Elle King Owes Opry & Dolly Apology After Drunken Performance
We have to be careful to not hold the Grand Ole Opry and such high esteem that we lose touch with reality. In previous eras, entertainers were banned from the Opry stage forever for some of the most minor infractions and improprieties. But what Elle King pulled off on Friday, January 19th—and as part of a tribute to the great Dolly Parton on her birthday no less—deserves a very direct apology at the least.
Fans love Elle King for her “devil may care” attitude and over-the-top presentation. She’s a lot, and that’s fine. But the Grand Ole Opry stage is supposed to be a family friendly environment, and it’s not the time or place for certain behavior, if for no other reason than the feed broadcasts live on AM radio regulated by the FCC.
We know Elle King was drunk because she admitted as much on stage before overcussing, slurring her words, and screwing up her performance. This feels less badass than something like Johnny Cash kicking out the footlights, or Jerry Lee Lewis dropping an emmer effer bomb to purposely piss off the pearl clutchers. With Elle King, it just comes across as sad, and perhaps a cry for help.
Elle King officially migrated to country music with her last album, 2023’s Come Get Your Wife. But if she wants to stay in country, cheesing off the Opry and disrespecting Dolly is probably not the best way to go.
King is not the only one who stirred controversy by dropping cuss words on the Opry stage recently. When Oliver Anthony made his Grand old Opry debut on December 16th, he didn’t censor the “bullshit” line from his mega hit “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Though in that case, the Opry had to know it was coming. Anthony was also up there citing Bible verses, so perhaps it all works out in the wash.
Even overcussing performers like Hank Williams III have censored themselves and shown respect to the Opry stage in the past, knowing it’s not the right place for certain behavior. Hopefully we’re not seeing a deepening trend where the board operator back at WSM has to go searching for the very rarely used bleep button.
But seriously Elle King, clean it up. Or if necessary, dry out and get some help. This ain’t Lollapalooza.
@traveler_bex #Elleking ruins #dollyparton birthday bash in #nashville ♬ original sound – Bex
January 21, 2024 @ 11:58 am
Artists who perform drunk are disrespecting everyone – especially the people who PAY to hear them play/sing. It’s bad enough when it’s a normal concert or an awards show performance (Toby Kieth at the ACMs a few years ago traumatized all of us), but at the OPRY? Completely unacceptable. King owes the institution, the fans, and Parton an apology. And on my opinion, she shouldn’t be invited back.
January 21, 2024 @ 12:15 pm
Sure, you had to attack Toby.
This article is about Elle King’s recent behaviour.
January 21, 2024 @ 12:35 pm
Nobody “attacked” Toby, Di. This is the exact kind of combative comment that starts a comments section off on a wrong direction. If folks turn in drunken performances, they’re going to be criticized. I criticized Toby a few years ago for this exact thing.
January 21, 2024 @ 12:51 pm
Yes, i remember that article, and you had a right to criticize.
January 21, 2024 @ 12:49 pm
I like Toby Keith, but when he played the big CMC festival in Australia he was very drunk and not the fun drunk. Just annoying and spitting on stage. So yeah, he is a poster child for it for a lot of people.
I’ve got no problems with drinking, including on stage. But not when you know that it makes you act like a twat.
January 21, 2024 @ 4:36 pm
This is about Elle King leave Toby Keith out of it
January 21, 2024 @ 5:41 pm
Speaking of Toby Keith I remember seeing him in the early 90s headlining a regional fair and rodeo. Came on stage completely trashed, did maybe 5 songs. One of which he invited the opener up to join him for and they were obviously uncomfortable with how gone he was. In the end he wandered off stage and the MC had to come on and tell everyone the show was over. I mean that takes some balls basically wasting other people’s money for them.
January 22, 2024 @ 6:48 am
Lol, How dare someone disgrace the honor of Toby Keith…Toby chooses to lean into the obnoxious behavior and is worth criticism.
January 23, 2024 @ 11:29 am
Though about Elle King, it is an open discussion about any artist (including Toby Keith) who shows up drunk, performs incoherently if at all and disrespects the fans, co headliners and sponsors, period – not a critique of the artists style or politics.
