Country trio and former America’s Got Talent contestants Chapel Hart made their emotional Grand Ole Opry debut on Sept 17.
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Introduced by “Miss Country Soul” Jeannie Seely, who was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Sept. 16, 1967, the Mississippi trio, sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, and cousin Trea Swindle performed three songs during their Opry debut, their AGT audition song “You Can Have Him Back Jolene” and their patriotic song, “American Pride,” which the trio also performed on American’s Got Talent on Sept. 13, while battling some vocal issues.
“We didn’t make it halfway through the song,” said Danica Hart to the crowd with the group thanking all military members in the audience. “The first notes started and we started boohooing on America’s Got Talent before the song even started, so tonight we want to dedicate this to the men and women who lay it all on the line day in and day out.”
Following their performance, the trio received a standing ovation from the Opry crowd.
Making it into the top five during the AGT finale on Sept. 14, Chapel Hart performed on the show one last time with their rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s 1991 hit “Something to Talk About” with Darius Rucker, who revealed that the group will be featured on his upcoming album.
“He said, ‘I have this song and I think I hear you guys doing the harmonies, Y’all just take it and do Chapel Hart. I’d love to work with you,’” said Swindle during an interview at the Opry. “So we took it and Chapel Harted it right up, put down the vocals and sent it to the producer. We were waiting for the response and the producer just goes, ‘Got it, thanks.’”
Following the group’s performance on AGT, they received a number of new celebrity fans, including country music legends like Dolly Parton, who praised them for their humorous response to her 1974 hit Jolene with “You Can Have Him Jolene” along with Tanya Tucker, who also appeared with special a message for the trio during the AGT finale and Loretta Lynn.
The trio has already released two albums, their debut Out The Mud in 2019 and follow up The Girls Are Back in Town in 2021 and revealed that they would like to collaborate with The Chicks, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, and more.
“And we would love to do something with Dolly [Parton],” added Danica Hart, “even if we just stand and cry in the background.”
“We’ll be the background criers,” Swindle said, adding, “I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but I’m going to convince Gretchen Wilson to come back and start doing some more stuff.”
In the meantime, Chapel Hart’s Grand Ole Opry story has only begun. The group is already set to return to the Opry for another performance on Oct. 8.
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Read the American Songwriter interview with Chapel Hart HERE.
Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
