After a career spanning more than six decades, Charlie McCoy got his invite to join country music‘s best as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Known for his amazing mastery of the harmonica, he has played with some of music’s greatest acts. That list includes Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and Loretta Lynn among many, many others.
Sometimes, instrumentalists and others can be overlooked in the industry. McCoy has been a mainstay in country music since 1961. He hit it big and was hired to play harmonica along with Roy Orbison on “Candy Man.” It would go on to catapult his career into what it would become.
Here is the moment, captured in a photo, when Charlie McCoy was invited by Gill to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
He’s played with the best. They have all taken notice of his prowess behind the harmonica. While he is rarely singing, his voice is heard in a much different way. McCoy is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, an honor he is well-deserving of.
It was back in 2009 when Charlie McCoy was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He’s one of the most talented and professional session musicians ever. Just a kid from Oak Hill, West Virginia with a harmonica and a dream.
While McCoy was in his most prolific period, he played with Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Simon and Garfunkel, George Jones – a list that’s too long and extensive to put here. His website says that he “has performed all over America, Japan twenty times and in over two hundred cities and towns in Europe.”
So, needless to say, he’s been there and done that when it comes to music. What an honor for Charlie McCoy.
Charlie McCoy Still Going at 81-Years-Old
Tonight was a great night at the Grand Ole Opry for Charlie McCoy. A venue he has performed at in the past, but to be a member is something entirely different altogether. He’s finally joined one of those clubs that must have felt out of his reach for so, so long.
If you thought that McCoy was slowing down, think again. Charlie has shows scheduled for this summer and he’s going to be hopping around quite a bit. From the Opry tonight, he’s heading to Virginia, then back to Tennessee over the next two weeks. Then, he’s got some more towns in Europe to visit – smartly avoiding the heat of the American south during July.
Charlie McCoy is an icon in country music, a Hall of Famer, and now a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He’s done it all. Played with all of the legends and all of the greats. And guess what? His name will always be right there with them.
