Outlaw Outlier Steve Earle Welcomed Into Grand Ole Opry Family

Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, author and actor, Steve Earle was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry Wednesday night by his friend and follow Opry member Emmylou Harris.

Earle performed his hits “Guitar Town,” “Hillbilly Highway” and before performing his signature hit “Copperhead Road” the Grammy-winner told the audience, “There has never been any time since I had a guitar that I didn’t want to be on the Grand Ole Opry. Being a member is about as good as it’s ever going to get for me.” 

During his induction, Harris said: “Steve is my captain. We have done so many shows together. He has been my friend. He has been an inspiration. He is such a fantastic songwriter. I’ve known Steve for so long, and I know that he went through the fire, but he came out with his sense of humor, his intellect and his humanity, not just intact but even stronger.”

Harris then added: “Steve, I am so proud to know you. I can’t think of a better way to begin the next 100 years than with these words, Steve Earle, congratulations on becoming the next member of the Grand Ole Opry.” 

Earle was the first artist invited to join the Opry in this, the Opry’s 100^th year when he was surprised by Vince Gill with the invitation in April. Harris and Gill along with Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Don Schlitz and Deana Carter performed on the show in celebration of Earle’s influential career.

A three-time Grammy winner and a member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame since 2020, Earle has been called one of the most influential singer/songwriters of the past 30 years blending rock, country, folk and Americana into gritty, personal and sometimes politically charged anthems. His songs have been covered by artists including Harris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Patty Loveless, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty and Eric Clapton to name a few.

Born on Jan. 17, 1955, in Fort Monroe, Virginia, and raised near San Antonio, Texas, Earle grew up immersed in country and folk music. A protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, he embraced the Outlaw country movement and became an expert storyteller.

He first broke through with his 1986 album Guitar Town, which topped the Billboard country chart and became a landmark in the alt-country Americana genre. Hits like “Guitar Town” and “Goodbye’s All We’ve Got Left” introduced him as a voice outside of Nashville’s polished mainstream. He followed with acclaimed albums such as Copperhead Road (1988), which leaned more into rock with its title track becoming one of his signature songs as well as the official state song of Tennessee in 2023.

His most recent album, Jerry Jeff (2022), is Earle’s take on songs written by another one of his mentors, Jerry Jeff Walker. Earle has produced albums for other artists including Joan Baez (Day After Tomorrow) and Lucinda Williams (Car Wheels On A Gravel Road).

In print, Earle has published a novel I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011) and a collection of short stories Dog House Roses (Houghton Mifflin 2003). As an actor, he’s appeared in several films and had recurring roles in the HBO series “The Wire” and “Tremé.” Earle is the host of the weekly show “Hard Core Troubadour” on SiriusXM Radio’s Outlaw Country channel.