As Jon Pardi saddles up to be inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member on October 24, he’s looking back at his surprise invitation at Stagecoach earlier in April, which was extended by longtime friend Guy Fieri and Alan Jackson.
“When I first saw Guy onstage, I was like, ‘What the hell is Guy doing on stage and how did he get a microphone?'” Jon recounts. “Guy’s a good friend and he was so excited. He knew about it for a long time and we’re buddies and he never said anything.”
Getting invited to join the prestigious Grand Ole Opry in California as its first Californian member was a full-circle moment for Jon.
“It was a great moment and it was cool that it was at Stagecoach. It’s one of my favorite festivals in country music and it’s the biggest in California,” he shares, before beaming with pride about the fortified ties between the West Coast and country music, Nashville and the Opry. “It was pretty cool.”
Tickets to Jon’s October 24 Opry induction show can be purchased now at opry.com.
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