Remember When Randy Travis Made His Grand Ole Opry Debut in 1986?

On March 7, 1986, Randy Travis made his Grand Ole Opry debut. At the time, Travis was still two months from releasing his debut Storms Of Life album. He had released only two singles. “On The Other Hand”, his first single from Storms Of Life, failed to chart. Travis followed that with “1982,” which became a Top 5 single. A little more than a month after his Opry debut, Travis released “On The Other Hand” again, becoming his first No. 1 single.

For Travis’s Grand Ole Opry debut, he sang Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”. He was introduced by Opry member Little Jimmy Dickens. The Grand Ole Opry apparently liked what they saw.

“Every time you walk on the Opry stage is a special feeling that I wish I knew how to describe. There is just a wonderful energy on that stage,” Travis later said. “I am very proud to be a member of the Opry.”

The Grand Ole Opry apparently liked what they saw in Travis. Less than a year later, he became an official member. It was Ricky Skaggs who officially inducted Travis.

The Unique Story Behind Randy Travis Making His Grand Ole Opry Debut

Travis was still working as a cook at Nashville Palace on the night he made his surprising Opry debut.

“My initial appearance came as a surprise to me, as well as the audience, when … Little Jimmy Dickens coaxed me on as we stood side stage,” Travis recalls. “He had come to the Nashville Palace earlier in the evening to grab a bite to eat (where I was working as a cook). He asked me to ‘come go with him over to the Opry’ when he left.

“I couldn’t pass up that opportunity, so I threw off my apron and donned my most presentable jacket,” he continues. “I thought I was going as his guest and was going to get to watch from the back instead of the front for once!”

Travis was indeed side stage when Little Jimmy Dickens went out to perform, convincing Travis to join him.

“He pushed me out there in front of God and everybody—I was singing on that sacred stage,” Travis remembers. “I was real nervous but I loved the feel of it… I loved the folks of the Opry… I loved Little Jimmy Dickens (for doing that).”

From there, it didn’t take long for the Opry to see that Travis had something truly unique.

“This was before my first album, Storms of Life, was released,” Travis says. “I was inducted in December of ’86. … It’s still a great honor to this day to be a part of the Opry family. Always a home to go to!”

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images

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