Dierks Bentley is the only singer to have been banned by the Grand Ole Opry before performing there.
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As it turns out, Dierks was banned from the Grand Ole Opry early on in Nashville.
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His ban gave Dierks access to a small club of others who have "desecrated" the Opry stage and stripped them of their right to perform at one of country music's holiest institutions.
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He joins Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis as well as Hank Williams.
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But unlike their crimes, Dierks wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol or footlighted because… he never took the stage when his ban began.
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After moving to Music City, Dierks took a job as a researcher at The Nashville Network where he followed the latest country music and album news.
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Because the network was located on the grounds of Opryland, he was in constant proximity to the Opry House every day and began sneaking backstage to hang out with the artists preparing to perform that night.
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The aspiring singer spent a lot of time hanging out at the Opry, and his famous song "What I Was Thinking" was written about a girl he met there on his first visit.
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But, sleuthing around wasn't one of his best skills, and the habit eventually got him to the Opry's general manager, Pete Fisher, who permanently revoked his access.
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As the "High Note" singer later shared in an Opry interview, she still likes to experience the spirit of youth with the Opry when she was still only in hiding, even though she has now performed on the famous stage many times
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Unlike Opry bans on other country music greats like Hank Williams, Dierks was lucky enough to have his ban lifted in 2003 when he took the stage to perform for the first time.