🚨 JUST ANNOUNCED: John Foster Joins Country Music Royalty With Grand Ole Opry Debut!

NASHVILLE — For West Baton Rouge native John Foster Benoit, dreams continue to unfold. Not long after earning the runner-up spot on American Idol, the rising star shared news that his biggest dream is becoming reality: he’s set to perform at the legendary Grand Ole Opry.

Foster announced the milestone on social media, expressing how “incredibly honored” he feels to debut on the iconic country music stage on June 7.

“The first time I visited the Opry, I fought back tears—I was just overwhelmed with joy,” he wrote. “As a self-proclaimed amateur historian of country music, there’s no place more meaningful to me than the Grand Ole Opry.”

This year marks the Opry’s 100th anniversary, and as part of the centennial celebrations, the “Opry 100” show will spotlight a new wave of talent—including Foster—at the revered venue.

Foster’s musical journey began in earnest in 2022. Following the tragic loss of his close friend Maggie Dunn and her friend Caroline Gill in a high-speed police chase on New Year’s Eve, music became a lifeline.

“That day was the most tragic and horrible of my life,” he told UWK. “But music showed up, as it always does.”

He turned to songwriting as a form of healing, and the result was Tell That Angel, I Love Her, a deeply emotional piece written by the bayou the same day he received the devastating news. The song became a powerful tribute and struck a chord when he performed it at his school’s prom and again during his time on American Idol.

After his success on the show, Foster returned home to Louisiana and took the stage at the Cajun Country Jam in Livingston Parish. He’s now gearing up for his first official Nashville performance on June 4 alongside fellow American Idol contestants, including this season’s winner, Jamal Roberts.

Foster’s Grand Ole Opry debut is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, as part of the Opry 100 celebration. He’ll share the stage with country legends including Craig Morgan, Mark Wills, Bill Anderson, and Old Crow Medicine Show, according to the Opry’s official calendar.