Kathy Mattea Invited To Join The Grand Ole Opry

Kathy Mattea’s career is getting the recognition it deserves from Nashville’s most storied music institution. The Grand Ole Opry has officially invited Mattea to join its ranks. She’ll be inducted on Saturday, Oct. 11 as part of a two-show night at the Opry.

The Opry, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a radio show this year, also functions as a sort of living hall of fame for country music. Mattea, who has been an Opry favorite for years, got her official invite onstage during Saturday night’s broadcast, when fellow West Virginia native Charlie McCoy turned off her speaker during her performance of signature hit ‘Eighteen Wheels and A Dozen Roses.’

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” McCoy said, presenting Mattea with a dozen roses. “I want to ask you a question. How would you like to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry?” Mattea instantly replied, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and thank you!” During the standing ovation that ensued, she said, “I just want to take this in and just remember this moment.”

For the Opry brass, Mattea’s induction has been a long time coming. “I’ve personally watched for nearly 30 years now as Kathy Mattea has brought such great songs, so much artistic integrity, and sheer joy to the Opry stage,” Opry executive producer Dan Rogers said. “We all look forward to many more such performances in that circle she’ll call home.”

Born in Cross Lane, W.V., Mattea had a broad musical experience as a child, from classical vocal training to learning folk songs on guitar. In 1978, she dropped out of West Virginia University to move to Nashville with her bluegrass band, Pennsboro. After signing with Mercury Records in 1983, she worked her way up to a breakthrough with 1986’s Walk the Way the Wind Blows, which spun off several hits including Nanci Griffith’s ‘Love at the Five and Dime.’

From there, Mattea began accumulating country No. 1 hits including ‘Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses’ — which won Single of the Year both the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards in 1988 — and ‘Goin’ Gone,’ ‘Come from the Heart,’ and ‘Burnin’ Old Memories.’ She won four CMA Awards in total, including consecutive wins for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1989 and 1990. She’s also a two-time Grammy-winner, with statuettes for Best Female Country Vocal Performance (‘Where’ve You Been,’ 1991) and Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album (Good News, 1994). 

In addition to her illustrious recording and performing career, since 2021 Mattea has been the host of Mountain Stage, the longstanding NPR broadcast produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting. “At first I was like, ‘There’s no way. There’s no way I’m going to go host a radio show. I’ve got more touring to do. I’ve got more music to do’,” Mattea told American Highways in 2023. “But then I realized it checks the boxes of everything I think is important in the world.”