Lola Kirke Makes Opry Debut, Releases 'Country Curious' EP

Lola Kirke – Grand Ole Opry / Nashville, TN

Lauren Hoffman

It was an unforgettable night at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday (2/16) as actress and rising country star Lola Kirke debuted in the famed Opry Circle. It just so happened her debut landed on the same day her new EP, Country Curious, was released to the world.

RELATED: Scotty McCreery To Be Inducted Into The Grand Ole Opry In April

You may know Kirke from her time on screen for the hit show Gone Girl or the 2015 film, Mistress Americana. Now, she's one to watch in the country genre following her performance of her new tracks, "All My Exes Live In L.A.," and "He Says Y'all" on the Opry stage.

“What I’ve long loved about country is the room it gives for women to be extremely dynamic and have that heart and that toughness and the ability to be domestic and wild,” Kirke says. “There’s also a space for men to cry. I’ve never heard so many references to men crying as I have in country music. Those contradictions are so interesting to me.”

As if the day could get any more special, Rosanne Cash had previously gifted Kirke one of June Carter Cash's dresses to wear for the night. She sparkled in gold sequins on stage and was absolutely glowing while doing so.

Kirke's EP, Country Curious, was produced by Elle King and includes collaborations with First Aid Kit and Rosanne Cash. She worked with Nashville songwriters such as Aaron Ratiere, Jon Decious, Mary Kutter, and more.

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Lola Kirke - 2024 North American Tour Dates
Feb 29 – Nashville, TN – Basement East
Mar 1 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
Mar 2 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
Mar 3 – New Orleans, LA – Chickie Wah Wah’s
Apr 23 – Houston, TX – Continental Club
Apr 25 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
Apr 26 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach Festival
Apr 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge
May 1 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
May 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
May 4 – Vancouver, BC – The Fox
May 6 – Bozeman, MT – Live from the Divide
May 8 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
May 9 – Chicago, IL - Schubas

As we celebrate Carrie Underwood's upcoming 15th Anniversary as a member of Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, we look at twelve country music stars who have embraced all things Grand Ole Opry since their careers began and are now members of the Opry.

The Opry member list is not one that all country superstars are on. A handful of country stars never really caught on to the Opry tradition for whatever reason, including superstars like George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, and Kane Brown.

Let's focus on the stars who love and cherish the history and tradition of The Grand Ole Opry.

RELATED: Carrie Underwood Celebrates 15 Years As An Opry Member

Carrie Underwood

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Opry Induction date - MAY 10TH, 2008 - Carrie's Opry dream came true on March 15, 2008, when Randy Travis surprised her on the Opry stage with an invitation to join the cast of the show. "Let me think about it," she said playfully before responding with an emphatic "Yes!" as she wiped tears from her eyes. She was introduced to the Opry by Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson and Garth Brooks inducted her.

Garth Brooks

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Opry Induction date - OCTOBER 6TH, 1990 - Garth made his debut on June 24, 1989, and wept tears of joy on the occasion. He joined the show's cast a year later, with Johnny Russell inducting him, and he has called that night one of the proudest moments of his career.

Blake Shelton

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Opry Induction date - OCTOBER 23RD, 2010 - On his Opry induction night backstage, Blake said that records and awards don't mean as much to him as the Grand Ole Opry. He said, "This is the reason that you move to Nashville to me. This is what I wanted from the beginning."

Luke Combs

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Opry Induction date - JULY 16TH, 2019 - Before becoming a member, Luke told us it was a big deal to him to play the Opry. He said, "It just seems like this thing that is unattainable, and it seems like something that you will never be able to do. I wish the Opry called me, but I was fighting for it from the start, and that was really something super important to me."

Brad Paisley

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Opry Induction date - FEBRUARY 17TH, 2001- When Brad was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2001, George Jones wrote him a letter that Paisley read to the crowd. It said in part, "I am counting on you to carry on the tradition and make folks sit up and listen to what good country music should sound like."

Ashley McBryde

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Opry Induction date - DECEMBER 10TH, 2022- Garth Brooks invited her to join the Grand Ole Opry on GMA Live on TV as she cried in accepting the honor.

Kelsea Ballerini

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Opry Induction date - APRIL 16TH, 2019 - Kelsea was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2019. At the time, she notably became the Opry's youngest member in its nearly 100-year history since being founded in 1925.

Keith Urban

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Opry Induction date - APRIL 21ST, 2012 - Keith became a member of the Grand Ole Opry after being surprised by Vince Gill two weeks earlier with an invitation to join the Opry.

Darius Rucker

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Opry Induction date - OCTOBER 16TH, 2012 - Darius told us a couple of years after his Opry member induction, "It will always be someplace special. It will always be my home now in Nashville. I just love it, and every time I walk in, I touch my plaque, and when I leave, I touch my plaque because that moment when Vince (Gill) inducted me was the first time I felt like I was part of country music."

Little Big Town

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Opry Induction date - AUGUST 12TH, 2022 - Opry member and friend Reba McEntire invited Little Big Town to join the Grand Ole Opry in 2014. As the group finished a three-song set with "Pontoon," Reba appeared from the side of the stage, improvising on the song's last few words and asking the question Karen, Kimberly, Jimi, and Phillip had been hoping to hear. "I know the Grand Ole Opry is very important to y'all, because this is the first place you guys played together as a group in 1999. I have been asked to ask y'all, Little Big Town, would y'all like to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry?"

Dierks Bentley

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Dierks has always been a champion for the Grand Ole Opry and even introduced it to Elle King, who sang with him on the Opry stage in 2016. She recently made her solo debut on the Opry.