Better him than his son. But it’s really hard to feel one way or another about the Grand Ole Opry choosing songwriter and performer Rhett Akins as its newest inductee. Nonetheless, he will be the next Grand Ole Opry member when he’s formally inducted later this year.
Though some might best know Rhett Akins from his brief stint as a pretty popular country music performer in the mid ’90s with hits like “That Ain’t My Truck” and “Don’t Get Me Started,” his inconsistency at minting hits for himself turned into a very consistent career of minting hits for others, and he now has thirty six #1 songwriting credits to his name from folks like Brooks & Dunn and Joe Nichols, to Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.
As a member of the “Peach Pickers” with fellow hit writers Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip, it’s not an unfair accusation to say that Rhett Akins helped seed country music with a few Bro-Country selections through that era. He is also the father of pop country performer Thomas Rhett.
The Opry invitation was bestowed on Monday, June 29th by Opry Member Jon Pardi, who snuck into The Opry and surprised Akins. Jon Pardi had a hit with the Akins-penned “Dirt On My Boots.”
“Rhett has always been somebody who has always been a mentor and taught a lot to me about how to write songs, how to be a co-writer. He has over 30 No. 1’s,” Jon Pardi said, clearly nervous in the moment (see below). “You’ve always been family to me, but I’m here to invite you to be part of a different family. Rhett Akins I am here to invite you to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Rhett Akins nelt down in the Opry’s hallowed circle at center stage and said, “All I do everyday is write words and I can’t think of any words right now except, ‘Thank you Lord Jesus. I have been listening to the Grand Ole Opry since I was a little kid with my grandparents. Watching it when it used to be on TNN. Anytime they’d ask me to play, if I was in Alaska, I’d fly home immediately. I love country music with all my heart and all I ever wanted to do was meet Hank Jr.. Meet George Strait. I never dreamed I’d be in this circle right here with Bill Monroe, Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff, Garth and Alan…and Jon Pardi. This is just unbelievable.”
Rhett Akins was joined on the stage by his family, including son Thomas Rhett.
This Opry invitation feels like worthy recognition for the artist who wrote and sang “That Ain’t My Truck” in 1995. But it feels a little dubious for the guy who wrote “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” for Luke Bryan in 2015. Were there more worthy names who could’ve earned this distinction before Rheyy Akins? Of course. But it’s also a rather conventional pick, and Akins will be able to sing hits from the Opry stage that he wrote, and will be immediately recongnizable by a wide audience.
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