What it about is when you spend a lot of money and go to someplace like the Opry. Las Vegas or a cruise ship and the headliner is so inebriated they can’t perform. And no a refund won’t do, because you can’t necessarily afford to or be able to recreate the logistics to go to the Opry, Vegas or the cruise again on what may have been a once in a lifetime event.
Granted artists may have a real medical emergency and that can’t be helped – we get that – but don’t use that as an excuse either if you’re so out of it.
Also, where are the handlers, managers and crew to stop a performer from going on stage in such a state and risking a career ending appalling, disrespectful or vulgar display?
Artists, no matter what the genre, who show up drunk are the absolute worst.
(yes, singing about drinking/high etc may be part of the vibe of an artist, but don’t bring it to the stage. I’ll say this too, get help if it is consuming you…and that’s a more genuine message than anything else)
January 21, 2024 @ 2:20 pm
You’ve been doing better about staying on topic, but I’d say it’s a little early for you to be lecturing other people about it.
January 22, 2024 @ 7:09 am
di harris scolding someone for being even slightly off topic. lmao. what a putz.
January 22, 2024 @ 8:57 am
: D Morning, gentile!
Where you been …
January 21, 2024 @ 8:11 pm
Elle King should apologize to the OPRY, Dolly Parton and audience that was present during her 100% unacceptable behavior at such a prestige institution. Her manager needs to care enough about her wellbeing as well as her family and do a very much needed intervention.
OPRY? A lot of people artists surround themselves with a whole lot of YES people which is very destructive. She deserves a second chance
February 17, 2024 @ 10:13 pm
Hopefully Ms Elle king will take this experience as a life lesson that she should lay off the booze. It makes me sad that anyone would disrespect Dolly Parton who is such an icon of talent, brains, and grace in my opinion.
January 21, 2024 @ 12:11 pm
Hmmmm. Hank Williams was fired from the Grand Ole Opry for appearing drunk onstage and missing dates and therefore bringing a bad name to the institution and all the bearded, red-dirt cowboys scream for him to be reinstated, but Elle must be banned and canceled. Also the history re-writers claim Waylon and Willie were outlaws because the smoked the weed and walked out on the CMA’s and ole Johnny Paycheck shot a man and that makes him an outlaw. Maybe Elle is an Outlaw now? Ole stone-country Johnny Cash flew the bird onstage and even made himself a tshirt with that picture on it and that made him an outlaw, come on new country fans, Elle is just being an outlaw and should be reinstated immediately!.
January 21, 2024 @ 12:18 pm
Haven’t seen anywhere where it was asserted that Elle King should be banned and cancelled. In fact, this article started with an explanation of how the Opry has been too aggressive with banning folks in the past. It says in the title that she should apologize.
January 21, 2024 @ 1:26 pm
Elle isn’t Hank. Or Cash or Paycheck. She isn’t an outlaw. She’s just out there. This is ongoing behavior. Has happened at different venues. Bars. National television. And now the Opry. She’s a pop crossover and really should have shown some respect for that venue. The young woman needs help.
January 21, 2024 @ 1:35 pm
I totally disagree. Outlaw or not, don’t allow her back. This is the Opry. And btw: you only got some of your Opry history correct here, not all.
January 21, 2024 @ 12:52 pm
One thing we know about Dolly, she isn’t thin skinned. She wouldn’t want to need an apology.
January 21, 2024 @ 11:46 pm
Knowing her it will just be everyone makes mistakes and we shouldn’t be too hard on her she’s a talented woman or whatever
January 21, 2024 @ 1:11 pm
I think the music industry is a lot less forgiving of this kind of behavior than it seems to have been in the past. If I’m not sober on stage or in the writing room, there are 5 pickers or writers waiting in the wings to take my spot if I miss the mark. It is so competitive you can’t afford to not be at 100% all the time. That is my experience.
I hope she gets her ship righted and I hope the Opry gives her another chance. That was sad to watch.
January 21, 2024 @ 1:53 pm
One of the reasons people are less forgiving now is because we have not only TV, but the Internet. These drunken performances are seen by millions of people instead of just a few thousand. I wonder if George Jones could have survived in this day and age, given his habit of performing inebriated.
January 21, 2024 @ 3:51 pm
This is a good point. Prior to the internet an artists image was most around their work.
