31 Country Stars You Won’t Believe Aren’t Grand Ole Opry Members
There are 76 members of the Grand Ole Opry as of March 2025, but that doesn’t include 15 living CMA or ACM Entertainers of the Year and several Country Music Hall of Famers. George Strait, Kenny Chesney and Willie Nelson are three legends who rarely play the Grand Ole Opry. Why?
That answer is often difficult to determine, but this list of stars you won’t believe aren’t members suggests reasons where appropriate.
Membership into the Grand Ole Opry comes with an obligation to play the show frequently, but that’s often set aside (Barbara Mandrell is an inactive member, for example). Only living artists are considered, and once a member dies, they are no longer a member.
Alabama
Alabama may be in the Country Music Hall of Fame, but they are not members of the Opry. In the band’s 50-year history, they have graced the stage a number of times, one of which was with Opry member Brad Paisley.
Brooks & Dunn
Though this duo has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, they have not secured membership in the Opry. Both Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have made solo appearances on the legendary stage, though.
The Chicks
The Chicks are one of 15 living Entertainers of the Year not in the Grand Ole Opry. Over the last 20 years, Opry appearances from the trio have been rare (if they’ve even appeared at all), but prior to angering some country music fans in 2003, Natalie Maines and co. were hardly mainstays. Per CMT, an Aug. 10, 2002 Grand Ole Opry Live appearance was their first since 1998.
Chris Stapleton
Stapleton made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Sept. 24, 2013, with only a handful of people knowing his name. By the end of his performance, no audience member could forget his show-stopping rendition of “Amanda,” which made the crowd go silent.
Cody Johnson
Cody Johnson made his Grand Ole Opry debut on April 17, 2017. Since then he’s appeared frequently and looks to be a fine future representative of the Opry, should they invite him.
While he’s only been making commercial country music for about five years, he served a decade in Texas, where he still lives. Distance could stand in his way. Other artists have remained outside the Opry circle because they couldn’t do the commute regularly. Time will tell if this Entertainer of the Year nominee follows suit.
Dan + Shay
Dan + Shay celebrate 10 years of Opry appearances in 2024 but their path to membership is not clear. Some may say the duo’s pop-country sound isn’t embraced by the Opry audience, but that’s just not true. Lady A, Kelsea Ballerini and Dustin Lynch are three of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney’s contemporaries who’ve been inducted.
Dwight Yoakam
A 1992 article in the L.A. Times hints that Dwight Yoakam reveres the Grand Ole Opry, but he’s not performed there at a pace necessary to gain membership. A Google or YouTube search will turn up several videos from the past 30 years, and the official Grand Ole Opry website calls out his moment honoring Minnie Pearl’s 50th Opry-versary as one of its 50 greatest. It would seem welcoming him as a member is just not a priority for either party.
Eric Church
Eric Church’s grandmother taught him that the Opry is “bigger than Oprah” which — in 2006 — was really saying something. That year he made his Grand Ole Opry debut and spoke with amazement about the opportunity. A cover of “Black Betty” by Ram Jam and his own “How ‘Bout You” made up the set.
“I’ve played a lot of gigs, but I’ve never felt this anywhere else,” he’d say in 2014 (per the Boot). Perhaps one day he’ll become part of the family.
Faith Hill
Faith Hill made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Dec. 18, 1993, just two months after her debut album, Take Me as I Am was released. However, she has not yet been invited to join the Opry.
George Strait
George Strait doesn’t have any issues with the Opry, but he did turn down an induction offer. So the story goes, the King of Country Music said no, since Opry members have to make a commitment to perform there a certain number of times annually, and he has retired from the road and lives in Texas.
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
Hank Williams Jr.
Talking to Taste of County, Hank Williams Jr. explained that he loves playing the Grand Ole Opry and respects the institution, but didn’t grow up listening to the famous radio show. Instead, he grew up on blues and R&B radio, so becoming a Grand Ole Opry member as never been a high priority.
Kenny Chesney
Though Chesney is an established artist, he has not performed at the Opry very many times, which could be why he has yet to be invited to join the organization.
Jason Aldean
On May 13, 2005, Jason Aldean made his Grand Ole Opry debut. However, in the years since, he has not been asked to join the hallowed institution.
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Nov. 9, 2021 and he’s had several special performances on the stage since. Most remarkable was a 2022 performance with Craig Morgan, where he sang “Almost Home.”
John Anderson
In recent years, John Anderson has become a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry. In fact the Opry paid tribute to him in 2022 as a tribute album to him was about to be released. Crystal Gayle’s invitation in 2017 proves it’s never too late for a legend.
Kane Brown
Kane Brown’s Opry resume is remarkably thin. He didn’t make his debut until 2021, several years after becoming a hitmaker. Since then he’s appeared a few times but has focused far more energy into cross-genre collaborations
Lee Greenwood
Some think Lee Greenwood should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. His catalog will determine membership to the first, but he can actively work for the second. For now he’s a country legend who just hasn’t been invited. If this list proves anything, it’s that there are plenty of those.
Luke Bryan
Bryan has performed at the Grand Ole Opry almost every year since becoming an established country artist. He’s been a supporter through the years, so there’s no telling why he is only a guest artist currently.
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert has had her fair share of special Opry moments, but believe it or not, she’s not a member.
Morgan Wallen
OK, so not all Grand Ole Opry outsiders are mysterious. Morgan Wallen has been a controversial artist for the last half-decade and the Grand Ole Opry famously likes to avoid controversy. He made his debut in 2017.
Old Dominion
Old Dominion debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in 2014 and like most artists on this list, they’ve been back plenty. The lovable country group would be good representatives but their time just hasn’t come, yet.
Shania Twain
This country queen is not a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has not performed there many times, though countless other artists have performed covers of her hits on the historic stage.
Taylor Swift
Swift has played at the Opry numerous times and has spoken about how esteemed the stage is and how honored she was to perform there, yet she is not a member. She does live in different cities and is now in pop music, though she left a mark on country music.
