Randy Travis To Celebrate 40th Anniversary As A Grand Ole Opry Member

Randy Travis will celebrate his 40th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member on Dec. 11. The…

Randy Travis performing on the Grand Ole Opry

Randy Travis will celebrate his 40 th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member on Dec. 11.

The show will include fellow Opry members Josh Turner, Mark Wills and Gary Mule Deer , along with Paul Overstreet , James Dupré and others. The event comes shortly after Travis releases Same Old Way on Nov. 13, marking his first album of original music in 18 years.

Travis made his Grand Ole Opry debut in March 1986, introduced by Little Jimmy Dickens while he was still working as a cook at the Nashville Palace. Following the success of his debut album, Storms of Life , he was inducted as an Opry member on Dec. 20, 1986, by Ricky Skaggs.

The album also celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Storms of Life spent eight weeks at No. 1, earned 3x Platinum status and made Travis the first solo country artist to earn a Platinum debut album. It remained on the Billboard 200 for 100 weeks and featured several of his best-known songs, including “On The Other Hand,” “Diggin’ Up Bones,” “1982” and “No Place Like Home.” The project helped Travis earn several major honors, including ACM Album of the Year, Single of the Year for “On The Other Hand,” Top New Male Vocalist and Top Male Vocalist, along with the CMA Horizon Award in 1986.

Tickets for the Grand Ole Opry show are on sale now.