Watch Ashley McBryde, Lauren Alaina + Terri Clark Sing Joe Diffie’s ‘John Deere Green’ at the Grand Ole Opry
Ashley McBryde, Lauren Alaina and Terri Clark performed to an empty Grand Ole Opry House on Saturday night (April 4), with fans listening or watching from home due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The trio concluded their set with a tribute to '90s country star Joe Diffie: a cover of his hit "John Deere Green."
"We're gonna end on a somber note here," Clark began, before McBryde interjected, "But a celebratory one."
"But a celebratory one," Clark agreed. "We lost a family member and peer and amazing man, artist, singer when Joe Diffie passed away ... I'm wearing my John Deere T-shirt here tonight in honor of Joe."
McBryde, Alaina and Clark split the lines of "John Deere Green," harmonizing on the song's famous chorus: "In John Deere green, on a hot summer night / He wrote, 'Billy Bob loves Charlene,' in letters three-foot high / And the town said that he shoulda used red / But it looked good to Charlene / In John Deere green ..." Readers can press play above to watch their performance, which begins about one hour and 29 minutes into the video.
"John Deere Green," written by Dennis Linde, was Diffie's third single from his Honky Tonk Attitude album. The 1993 release hit No. 5 on the country charts — not Diffie's highest-charting song by any means, but an enduring one, considered a '90s country classic nearly 20 years later.
Diffie died on March 29, after contracting the novel coronavirus. He was 61 years old and has been mourned by his fellow artists and his fans as an influential member of the country music community.
The Grand Ole Opry has been running its Saturday night performances in an empty Opry house since March 14, in response to the coronavirus pandemic but in an effort to keep the long-running country music tradition going. Saturday night shows are being broadcast both on radio, online and on TV, and those involved are practicing social distancing and adhering to CDC guidelines for staying safe during the pandemic. All other Grand Ole Opry events have been canceled until further notice.
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