Last night (March 19), the Grand Ole Opry celebrated 100 years of great country music with a star-studded event. Opry 100: A Live Celebration featured a laundry list of the biggest names in country music. Most of them were pay homage to those who came before them. For instance Reba McEntire kicked things off with a tribute to Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn before inviting Trisha Yearwood to the stage to perform one of her hits.
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McEntire started the Opry celebration with a stunning acapella rendition of Cline’s “Sweet Dreams (Of You)” before bringing in the band for “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man).” Then, the “Fancy” singer surprised viewers when she welcomed Yearwood to the stage. They joined forces for an unforgettable rendition of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” Watch a snippet of the performance below.
Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire Perform a Killer Classic
Reba McEntire released “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” in 1992 as the third single from the album For My Broken Heart. She and Trisha Yearwood proved that the song remains a favorite among fans during last night’s performance. However, it was one of only six singles from McEntire to miss the top 10 in the ’90s.
McEntire released seven singles between 1990 and 1992. All of them were top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Three of those went to No. 1. “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” peaked at No. 12, breaking a streak of hits that began in 1984 with her No. 1 single “How Blue.”
While the Southern Gothic murder ballad didn’t see the same success as the rest of her catalog in the ’90s, it remains one of her signature songs and a favorite among fans.
McEntire wasn’t the first to record the song. Bobby Russell wrote it in 1972 and Vicki Lawrence recorded the original version of it and released it later that year. Her pop-leaning rendition went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Grand Ole Opry
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