From Ernest Tubb to Sam Smith: Has the Opry Lost Its Way?

Has the Grand Ole Opry lost some of the meaning and mystique that once made it country music’s most sacred stage?

Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace and Neil Thrasher react to the announcement that pop superstar Sam Smith will make a Grand Ole Opry debut—and debate whether the Opry should remain rooted in country tradition or welcome artists from every genre.

The guys also discuss why “music brings everyone together” may not be entirely true, Carrie Underwood’s potential move into rock, Lainey Wilson’s authenticity and faith, and the growing country trend of rewriting or interpolating classic hits.

Later, they explain the difference between using AI as a creative tool and allowing it to do the creating, share another uncomfortable airplane encounter, and deliver this week’s DipShidiot complaints involving crosswalks, restaurant birthday songs and the phrase “my current wife.”

Does every artist belong on the Grand Ole Opry stage—or should it remain distinctly country? Let us know below.

Subscribe for more unfiltered stories from country music, the road and the writers’ room.


00:51 Raising $500,000 for St. Jude
01:58 The Jason Aldean tour winds down
02:41 “Try That in a Small Town” gets even bigger
03:21 Why blue-city crowds respond so strongly
04:01 Jason Aldean and Boston Strong
05:39 Another commercial-flight adventure
06:29 An aspiring singer asks for advice
08:07 The uncomfortable truth about her music
08:25 Does music really bring people together?
12:09 Concerts and temporary unity
14:23 Cledus T. Judd’s Ella Langley parody
15:14 Another “Choosin’ Texas” train wreck
15:50 What happened to Maren Morris?
16:52 Ella Langley’s hunting photos
18:10 Lainey Wilson’s faith and authenticity
19:24 The writing session that got away
20:12 Sponsor break
22:04 The alarming new trend in golf shorts
23:32 What is happening with LIV Golf?
25:14 Why successful bands break apart
25:43 Sam Smith’s Grand Ole Opry debut
27:02 Has the Opry lost its mystique?
29:19 From Ernest Tubb to Sam Smith
31:29 What does the Opry mean today?
33:37 Would Jelly Roll quit music?
34:28 Carrie Underwood’s possible rock album
36:02 Which country artists could go rock?
37:29 Sponsor break
39:09 Country music keeps rewriting old hits
40:20 Would the guys interpolate a classic?
42:48 Jason Aldean answers a podcast question
43:31 Running on empty
44:55 Would Tully bother Tom Brady?
45:48 Meeting John Elway and Tony Romo
47:13 Mentoring young Nashville musicians
48:14 Stop sending voice-message texts
48:54 Congress attempts to regulate AI
50:12 AI as a tool versus creative theft
51:46 How the guys actually use ChatGPT
52:52 Is AI weakening creativity?
53:33 What if the Wi-Fi disappeared?
55:32 The aspiring singer conversation continues
56:34 Finding another career in Nashville
58:08 A landscaper leaves an unforgettable voicemail
59:46 This week’s DipShidiot
1:00:14 Never say “my current wife”
1:01:31 “Grass-fed” macaroni shells
1:02:50 Look up before entering a crosswalk
1:05:41 Stop singing Happy Birthday to grown men
1:07:54 Kelley’s years as a singing waiter
1:08:58 Did the guys offend anyone?
1:09:25 Christmas arrives before Halloween
1:11:14 Ten Stone at Walmart


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