Despite being a legend of country and Americana music, Robert Earl Keen had never played at the Grand Ole Opry. That is, until Wednesday, March 12, when he took the iconic stage to perform a three-song set. Additionally, Tyler Childers was on hand to introduce him as well as treat the audience to a surprise performance.
“It was an honor to sing in the Circle last night, a place so many of my heroes have stood,” Keen said after the performance, speaking with Rolling Stone. “I’ve been playing these songs up and down the highways for decades — singing them last night on the Opry stage felt a lot like coming home.”
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Initially, Childers introduced Keen to the Opry audience, calling him an “inspiration to road dogs and poets alike.” Additionally, he called Keen “the great American songwriter.” Keen is opening for Childers on tour later this year, and the two have performed together numerous times. Clearly, there’s a deep mutual respect between them.
[RELATED: Why Robert Earl Keen’s Mom Hated His Bawdy Holiday Hit “Merry Christmas From the Family”]
Tyler Childers Introduces Robert Earl Keen During Keen’s First Appearance at the Grand Ole Opry
Robert Earl Keen performed three of his classic songs for the gathered Opry crowd, “Gringo Honeymoon,” “I Gotta Go,” and “Feelin’ Good Again.” Keen stated, “It meant so much to have my good friend Tyler introduce me, as well as all of the friends and family who joined backstage,” adding, “I’m feeling good again, so singing that song last night was a nod to it.”
Keen recently came out of retirement after taking a break from touring in 2022. While he promised at the time that he wouldn’t return to touring, he got sober in that time, and has since returned to the road. Not in the coast-to-coast capacity that previously exhausted him, but steady venue bookings and festival dates.
His reasoning for coming back to touring? The simple fun of it all. “My primary purpose in life is not only writing some songs and playing guitar,” he told Rolling Stone in 2024, “but the magical part is actually putting that music out there in the world, and getting to perform.”
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