First and foremost, thank you! Thank you for being there for my Grand Ole Opry Debut last Friday (if you were able to come) and for the overall support! The tickets were high, and Nashville hotels ain’t free either - so the fact that so many of you made it there is ultimately what made it so special. A lot of y’all were there in spirit listening on the radio and watching the internet, sending out prayers and well wishes. I want you to know we genuinely felt that love too.
When I found out we were playing a few months ago, I started getting nervous. January 17th was looming like the Lord’s great judgment day. I had moments of fear and unworthiness when I thought about it too hard. My heart kept fluttering weird, and I figured I’d forget the words and have to run off stage and then away from home and change my name!
This nervousness followed me for months all the way to the parking garage. Then, once I strapped my guitar on my back and started walking, the nerves started going away. It’s the same routine I’ve been doing for five years except for this time I was going inside the Ryman instead of just walking past it. By the time I got inside the Ryman, the nerves were almost gone.
The last of the nervousness went away after saying hello to the staff and the band. They all called me by my name and made me feel very welcome - from the security lady to the Opry House Band, everyone in there was just down-home, honest, nice people. The Alan Jackson band was having their final soundcheck when I showed up, so seeing them folks made me feel at ease too - just like it was another gig!
When the Opry started, the lady that warms up the crowd says to me, “You got a lot of fans out there! I’ve never seen it quite like this!” So I peeked out from the side, and I could see a bunch of y’all. That’s when I got a big shot of excitement and confidence. There was no room in my heart to be nervous because it was filled with gratitude and awe.
That building is made of regular old wood and brick. The sacred/special part is the people and spirits that have passed through - and there was a bunch of ‘em there last Friday! Thank y’all for lifting us up to that stage and sharing the moment with us that we’ll never forget!
James
P.S. A note from the Admin: Many of you have posted some awesome pictures from the big weekend in the Official James Carothers Fan Club Group. Thank you! We have especially loved seeing all the pics of you and your friends and family throughout the weekend. We thought about adding them all here in the photo gallery, but there are just so many, and we don’t want to leave anyone out. If you’re not in the group yet, you can request to join HERE and enjoy sharing photos and memories with others. We appreciate you all and can’t thank you enough for making James’ Opry Debut so special!