2 min read- Ella Langley was a member of the Grand Ole Opry NextStage Class of 2024.
- This year, she surprised the 2026 class and gave some advice.
- The singer then took the stage to honor Ronnie Milsap during a special event.
Ella Langley has come full circle! The 26-year-old country star was a member of the Grand Ole Opry NextStage Class of 2024, and just two years later, she got to be one of two surprise guests to inspire this year’s class.
On Tuesday, February 24, ahead of her tribute performance honoring Ronnie Milsap’s 50th anniversary of becoming an Opry member, Ella sat down with the NextStage Class of 2026: Emily Ann Roberts, Alexandra Kay, Willow Avalon, Graham Barham, Tyler Braden, Carter Faith, Vincent Mason, Hudson Westbrook, and Jake Worthington.
During the Studio A sit-down with the NextStage Class, Emily Ann Roberts asked Ella if there was anything she wished she had soaked in more or taken advantage of more; if there was anything she didn’t want the new class members to miss out on while following in her footsteps.
“My Opry debut, I forget who told me this, but right before I walked out on stage, I was so nervous, and he said, ‘Just take it in every time you step foot up here,’” Ella revealed. “And I’ve made that a point every time I’ve played the Opry, where you just take that in, because there is no place like this in country music that you get to play. It just goes down in history time and time again—how many legendary acts have stood in that circle. So just to feel that moment and be proud of yourself for standing there, because you deserve standing there.”
Following her appearance at the Studio A event, Ella changed outfits and made her way to center stage to take part in celebrating Ronnie’s impact on country music. The “Dandelion” singer performed covers of “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World” and “Almost Like a Song.”
“Tonight I got to honor one of my very favorites with one of my favorite songs to sing at one of my favorite places to play music,” she captioned a clip from the night on Instagram.
Trace Adkins, Mark Wills, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, and Blake Shelton also performed during the night, not to mention Ronnie himself. Vince previously joined Ella in surprising the NextStage Class.
