Grand Ole Opry Plans Tribute To John D. Loudermilk

Pictured in March at the tribute to Loudermilk at the Franklin Theatre. (L-R): Peter Cooper, John D. Loudermilk, Dixie Graves

The songs of the late John. D. Loudermilk will be honored with a special segment dedicated to his music at the Grand Ole Opry on October 3. Artists scheduled to appear during the tribute include John Jorgenson, Herb Pedersen, Deborah Allen and J2B2 with special guests Jon Randall and Beth Hooker, all of whom were part of A Tribute To John D. Loudermilk, a live album released September 15 on Vector Recordings. 

The album project was recorded March 24, 2016 during a concert at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee, and a film of the concert will be released this fall as a PBS special. Loudermilk was on hand to see the tribute when it was recorded, before passing away in September at the age of 82.

Loudermilk was the composer of such American classics as “Tobacco Road,” “Abilene,” “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye,” “Waterloo,” and “Indian Reservation,” and his songs have been recorded by the Allman Brothers, Edgar Winter, Jefferson Airplane, the Animals, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Casinos, the Everly Brothers, Petula Clark, Perry Como, Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison, Sammy Davis Jr., the Box Tops, Rick Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Barbara Mandrell, George Jones, Bobbie Gentry, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Doc Watson, Anne Murray, Conway Twitty, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Solomon Burke, Nina Simone, Norah Jones, Jay Z, Kanye West, and more. 

Jorgenson, Pedersen and Allen will sign copies of the album in the Opry Shop immediately following their performances.