In honor of its ongoing 100th birthday celebration, the Grand Ole Opry welcomed two very special guests to its legendary stage on Thursday: Elmo and Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street. Both beloved characters served as guest announcers and made their Opry performance debuts, delighting fans with their first-ever appearances on the iconic stage.
Ahead of their big moment, Country Now caught up with Elmo and Abby to talk about adding Nashville to their summer road trip, how they prepared for performing at the Opry, and what it meant to bring a little Sesame Street magic to Music City.
Elmo shared that the duo had been longtime fans of Nashville and were excited to take in everything the city has to offer.
Abby revealed that a country superstar also inspired their visit.
“Our friend Chris Stapleton stopped by and he was singing to us about how music brings everybody together with friendship, and so he said, ‘You should come to Nashville.’ So here we are,” she declared.
The 11-time GRAMMY winner encouraged them to pick up cowboy hats for their trip, adding an extra layer of Nashville flair. The pair also spent time exploring downtown, soaking in the sights and sounds of Music City’s famous Lower Broadway.
“We went down Broadway and then we just…music after music after music, we followed our ears to about five or six different bands,” Abby revealed, sharing how much fun they had discovering live performances throughout the city.
In preparation for their Opry debut, both Elmo and Abby dedicated time to rehearsing and made country music a big part of their road trip sound track.
“We’ve been rehearsing our songs and Elmo’s been singing in the car and listening to a lot of country music, listening to a lot of Dolly [Parton],” Elmo explained.
“We love Dolly,” Abby, who revealed she looked to Parton’s iconic style when deciding what to wear for her debut, added.
That evening, Elmo joined Opry member Lauren Alaina for a performance of her No.1 hit “Road Less Traveled,” while Abby sang alongside Tayla Lynn on “You’re Lookin’ At Country.” Lynn followed in the footsteps of her Opry-member grandmother, Loretta Lynn, who appeared on Sesame Street more than 40 years ago.
In the second half of the show, both Elmo and Abby joined a growing lineup of performers, actors, athletes, journalists, and more as guest announcers alongside the Opry’s award-winning radio broadcasters.
The pair was excited to help the Grand Ole Opry celebrate 100 years, and even more excited about what comes along with the celebration.
“How do you celebrate a big milestone? Like a hundred years of Opry? Oh my goodness. Cake!” Elmo exclaimed.
Fans can follow Elmo on Instagram for more.
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