Sam Williams, the grandson of Hank Williams and son of Hank Williams Jr., has been blazing his own trail as part of Cam's Oh, The Places We'll Go European Tour. During the final tour stop in Berlin, Cam called Williams back on stage for a surprise invitation to make his Opry debut.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"They called me, and they said, 'Do you mind asking Sam what he's doing Oct. 9 because we want him to make his Grand Ole Opry debut,'" Cam says in video footage from the Sept. 14 show. "The coolest thing is, it's during Dolly week."
In honor of the impeccable timing of Williams' debut, the duo went on to perform a cover of Parton's "Jolene."
"The moment Cam asked me, I was too focused on our last night singing together and it almost didn't even register in my brain," Williams told Wide Open Country of the surprise invite. "After singing 'Jolene,' I came off stage and balled like a baby. I pressed an emergency exit button sidestage, frantically trying to FaceTime everyone I knew. This happening is truly historic and I am so excited."
Watch the video of Williams' invitation below.
In recent years, Williams has followed in the footsteps of half-brother Hank III and half-sister Holly Williams with his own folk, country and Americana voice, as heard on recent poem-turned-song "Gemini." He's his own man as an artist, which coincidentally mirrors his famous grandfather's independent streak more so than any honky-tonk tribute act.
The Grand Ole Opry's Oct. 9 show is shaping up to be a good one. So far, only the Del McCoury Band and songwriting great Don Schlitz ("The Gambler," "Forever and Ever, Amen") have been advertised for what's turning into a hearty mix of country music's subgenres and generations.
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