In 2020, the Academy of Country Music Awards wanted to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry. But when planning a tribute to the Opry, it’s hard to pick just a single singer. Throughout its history, the Opry welcomed countless singers to its stage. Among them were legendary females like Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Barbara Mandrell, and Loretta Lynn. Calling on Carrie Underwood to helm the tribute, she decided not to highlight just one singer, but all of them.
Turning the tribute into a medley, Underwood not only honored the past but showcased her ability to jump from song to song with ease. Add that with the fact that Reba, Cline, Dolly, and Lynn had their own distinct sound – it made the performance all the more impressive.
As for the songs she covered – Underwood found herself with another problem. Each icon produced a catalog filled with defining hits. Almost impossible to pick which song to cover, she picked “Crazy,” “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” “Why’d You Come in Here Looking Like That,” and “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.”
While pictures of each singer played on the screen behind her, Underwood closed out the tribute with “A Broken Wing.” And as she hit the final note, images of all six women appeared in the background.
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Although gaining a massive applause from those in the audience, the praise went far beyond the ACM Awards, as fans commented:
“Carrie has one of the most powerful voices. Amazing.”
“There is no tribute to women in country that could ever top this. She absolutely brought the house down and she didn’t miss a single beat. It did every single woman, in this song or not, proud.”
“I think it’s a fair statement to say Carrie is one of the best country voices of all time.”
“Okay, now I need a full album of Female Country Classics by Carrie Underwood. Brilliant.”
One fan even recalled her time on American Idol. “Still remember Simon Cowell telling a starry-eyed young lady, ‘You’re going to win this show and you’ll be the biggest artist ever’. Dude was right.”
When standing on the ACM stage, Underwood took a brief moment to celebrate the singers, declaring, “They are some of my heroes, and I’m so honored to stand alongside them as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Years later, the performance still stands as one of the most memorable tributes in country music history. And while a tribute, it was a reminder of the women who helped build the Grand Ole Opry.
