Elmo & Lauren Alaina: Grand Ole Opry Debut

The Grand Ole Opry welcomed Sesame Street‘s Elmo and Abby Cadabby to help celebrate the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary, with the beloved characters making their Opry performance debuts.

Elmo, clad in a blue cowboy shirt and hat, joined Grand Ole Opry member Lauren Alaina to sing her hit “Road Less Traveled.” Alaina — marking her first Opry appearance after the birth of her daughter Beni Doll Arnold in June — welcomed Elmo to the stage.

“All the way from Sesame Street, y’all make some noise for my friend Elmo!” Alaina said excitedly, as the character popped up from behind the Opry podium. Alaina complimented Elmo’s cowboy costume (“You like Elmo’s bolo tie?,” the red Muppet asked), before they sang together.

Meanwhile, Abby Cadabby performed with Tayla Lynn — granddaughter of late Country Music Hall of Famer and Opry member Loretta Lynn. Together, Abby Cadabby and Lynn sang one of Loretta’s signature songs, “You’re Lookin’ at Country.” Loretta Lynn herself once appeared on Sesame Street in 1984, performing “Count on Me” with The Count.

In the second half of the show, Elmo and Abby joined a steady list of performers, actors, journalists and sports figures who have served as guest announcers on the Opry.

That’s not the only Sesame Street connection country music has had recently: Singer/songwriter and 11-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton recently made an appearance on an episode of Sesame Streetjoining Elmo, Abby Cadabby and other Sesame Street characters to sing the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Music.”

Numerous country artists have made appearances on Sesame Street over the decades since the beloved children’s educational program debuted in 1969, including Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Johnny Cash and Faith Hill.

See footage of Alaina introducing Elmo on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry below: