Elle King is reflecting on a difficult moment from 2024 in an unreleased song titled “Banned From the Grand Ole Opry,” which she performed for fans in a social media video recently. The song seems to reference King’s early-2024 Dolly Parton tribute mishap, where she appeared onstage visibly intoxicated during an event at the Grand Ole Opry celebrating Parton’s birthday.
During her performance, King admitted she was “f–king hammered,” heckled the audience, forgot the lyrics to Parton’s “Marry Me,” and used inappropriate language, leading to an apology from the Opry. The explicit language King used is significant because the Opry has a code of conduct requiring performers and attendees to maintain a family-friendly environment. Opry shows are broadcast on radio, which means they must comply with FCC regulations on obscenity, profanity, and indecent language. Following King’s performance, some fans were offended, and a few suggested she should be banned from the venue.
King’s current status with the Opry is unclear, but in her song, she sings about being “Banned” from the venue. The lyrics express regret for her actions that night, while also acknowledging a long history of country legends being removed from the esteemed country music stage. “I ain’t proud, no sir, no way / Wonder what Hank and Merle would say / Least I’m in good company / Since I got banned from the Grand Ole Opry,” she sings in the chorus. In another version of the chorus, she mentions Johnny Cash, who, like Hank Williams, was famously banned from the Opry during his career (Merle Haggard was never officially banned, though he never became an official member).
Like King, many stars have faced issues at the Opry due to alcohol-induced inappropriate behavior or language violations. However, most have eventually been reinstated. In fact, the only artist banned for life was Williams, and that was not intentional. The venue issued a temporary ban in 1952 due to his chronic drunkenness and unreliability, but he passed away at age 29 on Jan. 1, 1953, before the Opry could lift the ban. So, even if King has been removed from the Opry, it is unlikely to be permanent. When she posted the unreleased song, King expressed her “love” for both the venue and Parton, emphasizing that she holds no grudge against the Opry for any consequences she faced.
