Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil made his debut at the famed Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Aug. 2.

The 61-year-old singer, who has lived in Franklin, Tennessee for more than a decade, got on the Opry stage to perform Mötley Crüe’s 1985 ballad “Home Sweet Home” along with the Opry house band and singer-songwriter Cherish Lee, daughter of country legend Johnny Lee and Dallas actress Charlene Tilton.

Tuesday night (Aug 2) Opry announcer and morning radio show host Bill Cody introduced Neil and called him an “international superstar, accomplished businessman, heartfelt philanthropist, and his unmistakable voice led the greatest rock songs of a generation.”

“I moved to Tennessee seven years ago, and I live in Franklin out by Leiper’s Fork, and I see some friends and family out here, and I want to thank you guys for coming out,” said Neil before his performance. “This is really a chilling thing…to be, standing up here, you know.”

The Grand Ole Opry shared a short video of Neil’s performance on Twitter with the caption: “The Opry has a long-standing tradition of inviting guest artists into the circle, and we were thrilled to continue that tradition with [Vince Neil] tonight! Congratulations on your Opry debut!”

Neil responded with his own post, saying “OMG, we are here live [at the Opry]. Thank you Cherish Lee for joining us.”

Mötley Crüe has its own unique connection to country music. In 2014, Mötley Records and Eleven Seven Music collaborated on a country music tribute to the band, Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe, featuring countrified covers of the band’s biggest hits by LeAnn Rimes, Florida Georgia Line, Justin Moore, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, and more.

“Young country is really the new rock and roll,” said Neil backstage at the 2014 CMT Music Awards. “And that’s what’s pretty exciting. You see guys with long hair and guitars. It’s pretty cool.”

The band is currently on a break from The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett, which kicked off in June 2022 and will conclude on Sept. 9 in Las Vegas.

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)