Hit Country songwriter Ray Fulcher took the next step in his artist career last Friday as he made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
Coinciding with the release of his three new songs – ‘Bucket List Beers’, ‘Way Out’ and ‘Girl In It’ – Fulcher stepped into the legendary circle to perform for the first time. He played his debut single ‘Girl In It’, his first to go to Country radio as an artist on Black River.
“Lord have mercy,” said Fulcher upon finishing his first song. “I’m in the Grand Ole Opry circle. I can’t believe it y’all.”
Leading into his second song, Fulcher shared a story with the audience about finishing a song while on tour. “I was in New York City, and there was a song that we wrote…we could never figure out what to do with the second verse…so I called my dad because he retired that day.”
Fulcher gave his parents, who were in the audience that night, a shout-out and continued. “I hung up the phone with him and said, ‘There’s my second verse.’ This is a bucket list moment for me tonight, and it would only be fitting we do this song. It’s called ‘Bucket List Beers.'”
The excitement and energy of the evening built up to Fulcher’s third and final song, where he stripped away all but himself, a guitar and a story. “I’m from a little town called Harlem, GA. I went to the University of Georgia, ‘Go Dawgs’. While I was there, I went and saw an Eric Church concert for the first time. I knew right then what I had to do with my life. It took me 14 years from then ’til now to get on this stage.” Fulcher continued, “I got a Master’s degree, and I moved back home to Harlem, and for a year, I sold cars, and I turned down a teaching job because I wanted to be able to play music still….I remember standing out there on that Saturday asphalt one day when it was about 97 in the shade, and I said, ‘If I ever get a chance, I’m gonna write a song about this.'”
Before playing the unreleased song, ‘Selling Cars’, Fulcher thanked the Grand Ole Opry.
“Thanks to the Opry for having me tonight. There’s not a more special place, in all of music, in all of country music, and I’m a very blessed man to be standing in the circle tonight.”
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