January 21, 2024 @ 2:40 pm
Conrad, congrats on the 15K, & loved the banjo picking.
I think you are doing great.
January 21, 2024 @ 5:56 pm
Thanks Di. Come see us at the Hall sometime. Happy New Year.
January 21, 2024 @ 10:28 pm
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, and there doesn’t have to be a “death” penalty.
I guess I agree with the headline of this article. Elle King should explain herself and apologize in public and square things up behind the scenes with the Opry, and then, after some time interval– maybe by the summer–they should have her back.
January 22, 2024 @ 9:47 pm
Another chance? You have to wonder—drunk or not—whether she even wanted to be there at all…in any kind of condition. Maybe her management forced this appearance. Some of the things she said sounded like she had no respect at all for where she was or the audience in front of her. Maybe she doesn’t even want to be “country”. Many artists who come up short in their chosen genre and/or are looking for more sales will come knocking on country’s door just because it seems to welcome anyone in…not because they love the music. I don’t think another chance is in order anytime soon if at all.
January 22, 2024 @ 10:38 pm
“Maybe her management forced this appearance.”
“Maybe she doesn’t even want to be “country”.”
Elle King isn’t in the country genre against her will. Let’s just establish that right here and now.
January 21, 2024 @ 1:18 pm
Today Trigger saved me making the poor decision to spend an hour of driving into the center of the next county to see Elle next month at her heavily hyped (by local mainstream country radio station) show. S/O thanks you as well.
January 21, 2024 @ 10:24 pm
From Elle King post FEBRUARY 1, 2023 @ 10:54 AM ……..Her album review………..
Me: I wouldn’t go see her live. There’s way too many quality female artists with more talent that deserve the attention she gets over all but I like the review as well. What’s sad is she’s going to get the airplay and the tour slots that should go to others.
Glendel : “JB telling us he’s not going to the Salt Shed w/ red clay strays opening, without telling us he’s not going to the Salt Shed w/ red clay strays opening.”
I rest my case.
January 22, 2024 @ 8:38 pm
who would want to put money down for concert tickets knowing this is the type of performance we may get from her?
January 22, 2024 @ 9:38 pm
I wouldn’t go see her if she was sober, you picked me up in a limo with free front row tickets, backstage passes, and an open bar…….(errr for me not her…..lol)
glendel, that’s me reiterating this woman isn’t worth the effort and, more importantly, my time, without telling everyone this woman isn’t worth the effort and more importantly my time. Ironically I got a guy over at the Genese theater. Hey, the Johnny Cash Experience is coming over there……it’s still a bit of a cruise for me.
January 21, 2024 @ 1:24 pm
She should apologize, especially to Dolly. And shit like this shouldn’t be cheered as part of some outlaw image, something I was something guilty of in my younger years. I remember after one of Randy Travis’s arrests writing about him being more of an outlaw than all of the people who were name-dropping Johnny and Waylon on the radio back then. Hopefully the people around him weren’t feeding him that same bullshit. I’m sure if he could go back, he’d have done things differently and so would I.
Sure, it’s a fact that many of our favorite artists had issues with substance abuse. Luckily, most of them lived long enough to talk about the dangers of that life. Others weren’t so lucky. We missed out on decades of Hank Williams songs and Keith Whitley could have very well been alive to celebrate his 70th birthday at the Opry this July. And that’s not to mention all of the cautionary tales in the rock genre she came to country from. People are less tolerant of this type of behavior now because we’ve seen time and time again where it leads.
Hopefully this is the wake-up call she needs. Some of us simply cannot have a drink or two and call it a night and once we realize that about ourselves, it’s on us to avoid it completely. Here’s hoping she finds a meeting, a copy of the Big Book or whatever else might work for her.
January 23, 2024 @ 6:52 pm
Thank you, and we’ll said, especially your last statements about getting help. We have lost too many artists to the disease of addiction – whether by their own hand or the handlers and enablers who care only about the buck.
January 21, 2024 @ 2:02 pm
I’m sure Dolly’s first thought would be to try to help this woman. Yes, she owes people an apology, but nobody gets to that point without things being seriously wrong in their life. This wasn’t someone trying to make themselves look good at somebody else’s expense, this was someone in real trouble making a pretty big mistake.
