The star of the Grand Ole Opry on Wednesday night (Sept. 13) wasn't Randy Owen or Charles Esten. It wasn't even Luke Bryan. A 5-year-old named Kael stole the hearts of everyone watching and listening.
Martina McBride and Randy Owen led a list of stars who played for a special audience at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night. Each performed and met with families for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on a night that recognized Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, the country music fundraising arm co-founded by Owen 26 years ago.
This year the Country Cares arm of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's fundraising celebrates its 26th year. Randy Owen has been the face of a platform that has included hundreds of country radio stations and raised over $600 million dollars. He says he has a successor in mind, and a goal to hit before he steps away.
Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night (Sept. 23), one saw the usual: a new artist -- in this case, Tae from Maddie & Tae -- wringing her hands as she prepared to make a debut, a slightly less new artist posing for a picture with a legend -- in this case Eric Paslay with Alabama's Randy Owen -- and the shuffling of talent to the circle and back for 10 to 15 minute mini-sets. Yet there was a different energy for this performance at country music's most well-known venue.