FolkWorld #74 03/2021
© Jeremy Westby / 2911 Media

Across the Western Ocean

Carrying the Opry Banner

Multi-award-winning bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent was formally inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry Saturday by Opry member Dierks Bentley. The invitation was delivered in February of 2020 by Opry member Jeannie Seely with an original induction date scheduled for March 24, 2020, prior to the pandemic.

Rhonda Vincent

Artist Video Rhonda Vincent @ FROG

www.rhondavincent.com

Dierks said, “I’ll never forget the night that our mutual friend Marty Stuart made me an official member of the Opry and I’m so pleased to get to do the same for you tonight. Rhonda, you are now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry! I know you will carry the Opry banner proudly wherever you go.”

“It’s been 343 days, seven hours, three minutes, and five seconds,” Rhonda said laughing sharing how many days it had been since the Opry invitation came last year. “This is a night I will never forget and will cherish the rest of my life. I am proof that dreams really do come true.”

Rhonda Performs Merle Haggard's

The Grand Ole Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. The Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM.

Artist Video
www.dierks.com

“It’s great to have the supremely talented and very patient Rhonda Vincent as an official Opry member,” said Dan Rogers, Vice President and Executive Producer, Grand Ole Opry. “She brings with her countless fans, industry respect, and heartfelt passion for keeping the Opry vibrant and entertaining for generations to come. We look forward to Rhonda spending the rest of her career with us as part of the Opry family.”


About Rhonda Vincent:

The Grammy-winning Queen of Bluegrass Rhonda Vincent began her professional music career at the age of five, singing with her family's band, the Sally Mountain Show. She picked up the mandolin at eight and the fiddle at twelve, performing with the family band at festivals on weekends. Rhonda struck out on her own, singing with the Grand Ole Opry's Jim Ed Brown. Her opportunity eventually led to a deal with Rebel Records. Her work caught the attention of Giant Nashville's president, James Stroud, who signed Vincent to record two contemporary country albums.

After Giant, she signed with Rounder Records where her passion for traditional bluegrass music flourished. With the release of her debut album “Back Home Again,” “The Wall Street Journal” crowned Rhonda Vincent the New Queen of Bluegrass. She’s a multi-award winner, with a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album (2017), Entertainer of the Year (2001), Song of the Year (2004), and an unprecedented 7 consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (2000 – 2006). Her powerful vocal style transcends the boundaries of bluegrass music, as evidenced in her collaboration with Dolly Parton on the Elton John / Bernie Taupin Tribute Project “Restoration” 2018.

Rhonda Vincent’s lifelong dream came true when she was invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry on February 28, 2020.



P.S.: Rhonda Vincent has released a new version of her number-one single “Like I Could.” Vincent has delivered a beautifully heartbreaking ballad through her classic country sound and delicate instrumentation. The fiddle and mandolin-infused tune speaks about a love seen from the perspective of longing for forever, but not receiving that love in return. The revamped single was written by Erin Enderlin, Bobby Tomberlin, and Grammy Award winner and “Opry Matriarch” Jeannie Seely. “Like I Could” is part of a landmark career project for Vincent, her new album 'Music Is What I See,' which will be released on May 28 highlighting her incomparable talent.

Artist Video “I feel like I’ve discovered the best way to find songs to record. Just get in a limo with a Grand Ole Opry Star, ride around Nashville and enjoy having them sing the latest songs they’ve written. It sounds like a fairy tale, but that’s exactly how I found “Like I Could;” Jeannie Seely sang me the newest song she had written, along with Erin Enderlin and Bobby Tomberlin. I loved it instantly, and couldn’t wait to record it.” shares Vincent.

Due to pandemic restrictions, Vincent had to bring her album to a halt, but the “Queen of Bluegrass” is coming back in full swing with the release of “Like I Could” and her upcoming album. Vincent’s high-spirited energy is clearly present through her soaring vocals, blend of new tunes, and fresh arrangements of classics such as the first-ever recorded bluegrass version of the classic, “Unchained Melody.”



Photo Credits: (1) Rhonda Vincent, (2) Dierks Bentley (unknown/website).


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