January 21, 2024 @ 2:15 pm
If you ask me, I’d say it’s a strong possibility she’s trying to get banned. It would be a coup for her publicity. Getting “cancelled” is seen as a good thing by entertainers at the moment. Matt Rife is the prime example of this strategy.
January 21, 2024 @ 5:18 pm
Interesting theory and I appreciate the skepticism, but I’m not sure that’s what’s going on there. I think she was just straight up hammered.
January 21, 2024 @ 10:00 pm
She’s definitely straight up hammered. That doesn’t discount the possibility she got hammered intentionally.
January 21, 2024 @ 10:34 pm
@JCG–Elle King is not a member of the Opry. They don’t have to announce a ban. They can simply not invite her back–like a lot of other artists who are not invited. No reason given.
January 21, 2024 @ 11:46 pm
Has there never been a formal ban of an artist who wasn’t a member?
January 22, 2024 @ 7:39 am
I’m sure there’s been a few. Niko Case was banned without being a member after she took her shirt off while suffering heat exhaustion playing the Plaza Party.
January 21, 2024 @ 2:20 pm
This is what happens when the genre tolerates carpetbaggers.
January 21, 2024 @ 3:42 pm
They think they’re being some sort of cool, badass outlaw when in actuality they just come across as an obnoxious dipshit. But of course, any criticism against them immediately brings out whatever victim complex they’ve cooked up for themselves.
January 22, 2024 @ 7:19 am
this guy is so xenophobic it expands to genres of music too? build that wall! lmao.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:44 am
“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”
― G.K. Chesterton
January 22, 2024 @ 2:23 pm
– G.K. Chesterton, noted antisemite*
January 22, 2024 @ 11:10 pm
Wrong.
https://www.chesterton.org/jews/
January 22, 2024 @ 11:24 pm
This is completely off topic, insulting to this website, and both of you have been warned about this in the past.
Stay on topic, or find another website to troll.
Any further comments on this thread will be deleted.
January 23, 2024 @ 6:21 am
you definitely know they aren’t antisemitic when they have to have a whole faq about it. lmao.
January 21, 2024 @ 2:23 pm
She was also clearly drunk at Nashville’s Big Bash on New Year’s Eve. Might be time to get some help.
January 21, 2024 @ 6:42 pm
This is the first thing I thought of. She clearly needs help and I hope someone steps up to assist.
January 21, 2024 @ 3:39 pm
One, two, three, at the tribute to Dolly,
I dropped the F-bomb on the Grand Ole Opry,
One, two, three, they’re all talking about me,
And how I’m in trouble with the F.C.C.
January 21, 2024 @ 3:49 pm
This seems like a logical conclusion of where they have been pushing female country artists for the past 15 years. The establishment was directly rewarding this kind of edgy, subverssive, “outlaw” female behavior. Elle just got sloppy and took it too far in the wrong place. But no one should be suprised.
January 21, 2024 @ 3:52 pm
Not trying to pile on… saw her at rebels and renegades in Monterey and was really stoked at the opportunity to hear her wonderful Jersey Giant rendition. What I feel like I got was an instagram ‘outlaw country’ post. I have no problem with folks boozing it up, no problem with weed etc, but the first 10 minutes of the show was her strutting around making a big show of having each band member toke off her joint. I get it, you are having fun….. I guess it was just a little over the top. So, filling that role at the Opry really isn’t surprising to me.
But also, I’m not religious, about anyone’s god or anyone’s music chapel. That building/institution has hosted enormous talent but it isn’t a totally clean history. Honestly more wish that a friend would respect another friend enough to do the show straight.
January 21, 2024 @ 3:53 pm
I agree with the part of her possibly trying to get cancelled. But how is Matt Rife trying to get cancelled? He’s a comedian who is allowed to be edgy. He’s not my favorite comedian but he is far funnier than any of the direct circle around Rogan.
January 21, 2024 @ 9:54 pm
It’s widely believed that Rife’s joke about domestic abuse from his last special was an attempt to get “cancelled”.
January 22, 2024 @ 12:26 am
He wasn’t cancelled at all. And domestic abuse jokes are not that edgy. Hell Louis CK made funny jokes about child molestation. Yes they were dark but almost any jokes is permissible if done a certain way.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:47 am
I didn’t say he got canceled. He tried to get canceled. For publicity.
