Jon Pardi Inducted into Grand Ole Opry by His Hero Garth Brooks

Jon Pardi was surprised Tuesday night by his childhood country hero, Garth Brooks, who appeared on the Grand Ole Opry House stage to welcome the lanky Californian as the Opry’s newest member.

“This is me and you joined in holy matrimony sharing our love of country music,” Brooks, 61, said as he presented the trophy to the Opry member.

Then Brooks stepped back to give Pardi his full attention in the Opry’s iconic center stage circle, cut from the floor of its former legendary home, the Ryman Auditorium.

But when Pardi accepted the honor, he said he had another “full circle” in mind. He recalled that when he was just 7 years old, he became obsessed with VHS tapes This is Garth Brooksa recording of a live performance.

“I mean, my hero, who I watched fly in the arena, is right behind me,” said Pardi, 38, almost in disbelief.

Garth Brooks and Jon Pardi in Nashville on October 24, 2023.

Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Holl

At an earlier news conference, Pardi recalled that growing up in Dixon, California, he fell in love with country music through his grandmother, who told him about the Opry. Although he was able to watch some televised Opry performances as a boy, the signal from the Opry’s home radio station, WSM, could not reach that far west. In fact, Pardi said, he didn’t realize the Opry was a radio program until he attended a show shortly after arriving in Nashville in 2008.

“It was fantastic,” he said. “I thought, man, they sell stuff here. It’s a radio show! I will apply for it.”

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Of course, Pardi soon discovered that it wasn’t so easy for a newcomer to land the coveted invitation to debut at the Opry. It took him another four years to finally stand on stage. Hatless and with shaggy curls on his forehead, he sang “Missin’ You Crazy,” his debut single that gave him his first chart appearance. His memories of that night, Pardi said, include the Hummer stretch limo he hired to drive him and his mom to the Opry House and the fact that “the band played everything really fast, but really well. It was a rush.”

In the years that followed, Pardi cut his hair short, donned his trademark cowboy hat — and went multi-platinum, had six No. 1 singles, earned CMA New Artist and ACM New Male Artist of the Year, headlined numerous tours and opened for Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert and Luke Bryan, among others.

Jackson, another childhood hero, surprised Pardi in April with a video invitation to join the Opry; was projected onto the screen during Pardi’s performance at the Stagecoach festival in his home state.

Jon Pardi invited — with the help of Guy Fieri and Alan Jackson — to join the Grand Ole Opry during the recording of Stagecoach

Pardi is the first native Californian to be inducted into the Opry, and during the press conference he reflected on the state’s contributions to country history — including the Bakersfield Sound — and his own commitment to preserving traditional sounds in modern country.

“I never wanted to be like a throwback artist,” he said, “but I wanted to feel like you know there was something old school, but it was very modern, and I think I balanced that very well. As for me, I always want to make a record that Alan Jackson would want to listen to in some way.”

Garth Brooks and Jon Pardi in Nashville on October 24, 2023.

Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Holl

During the introduction, Brooks recalled how Pardi blew him away as the opener at the 2019 show at Knoxville’s 85,000-seat Neyland Stadium.

“My favorite part is watching a new country artist squirm,” Brooks shared. “Big one here, I’ll watch him bend like an aluminum pressure can, man. It’s too good! By the second song, this guy had them eating out of his hand. … And what he did was turn the whole damn night around where I was under pressure when I went out there.”

Brooks added: “I liked Jon Pardi. After that night, I love Jon Pardi.”

Before the appointment, Pardi performed three of his No. 1 songs — “Your Heart or Mine,” “Last Night Lonely” and “Heartache Medication” — apologizing to the crowd for a scratchy throat he thought was caused by seasonal allergies. (He was he was later diagnosed with strep throatwhich is why he postponed three tour dates.)

“Your heart or mine”

When Opry host Chuck Wicks asked Pardi, “What’s going on in your head?” at this particular moment, Pardi couldn’t help but joke, “Congestion.”

But the new one quickly added that he would not miss this career highlight. “I’m going to play those songs for you,” he told the crowd. “You just have to sing with me.”

The crowd complied, offering a roaring rendition of the chorus of “Head Over Boots,” Pardi’s first performance as a member of the Opry.

Garth Brooks, Jon Pardi and Dan Rogers at the Opry in Nashville on October 24, 2023.

Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Holl

The induction ceremony and performance will air on November 18 as Saturday night’s Opry Live program on the Circle Network and will also be available on Circle All Access Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Pardi is currently in the middle of his M.Sc. Saturday Night World Tour, which ends on December 9 in Las Vegas. His first Christmas album, Merry Christmas from Jon Pardi, will be released this Friday, and he will perform a Christmas show at New York’s Beacon Theater on December 16. He will also appear at one of Opry Country’s Christmas shows on November 26.

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Source: HIS Education