On Saturday, March 29, Morgan Wallen made his second appearance on Saturday Night Live. Wallen’s presence as the show’s musical entertainment sparked a bunch of rumours and speculation concerning his alleged lackluster appearance. Regardless, Wallen was on SNL, and by doing so he joins a group of decorated country musicians.
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SNL has always been a show to celebrate the fads and tropes in contemporary pop culture. Hence, they always have culturally relevant stars to appear as guest performers or hosts. Consequently, Morgan Wallen is far from the only country musician to appear on the show. So, here are three country musicians who played on SNL that aren’t named Morgan Wallen.
Sturgill Simpson
On January 14, 2017, Sturgill Simpson took the stage at the infamous Studio 8H and performed his songs “Keep It Between the Lines” and “Call to Arms.” Most SNL guest appearances are fairly tame and docile. They mostly run along the lines of radio pop music and don’t overstep and divert the attention away from the main show. Though, that was and never will be Simpson’s ball game, as he seemingly made it his mission to melt the faces of those in attendance.
Simpson’s performance came just a few months after the release of his album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Introduced by the congenial and kind Felicity Jones, Sturgill Simpson gave a performance that was quite the opposite. In essence, Simpson’s performance shook the foundation of NBC’s headquarters.
John Prine
John Prine’s persona and music have always been geared toward smaller venues and intimate crowds. So, performing on SNL was the perfect storm for the country/folk singer. However, he was not the show’s first choice. Matter of fact, he filled in last minute after the Beach Boys canceled their scheduled appearance.
John Prine performed on the show in 1976 in the show’s second season. Other than being a replacement for the Beach Boys, legendary cast member John Belushi urged producers to bring Prine on the show. Ultimately, they agreed, and Prine performed his staple tunes “Hello in There” and “The Bottomless Lake.”
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is one of the biggest cultural icons in the world. So, it comes as no surprise that she has appeared on Saturday Night Live not only once, but twice. Her first appearance on the show was as a musical guest in 1977. Her second was as both the host and musical guest in 1989. Matter of fact, Dolly Parton is one of the few true country musicians to host the legendary show.
Regarding her second appearance, Dolly Parton performed her tunes “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” and “White Limozeen.” Parton’s presence was not arbitrary, as she was promoting her film, Steel Magnolias, and her album, White Limozeen.
Photo by: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank per Getty Images
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