We don’t think those jokes are edgy, because we’re comedy fans. The snowflakes get in a tizzy off that type of stuff. That’s exactly what he wanted, in order to get as much attention as possible. Win new fans who like that kind of comedy, and solidify the loyalty of current fans. It’s a good strategy, but people are wising up. The reason it didn’t really go anywhere is because people mostly sniffed it out, and the whole “cancel movement” has kinda started to fade away anyway.
January 21, 2024 @ 10:09 pm
Comedians are allowed to be crazy up to a point, but are you saying comedians don’t get canceled? Getting “canceled” doesn’t really have anything to do with being funny. Case in point, Rife’s joke wasn’t very funny.
Shane Gillis, Mark Norman, Arizona Shaffir, William Montgomery, Matt McCusker, Sam Tallent, Joey Diaz, Theo Von…Rife isn’t even close to being in the same league as the killers in Rogan’s orbit.
January 22, 2024 @ 12:30 am
It’s only your opinion that the joke wasn’t funny. There is no empirical determination on whether any joke is funny or unfunny.
I am directly contradicting myself here but Joey Diaz and Ari Shaffir are not nearly as funny as Matt Rife. Joey Diaz’s entire schtick is his Cuban fatass bad-boy elaboration on stories that are likely made up. And what rock were you under for Ari Shaffir’s “humorous” jokes??? Especially the one he made right after Kobe’s death.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:53 am
Yes, and a lot of comedians didn’t think it was that funny either. No one who is a comedy fan cared that it may offend people. It just wasn’t that great of a joke. To each their own.
You picked the two weakest out of the bunch, but that’s fine. I’d rather listen to Joey tell his stories than watch Rife’s crowd work bullshit (it’s oftentimes staged btw). Ari is another acquired taste. If you’re turned off by his Kobe joke (and subsequent cancellation), then you are one of the snowflakes. Watch his special “Jew”. It’s hilarious.
January 21, 2024 @ 10:10 pm
*Ari Shaffir lol
January 22, 2024 @ 12:34 am
Ari Shaffir’s entire schtick is to be as edgy as possible. Just because some overweight feminists all jumped on the same boat to condemn Rife doesn’t mean you need to too. The idea of people who aren’t fans trying to play the ‘arbiter of funny’ and trying to randomly paint the lines of what is too far, is lame. And I this as someone who prefers cleaner material as my own preference, but I can enjoy some well done dark or edgy material.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:56 am
Where did I ever say that I wanted Rife to be canceled? You’re putting a lot of words in my mouth with your comments man.
Everyone is an “arbiter of funny”. You like what makes you laugh. I’ve watched a lot of Rife’s stuff. He does not make me laugh. Congratulations for liking clean comics. I like ALL types of comedians. But most importantly, I like comedians who make me laugh. That’s it.
January 22, 2024 @ 3:27 pm
I meant that you supported the idea that he was cancelled or should have been cancelled for his joke. Maybe I misread your meaning but I reject the idea that anything Rife said was anywhere near “cancelleable”
January 22, 2024 @ 4:20 pm
“I meant that you supported the idea that he was cancelled or should have been cancelled for his joke.”
Where did I say I supported the idea of him getting canceled? Where did I say he should have been canceled? Copy and paste it, and I’ll be happy to clarify. Otherwise, try not to infer so much, and you’ll avoid wasting people’s time with irrelevant comments.
“I reject the idea that anything Rife said was anywhere near ‘cancelleable’.”
Again, where did I say anything about if he should be canceled or not?
In my original comment I said two things:
1. It’s a possibility Elle King was trying to get banned from the Opry.
2. Rife is an example of using a cancelation to boost publicity.
Can we leave it there? This is a huge fucking waste of time.
January 22, 2024 @ 6:35 pm
I don’t see why you’re getting pissed. Elle making an ass out of herself to get banned is different from Rife making a joke that is very “on-brand” for his type of comedy and the internet mob simply reacted. I don’t see where Rife intended for the internet mob to react to his joke. I’m failing to see the comparison.
You don’t have to keep replying if youre pissed.
January 22, 2024 @ 7:11 pm
Guys, this is getting ridiculous. Let’s please move on from this particular line of comments.
