It’s a stage that has welcomed country music’s greatest legends for 100 years and Thursday night, national radio host Shannon Ella became part of that history. The Pure Country and iHeartRadio host stepped onto the legendary Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville, Tennessee as a guest announcer for a special celebration marking the Opry’s 100th anniversary and 50 years of the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). Ella broadcasts out of the CTV News station in Barrie, Ont., and her office in Toronto. The historic night brought together generations of Canadian country music talent, like Opry member Terri Clark, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Gord Bamford, Paul Brandt, Tami Neilson, Brett Kissel and Tenille Arts. Ahead of the show, Ella took CTV News backstage, where the excitement of the evening was already sinking in. “There truly is a magic when you’re in this building,” Ella said from her dressing room at the Opry. “I’m in the glitz and glamour room, so there are pictures of Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette. There’s so much history in this room and so many iconic women that have played on that stage and gotten ready in here,” she said. The show began with a rousing opening act by Alberta’s Terri Clark. Toronto-born singer Tami Neilson also sang, tipping a metaphorical cowboy hat to k.d. lang with her 1990 classic Big Boned Gal. For Ella, one of the most meaningful moments of the evening was getting ready to introduce Canadian country star Jess Moskaluke as she made her Grand Ole Opry debut. It was a moment that had come full circle. “Just walking into this room, instant goosebumps. It’s been really special.” During the CCMA Awards in September, thousands of viewers watched as Moskaluke, joined onstage by Ella, fell to her knees in tears after learning she had been invited to make her Grand Ole Opry debut. On Thursday night, Ella was there to welcome her onto the famous stage. “Jess has been working so hard in this industry for a very long time,” Ella said. “She so deserved it.” Moskaluke has become one of Canadian country music’s most recognizable voices, known for her powerhouse vocals and pop-influenced country sound. The small-town Saskatchewan artist played her breakout hit, Cheap Wine and Cigarettes, which went platinum, and a personal favourite of hers Take me Home. Her set ended with a standing ovation. The 36-year-old has been in the country music game a long time. She picked up music in her mid-teens through church choirs, talent shows and appearances on local radio stations. For Canadian artists, performing at the Grand Ole Opry is more than another stop on a tour. It’s a milestone that places them among some of the biggest names in country music history. “If you have a dream in country music, the Grand Ole Opry is on that crazy, top-of-the-bucket-list dream,” Ella said. “Every iconic artist in country music has stepped onto that stage.” Alberta’s Gord Bamford also debuted at the Opry with When Your Lips Are So Close and Leaning on a Lonesome Song. The Grand Ole Opry’s story dates back to Nov. 28, 1925, when fiddle player Uncle Jimmy Thompson performed on Nashville radio station WSM’s Barn Dance, the program that would eventually become the Grand Ole Opry. Over the next century, the show helped shape country music and Nashville’s reputation as “Music City.” Legends like Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb and Bill Monroe helped build the Opry’s early legacy, followed by Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood. After a career of bringing country music and its stories to listeners across Central Ontario and throughout Canada, Ella said the chance to stand on the Opry stage and introduce a fellow Canadian artist was a moment she won’t forget. With files from the Canadian Press
