Max McNown‘s Grand Ole Opry debut didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Before he ever stepped onto that legendary stage and into the circle, McNown found himself sitting in his broken-down car outside the Opry, and to make matters worse, he was at the wrong entrance.
Speaking with McNown on Taste of Country Nights he tells me, “I broke down in the parking entry of my Opry debut. Not even the artist’s entry. I went the wrong way.”
Yep. He didn’t even break down in the fancy artist entrance, he broke down in the parking lot where the rest of us common folk park. That meant that all the people arriving to see the Opry, who paid to see McNown perform that night, were driving right past him.
I’m sure that was a pretty surreal moment. Having enough clout to finally make your Opry debut, but not having the money yet to get a car that you can count on.
The “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)” singer said, “I was just like, ‘Hey, hey, I’m going to be playing in there. Just give me a second. I gotta get this thing over.'”
Max McNown Was Sweating Bullets Before His Grand Ole Opry Debut
Did McNown think there was a chance he wouldn’t make it to his Opry debut? He said, “Absolutely. I was sweating bullets.”
On top of that, there’s the fact that it was hot outside and McNown wasn’t exactly dressed for the Tennessee heat.
“I had a long sleeve pearl snap and black jeans on,” that probably didn’t make sitting next to a broken-down car any more comfortable. “I was dying and I was like, ‘I have to make it here no matter what.’ We ended up getting there somehow.”
Read More: 31 Country Stars You Won’t Believe Aren’t Grand Ole Opry Members
So while most artists probably remember their Opry debut for the moment they walked onto the stage, McNown is always going to three other memories attached to his.
- The broken-down car
- The wrong entrance
- The tow truck
Honestly, that’s one way to make sure you’ll never forget your Opry debut.
6 Stars Banned by the Grand Ole Opry (and Why They Got the Boot)
Just because the Grand Ole Opry invites you to perform on their stage once doesn’t mean it’s necessarily an open invitation. These six performers were all asked to leave at one point or another — and some never got invited back!
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
5 Things You Didn’t See on TV During the Grand Ole Opry’s ‘Opry 100’ Special
The Grand Ole Opry’s Opry 100: A Live Celebration special was jam-packed with special moments and one-of-a-kind collaborations — but some of the biggest highlights were things you didn’t even see on TV.
Scroll through the list below to see all of the behind-the-scenes highlights, including one Opry member who met an idol for the first time, and a singer who was conspicuously absent from the show.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
