Keith Urban got a special surprise at the Grand Ole Opry. Midway through his set at Ronnie Milsap’s 50th Opry Anniversary show, host Kelly Sutton walked on stage to read a letter to Urban.
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Before she got to the letter, though, Sutton revealed that the Opry had commissioned a tapestry, which features artwork that was curated by Manuel Cuevas. Each Opry member, Sutton said, will receive a custom, commemorative scarf that’s a replica of the tapestry, which will hang backstage at the venue.
After informing Urban that she’d hold on to his scarf until the end of the show, Sutton further honored the Opry member with a letter from a famed singer.
“Getting to say something about Keith Urban is such an honor. I’ve loved Keith and his music since the very first time I heard him,” Sutton read. “It puts a smile on my face watching YouTube videos of him performing as a child.”
“Keith has a heart of gold, and puts his soul into everything he does,” the letter continued. “He can sing and play any style of music, but I am so glad that he made country music, and that he made the Opry his home. Love you so much, Keith.”
The letter was signed, “Love, Crystal Gayle.”
Urban was clearly touched by the note, and put his hand over his heart with glee after finding out who penned it. Additionally, the singer honored Gayle by singing a short snippet of her 1977 song “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” before transitioning into playing his own track, “Wasted Time.”
Keith Urban’s Tribute to Ronnie Milsap
Urban was on hand to pay tribute to Ronnie Milsap on his 50th Opry anniversary. The singer started his set by performing his 2013 song, “Raise ‘Em Up.”
At the end of the track, Urban musically called out some of Milsap’s biggest hits including “Smoky Mountain Rain,” “Stranger in My House,” and “(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time.”
“‘Cause tonight at the Opry we’re going to ‘Raise ‘Em Up’ to the great Ronnie Milsap,” Urban concluded, prompting cheers from the crowd.
Before his next song, Urban told the crowd, “I love Ronnie. He’s been a big influence on me. [I was] playing the clubs when I was younger and doing tons of Ronnie’s songs.”
As Urban prepared to get into his Milsap cover, he revealed, “I’ve never sung this song at the Opry, so it’s the first time.”
With that, Urban began a stunning rendition of Milsap’s 1975 hit, “(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time.” The singer rounded out his time on stage with a performance of his 2016 track “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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