January 22, 2024 @ 8:57 pm
Not pissed. Exasperated by you trying to make something out of nothing lol.
I’m just saying the end goal was possibly the same. Get canceled.
Comedians, his peers, were saying on all the podcasts that it seemed like he was phoning it in to try to get “canceled”. I think Joke World said something about it too. I don’t care about Rife.
I’m sorry if you continue to misunderstand and infer things that I haven’t even come close to saying. That’s all I got to say about it. Not pissed. Just done. Later.
January 21, 2024 @ 4:24 pm
If some think getting drunk is “outlaw”, they clearly do not know their country music history. I wish some professed country music fans would graduate from elementary school.
As for Elle, never heard her sing nor intend to. Simply don’t care.
January 21, 2024 @ 10:07 pm
Comedians are allowed to be crazy up to a point, but are you saying comedians don’t get canceled? Getting “canceled” doesn’t really have anything to do with getting canceled. Case in point, Rife’s joke wasn’t very funny.
Shane Gillis, Mark Norman, Arizona Shaffir, William Montgomery, Matt McCusker, Sam Tallent, Joey Diaz, Theo Von…Rife isn’t even close to being in the same league as the killers in Rogan’s orbit.
January 21, 2024 @ 5:49 pm
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life
January 22, 2024 @ 7:48 am
Hah! Maybe the Opry can put her on double secret probation
January 21, 2024 @ 7:08 pm
🍻 😂 🍿 👍
This page never disappoints!
January 21, 2024 @ 7:10 pm
That is embarrassingly bad, and sad, for the Opry stage. I hope she gets help soon. If I remember correctly, she has a small child.
January 22, 2024 @ 7:22 am
small child? oh, you’re thinking of her father, rob schneider.
January 22, 2024 @ 12:07 pm
I wish I was as witty as you.
January 21, 2024 @ 7:48 pm
She’s a train wreck. I oughtta know, we saw her at a family friendly fest and lots of toddlers were there. She f- bombed nonstop, literally twerked on the stage, big ol booty high in the air, shaking, shaking, shaking it. She mimicked oral sex with her guitar player, all the while her fans cheered every minute of it. They seemed to love it. Was I a bit caught off guard? Yep. We departed that show well before it ended, wasn’t what we came to see. Oh and forgot to mention she was without bra and left little to the imagination. Yeah, no thanks, I’m kinda old school. But again, she’s got a fanbase that is all about it, so I doubt she changes much.
January 21, 2024 @ 9:58 pm
That’s exactly why I think it’s not that crazy of a possibility that she was trying to get banned. It’s totally on-brand for her.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:45 am
You are not old-school. You are common decency.
January 21, 2024 @ 8:58 pm
Trigger, you were quoted by Variety; is this your biggest mainstream shoutout yet?
https://variety.com/2024/music/news/elle-king-grand-ole-opry-apologizes-dolly-parton-tribute-1235881251/amp/
January 22, 2024 @ 12:15 pm
NBC News has picked up the story too. It’s the Variety article almost verbatim, but still. Nice reporting here, and I’m glad to see this site (and this issue) getting more attention. Thanks again for all your hard work, Trigger.
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/grand-ole-opry-apologizes-hammered-elle-king-cusses-flubs-dolly-parton-rcna135063
January 21, 2024 @ 10:43 pm
I think the real crime is she’s not Evan felker…
January 22, 2024 @ 12:11 am
She’s the cosplaying spawn of a celebrity pretending she’s trailer trash.
January 22, 2024 @ 4:59 am
Why apologize? Dolly loves everybody, regardless of their behavior. She doesn’t care
January 22, 2024 @ 5:59 am
My, my what a group of elite god loving, righteous do gooders who relish in commenting on missteps of entertainers on a stage in Nashville. Of course y’all are the highest of the human race and never of a questionable behavior. Lol, the country’s going sideways and this is what concerns y’all? Wow
January 22, 2024 @ 8:43 pm
Miss step? She has a history of acting like this. If you act like trash, don’t expect people to treat you like trash or call you out for it. Ya’ll sound a little mentally unstable, Bob.
January 22, 2024 @ 6:29 am
The whole thing is just makes me cringe.
