Luke Combs Reflects on His First Grand Ole Opry Attempt During Opry 100 Celebration
As the Grand Ole Opry marks its historic 100th anniversary, country superstar Luke Combs took a moment to reflect on his own journey with the legendary institution—a journey that began long before he ever set foot on its iconic stage.
During the celebration, Combs shared a personal story about his first attempt to attend an Opry show—a moment that, despite not going as planned, planted the seeds of a dream that would later become a defining milestone in his career.
“The first time I attempted to go to the Opry, and I say attempted because I didn’t actually make it in, I was still in college,” Combs recalled. “It must have been around 2011 or 2012. We were on a spring break trip, staying at a buddy’s grandparents’ house in Murfreesboro, and I saw that Ashley Monroe was playing. I was a big fan of her record, so we bought tickets a day or two before the show.”
What should have been a routine drive to the Opry House turned into a comedy of errors. “On the way there, my college roommate’s car had a brake issue—one of them locked up,” Combs recounted. “Luckily, his dad happened to be in town, so he came to get us. But instead of taking us to the Opry, he drove us back to his grandparents’ house to pick up his grandfather’s truck. By the time we finally made it to the Opry, the Will Call window had closed.”
Disappointed but undeterred, Combs and his friend made the best of the situation. “We went across the street to the Safari Café in Opry Mills Mall and watched the Duke-Carolina game instead. I was a Carolina fan, and he was a Duke fan, so that made for an interesting night.”
Still determined to connect with Monroe, Combs reached out on Twitter, letting her know that he had tried to make it but couldn’t get in. “She responded and told me she was doing a signing after the show, so I went over and got my album signed. I still have it to this day.”
What makes the story even more special is that Combs shared a fateful exchange with Monroe that night. “I told her, ‘One day, I’m going to play the Opry, and I’m going to play with you.’ It’s the kind of thing every young singer probably says when they meet someone they admire. But years later, I actually got to tell her that story for the first time in Maui at the BMI Songwriters Festival, where we were playing together. It was a full-circle moment.”
While his first attempt at attending the Opry didn’t go as planned, Combs would go on to not only witness a show but become one of the most celebrated artists to grace its stage.
“My first time actually getting inside was after I moved to Nashville, and it was an incredible experience,” Combs said.
As he now stands as one of country music’s biggest stars, and an Opry member, looking back on that failed attempt adds an extra layer of gratitude and nostalgia. It’s a testament to how dreams sometimes take the scenic route—but eventually, they lead exactly where they’re meant to be. For Luke Combs, that meant standing in the sacred circle, not just as a spectator, but as a part of the Opry legacy itself.