Tonight (March 19), the Grand Ole Opry celebrates 100 years of country music with a stacked lineup of performers. Some are taking the stage to share their hits while others are honoring those who came before them. Lainey Wilson and Marty Stuart chose to do the latter this evening. They took the legendary Ryman Auditorium stage for a rendition of “Lost Highway” from the legendary catalog of the late, great Hank Williams.

Stuart and Wilson covering “Lost Highway” to honor Williams tonight just makes sense. Wilson grew up on traditional country music and has injected those traditional sounds into modern mainstream country. At the same time, Stuart is more than a country star. He’s a historian and student of the genre with an encyclopedic knowledge of its rich past and traditions. So, their honoring the Hillbilly Shakespeare at tonight’s celebratory event feels right.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1949, Country Icon Hank Williams Made His Grand Ole Opry Debut]

Stuart made the occasion even more special by handing Wilson Hank’s guitar to play before they kicked off the classic song.

Lainey Wilson and Marty Stuart’s History with the Grand Ole Opry

Lainey Wilson and Marty Stuart are both members of the Grand Ole Opry. Wilson made her Opry debut on Valentine’s Day in 2020. Then, she became a member of the Opry last June. So, she has been a member of country music’s longest-running institution for less than a year. However, her history with the Opry goes back decades. She visited the Grand Ole Opry House for the first time when she was just a child. Sitting in the hallowed building watching stars sing from the Circle inspired her to chase the dream of country music stardom.

Stuart’s history with the Opry is much longer. He played on the hallowed stage for the first time in the early ’70s as a member of Lester Flatt’s band. Two decades later, he became an Opry member on November 28, 1992. Since then, he has taken the hallowed stage several times. He has performed solo, with his band The Fabulous Superlatives, and some of the genre’s biggest stars.

While he wasn’t a member of the Grand Ole Opry when he died, there’s no denying Hank Williams’ influence on the genre and, by extension, the Opry. As a result, there was no way to truly celebrate 100 years of the show without paying homage to him.

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