Our first picture this month shows you what it can look like backstage when I arrive for a night at the Grand Ole Opry. It’s always fun to see the smiling faces, some of which I recognize and others which I don’t. I always try to make a few new friends with each appearance, though, and hopefully I succeed more often than I fail. In the second photo, I think I succeeded in making my granddaughter, Hallie, happy by taking her with me to the recent CMA Awards. She loves country music more than any of my other grandkids, and we had another great night of making some lasting memories together. In the last photo, I’m relaxing in my Opry dressing room…..the room called, “It All Begins With A Song.” This room is dedicated to the Opry members who are/were also songwriters, and as you can see, my picture hangs between Dolly and Hank. I’d say I’m in some pretty special company!

The Grand Ole Opry celebrates its 98th birthday this month, and people are always asking me how the show has changed over the years. It has evolved with the passage of time, of course, but one thing remains the same: That warm, special feeling of camaraderie and togetherness which exists in very few other places. I hope the spirit of the show and of its members never changes. Whether I’m on stage, as I am in the first picture here, or visiting backstage with fellow artists like Chris Janson (I told him I was NOT going to buy him a boat!) and T. Graham Brown, the Opry brotherhood/sisterhood is something unique and very special. And it includes not only the artists but their families as well. T. Graham’s wife, Sheila, sent me a fresh supply of her incredible homemade pimento cheese, a loaf of bread to make sandwiches, and some delicious homemade cookies last weekend, just because, as she wrote in a note, “we love you.” May the Opry continue to prosper and soar for at least another 98 years!

You can see from this first picture that Sara Evans became very emotional when I asked her if she would like to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Sara was headlining her own concert at the Ryman when some of us (me, Lady A, and Carly Pearce) broke in to present her with an award and pop this very special question. Sara will be officially inducted into the Opry family on October 7th. The second picture is that of a young Bev Porter as she appeared in her early days as the keyboard player and background vocalist in my Po’ Folks Band. Many of you met Bev and heard her play both at the Opry and on our tours over the years. As I indicated earlier in my letter, she was an important part of all that I did back in the eighties.The third picture was taken backstage at the Opry where I recently had the chance to catch up with Becky Isaacs Bowman of the singing group, The Isaacs. As you probably know, Becky was seriously injured in a head-on car crash back in December and has had to undergo several surgeries and intensive rehab. Her spirit, her faith, and her attitude have not wavered, though, and it was wonderful to share some moments with her. What a light of positivity and optimism she is.