January 22, 2024 @ 6:40 am
She doesnt owe anything as far as I am concerned.
Bigger names with more talent have done worse in the past. And plus, fuck the Opry.
January 22, 2024 @ 7:11 am
I’ve experienced this more than once, with Van Halen when the entire band was too intoxicated remember parts and lyrics of their own songs. Ozzy Osborne who apparently got too intoxicated to even make it to the stage causing a pretty scary exit from the stadium with fans turning to a near riot. Most disappointing was Johnny Paycheck who came on a USO tour to support the troops when I was in the Army. He was supposed to play a show and sign autographs for the soldiers, but instead showed up a half hour late and so drunk he couldn’t even finish two songs before being escorted off the stage.
These type of things leave you disappointed and feeling ripped off as a fan. As a human you can empathize with someone who has fallen under the grips of addiction, but that doesn’t make you any less angry when you go to a show and feel ripped off.
More than an apology, I hope Elle, her family, friends, and management see this as a wake up call. If you can’t conduct your professional obligations in at least a semi-cognizant manner, maybe it’s time to seek help.
January 22, 2024 @ 8:43 am
I never liked her
What a disgrace
Never thought she was country
Kick her out of country music
People pay good hard earned money and should not endure this kind of behavior
Playing the Grand Ole Opry is a privilege and I hope she is never asked to come back
I hope she is banned from all country radio stations
January 22, 2024 @ 10:49 am
Wow…you seem lovely. Perhaps a little kindness, grace and forgiveness would be better. She’s clearly struggling with something. Instead of wanting to punish her, how about hoping that she gets help. She may comeback better than ever.
January 22, 2024 @ 9:06 am
I’m just going to call it. This was not just “being drunk.” This was a case of someone in clear crisis. Elle was clearly and horribly drunk on the New Years Eve show, and to behave that way at the Opry???? There’s no way that someone in their right mind would act that way and be ok with it.
I hope she gets help and comes back stronger and more disciplined. The woman clearly has talent, and if she gets the help she needs, she would be welcomed back with open arms.
January 22, 2024 @ 9:38 am
The thing that is interesting to me is that as much as she is in the public eye, she has now appeared hammered drunk on not one, but TWO big events within the span of a few weeks. So, the ones WE see are just the tip of the iceberg. I’d bet a significant amount of money that she’s hammered drunk a LOT. Think of all the times we DON’T see her. That’s like 99.9% of her life. So, in the 0.01% that we DO see her, we’ve seen her hammered drunk on stage twice in three weeks. (This observation and opinion is from a former drunk musician, sober two years now.)
January 22, 2024 @ 9:52 am
I didn’t agree with the narrative so my first comment wasn’t posted? Too funny!
January 22, 2024 @ 10:00 am
Dissent is encouraged here Noneya. Not seeing any comment in moderation or the spam folder, and it wasn’t deleted. Perhaps it got eaten. It happens. Feel free to repost. Sorry.
January 22, 2024 @ 10:29 am
I’m a little curious why, given the very real and widely known risk of her leaving the rails, the Opry chose to include her in this tribute.
January 22, 2024 @ 10:38 am
I’m completely off the grid as far as country radio goes, which is why I come here for my music fix. First time I saw this girl pop up, my instincts said “This is someone phony as hell” and then I found out she’s Rob Schneider’s (not a shot at Rob, I’ve enjoyed his work, there’s a place for stupid funny) daughter. Nope, get out.
There’s a lot of trust fund kids pretending to be country. I know Steve Mariucci’s son is trying to make it in Nashville and I read his bio on his website because his stage name is his first and middle name and talks about growing up in Green Bay. Yeah, where your dad was an assistant for the Packers. Left that part out and that’s pretty important. Silver Spoon Country needs to be snuffed out
January 22, 2024 @ 10:58 am
I don’t know man – she’s got a pretty dang good voice, and I like her choice of songwriters. And she doesn’t go by “Elle Schneider”, so there is that. I think she gets along fine on her own merit as a singer and performer. I had no idea she was Rob Schneider’s daughter until after she had already hit a few times in the pop world. She probably needs to work on cutting back on the sauce, but we are all human and we all fall down every now and then.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:07 am
Concerts and shows have gotten too expensive to see an artist not at their best. It seems several artists have been acting out in the past few years that is not what are paying to see. For example, didn’t Eric Church leave people waiting because he wanted to watch a basketball game? Madonna makes people wait 2 1/2 hours after start time for no reason.
