Gaylord Gets The Grand Ole Opry

Dec. 4, 2015

It’s certainly going to be a grand holiday for country music fans. The Alpine Lodge in Gaylord is turning itself into a re-creation of Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry to put on a show that’ll get boots stompin’, guitars twangin’ and folks singing along to some of their favorite country hits from the good old days to today.

SueAnn Braley, Alpine Lodge manager, teamed up with a country musician to bring this southern entertainment experience to the cold north country.

“We do a lot of work with the Big Ticket Festival (also in Gaylord) and we end up having a lot of their musicians stay with us here at the lodge,” Braley explained. “One of the artists, Paul Perry, started talking to us one night about how it would be cool to do a Grand Ole Opry show up here.”

The result: The Grand Ole Opry Christmas Tribute Show with Bobby Randall, Paul Perry and Missy Zenker, an authentic trek of music made famous on the Opry stage through the years.

Randall, former member of ‘80s country hit-makers Sawyer Brown, and currently with the band Confederate Railroad, is the headline performer, backed by the band The Music Doctors.

Zenker is an aspiring country singer from Traverse City who’s been spending time in Nashville discussing potential record deals. Perry is a standout in his own right, having taken his music to the stage as opening act for the likes of Brooks and Dunn and Alan Jackson.

“I came up with the idea to do a tribute to the Opry,” Perry said. “I just kept thinking about the place and the people and how it was deserving of a tribute. Now we’re doing this show all over the place!”

The Tribute has toured around lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula at various venues, including the casinos; the show is narrated by Randall, who takes on both the role of headliner and emcee.

“Bobby walks you through the years of the Grand Ole Opry, telling you about the history and trivia of it all and, in between each segment, we play music from that year or that era,” Perry explained.

Braley added that she’s really looking forward to hearing some of the performers she’s yet to see live.

“They sing from the older songs way back when to the new country stuff,” she said. “I’m so excited to hear Bobby Randall and The Music Doctors. I mean, these guys have all played Nashville and now they’re coming to Gaylord! But they’re all so down to earth and nice.”

Familiar Opry faces such as late Country Music Hall of Famer, American banjo player and old-time country singer Grandpa Jones and country comedian Minnie Pearl, best known for her work on the TV show Hee Haw, as well as at the Opry, will also “make appearances” at the tribute show via re-creations of their characters.

“I think it will be really interesting to see the crowd that will show up to see this,” Braley said. “We wanted to do something different and I think this is it! Plus, it’s so neat we get to meet all of these great artists in person.”

The Grand Ole Opry Christmas Tribute Show will take place Friday, Dec. 11 from 7pm– 10pm (earlier times apply for VIP dinner tickets). For more information and to purchase tickets, visit expgaylord.com or call Gaylord’s Alpine Lodge at Call us at 989-732-2431. Tickets run from $20 up to VIP admission with dinner; patrons 60 and older receive $10 general admission.