Tanya Tucker showed her deep country roots when she took the stage at a recent Grand Ole Opry show in a very unique way. When announced as the next performer at the June 2 Opry show in Nashville, Tenn., Tucker came out onto the stage on a horse — a very tall one, at that. The moment will not just go down as memorable, but Tucker made history with the move as the first person to ride a horse onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in the show's 97-year history.
Tucker was celebrating the release of her latest album, Sweet Western Sound, during the show. She then performed her song "Kindness" while sitting on the horse, followed by "The List" and "When The Rodeo Is Over." She then sang a few of her classic hits, "Delta Dawn" "Texas When I Die" and "Strong Enough To Bend." She was also joined by Dailey & Vincent and Pam Tillis during her performance. Watch the moment she took the stage here.
This isn't the first time Tucker has recently saddled up for fun. In April, the singer rode what looks to be the same horse in downtown Nashville after she was announced as a 2023 honoree for the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Tennessean reports that the horse is a black Stallion named "Lauwe The Magnificent." The move celebrated her inclusion in the Hall of Fame class and promoted her upcoming shows and album.
Tucker often infuses her love of Western culture into her career. The album cover for Sweet Western Sound shows her standing int front of a different horse. Tucker's publicist Scott Adkins told The Tennessean that the singer is "passionate about horses."
"They're on her album covers, in her music videos and incorporated throughout her messaging," he said.
Sweet Western Sound was released on June 2 and produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings. The album follows her Grammy-winning 2019 project, While I'm Livin'.
READ MORE: 12 Great Songs From Tanya Tucker's 50-Plus Years of Hits