I attended the Opry a few years back and Tyler Farr was one of the acts. I am not a prude, but I was shocked at the number of curse words that came from him. The best advice I was given at an early age was to “know your audience.” If you see families, older adults and young children in the audience, clean up your act.
Did no one not know see was hammered before she went on stage or has her behavior become status quo and no one really paid attention? It is a privilege to be asked to play the Opry. Appreciate the opportunity and give it your best. Don’t show up drunk and drop F-bombs. If not, your days of being asked to be a part of these types of events might be ending.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:17 am
I’m all for people bettering themselves but, I’m very tired of this constant need for apologies. Too many times people are calling for an apology for this or that thing. It’s meaningless if there is an apology for every little thing that happens. Take situations for what they are, say “yep I screwed up” and move on. Apologies don’t absolve people of their sins like so many in public life believe they do.
That being said, apology culture and cancel culture go hand in hand. I’d respect these people more if they didn’t apologies so much. Just own it.
January 22, 2024 @ 3:17 pm
Grand Ole Opry is the place to display how bad ass you are as an artist. Save the star behavior for some other venue. She absolutely failed playing at the mother church, so noted. Now let her be and find real who kill it at the Opry to appreciate and admire. No need for an apology either. The internet is forever.
January 22, 2024 @ 5:16 pm
She’s ma-kin’ copies! Of the outlaws!
January 22, 2024 @ 5:39 pm
When you invite someone who routinely exhibits trashy behavior to perform on a show, you know what you might be in for, and shouldn’t be surprised when it happens. Now her dad needs to drive her to rehab and give her a hearty, Cajun “You can do it!”
January 22, 2024 @ 6:21 pm
Your comment about her behavior being less badass than Johnny Cash or less badass than the guy who married his 13 year old cousin are classic anti-feminist rhetoric.
Why is this only sad for Elle? Who by the way had to fill in as a headliner with a few minutes notice for an artist who was too precious to scrape out her driveway ahead of time?
Of reporters actually did any reporting these days you may learn that she wasn’t meant to sing some of these songs at all, hence not knowing the lyrics. How about some footage of the songs she did know and sang great. Just a classic hit piece on a woman, who in the opinion of a man, needs help and is sad, but your reporting is sad because there is so much more here to this story and shame on you for not even attempting to understand the why.
January 22, 2024 @ 7:12 pm
Yes, Elle King is the real victim here! Forget that she admitted she was drunk from stage.
Who is the artist that was “too precious” to scrape their driveway?
January 23, 2024 @ 11:59 am
Lauren Alaina was also scheduled to perform, but couldn’t get there, and she did blame road conditions. Nothing else in the media releases suggest King was added last minute though.
January 22, 2024 @ 8:49 pm
Dick Ninges. Lol. Anti-feminist. Hahahahahahaha.
January 23, 2024 @ 2:33 am
…”drunk and i don’t wanna go home” – ms king is a woman true to her word. bless her.
January 23, 2024 @ 8:35 am
Well,Tennesse Ernie,Elle is a woman.Ever hear of double standards (as a black man,I’m well aware of them),even sexism ? (She’s Rob Schneider’s daughter ? Who knew?)
January 23, 2024 @ 6:46 pm
So being the daughter of a D list celebrity makes people wanna hear her sing? It’s clearly not her vocals bringing them in. If she owes an apology for anything, it’s for her tone deaf screeching.
January 23, 2024 @ 7:07 pm
The claims that ’60 years ago Roger Miller Revolutionizes Country Music with (the Song) DANG ME’ and ‘Elle King Owes Opry & Dolly Apology After Drunken Performance,’ because ‘,,, the Grand Ole Opry is a family friendly environment’ (Trigger) are hilarious and absurd claims to any country music lover. Since ‘the corporate machine’ (Grand Ole Opry) seems to have replaced tradition with greed and bad management for the sake of ‘inclusion’ any success in the ‘inclusiveness’ claim has been overrated and ‘purely symbolic’ Perhaps, Elle King thought she was at a Rock Concert!.