle, but even my dreams could not capture how special that moment would be.
We opened our set with our current single, Denver, written by the legendary Larry Gatlin. To our surprise, Larry and the Gatlin Brothers stepped onto the Opry stage and sang it with us. I’ve admired and listened to the Gatlin Brothers for as long as I can remember, so sharing that moment with them was an unbelievable honor. Having Larry Gatlin himself perform the song he wrote alongside us—and having the Gatlin Brothers be part of our Opry debut—is an Opry moment that all of us will cherish forever.
Our second song was the classic, Danny’s Song, which is on our new album. Hearing the audience signing along with us was another unforgettable moment!
To close the night, we played Foggy Mountain Breakdown, one of the songs my dad played on his own Grand Ole Opry debut 56 years ago. Looking over and seeing him standing side stage, watching with pride, is a moment I’ll carry with me forever. That full-circle connection between his Opry debut was so special!
Thank you to Kevin Richardson, Derek Deakins, Kent Blanton, Troy Boone ,and John Gardner – you all are the best! Thank you to the Grand Ole Opry for welcoming us, and thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. What a night. What an honor. What a blessing.”
Many congratulations to Daniel and the guys. May this be the first of many Opry appearances.
