Lisa Marie Presley to Make Grand Ole Opry Debut

Posted by Megan Hagedorn on 08/14/2012
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Lisa Marie Presley is scheduled to make her debut on the Grand Ole Opry Tues., Aug. 21. Presley’s current album, an Americana release, Storm & Grace, is her debut on Universal Republic/XIX Recordings and was produced by 12-time Grammy-winner T Bone Burnett, whose credits include the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack as well as Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Roy Orbison, and more.
 
Presley’s father, the iconic “King of Rock & Roll” Elvis Presley, made a storied, one and only appearance on the Opry on Oct. 2, 1954, singing his version of the Bill Monroe classic “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” As shared in Peter Guralnick’s “Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley,” producer Sam Phillips was leery of seeing Monroe backstage that night (“I’d heard he was going to break my jaw!”), fearing the bluegrass great’s reaction to the Sun Records version of Monroe’s composition. When Presley, Phillips, and crew met Monroe at the Opry, however, he “came right out and complimented them,” telling them he had cut a new version of the song for Decca that followed their pattern and was to be released the following week.
 
Among others playing the Opry Aug. 21 are Rascal Flatts, Del McCoury Band, and The Time Jumpers.
 

Presley is the latest in a long line of personalities known for work outside the world of country music to appear on the Opry stage, among them: U.S. Presidents, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Academy Award and Emmy winners, and world-famous journalists and sports figures. Iconic pop star Barry Gibb made his Opry debut July 28.