Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum to Host Panel Discussion with Henry Cho and Gary Mule Deer on the Opry's Comedy Tradition

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Henry Cho and Gary Mule Deer will join in a discussion about the Grand Ole Opry’s practice of blending humor with musical performances. The comedians will share their own career paths that led them to the world-famous country radio show during a panel at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum on Wednesday, April 15.

The Grand Ole Opry has a longstanding tradition of making comedy part of its entertainment mix. Country Music Hall of Fame members Minnie Pearl and Rod Brasfield, Jerry Clower, Lonzo & Oscar, Mike Snider, and Stringbean are just a few of the many comic talents who have been Opry cast members. In 2023, the Grand Ole Opry brought acclaimed comedians Cho and Mule Deer into the fold.

Hailing from Knoxville, Cho made his Opry debut in 2011 and performed more than 100 times before being asked to join the cast. Mule Deer, who comes from South Dakota, performed more than 160 times on the show before his induction.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Senior Director of Editorial Paul Kingsbury will lead the discussion at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The program will include video clips from past Opry routines. The program is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Seating is limited and a program ticket is required. Reserve tickets in advance here.

The interview is offered in support of the museum’s exhibition Country’s Grandest Stage: The Opry at 100. The exhibit, running until March 2027, examines notable performers and key moments in the history of the show that has entertained and enthralled millions.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibitions, publications, digital media and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. Among the most-visited history museums in the United States, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was awarded the country’s highest honor in the arts, the National Medal of Arts, in 2024. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B®, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, Haley Gallery, CMA Theater, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

###