Eddie Vedder, Jim Parsons, Tanya Tucker and More Honor Leslie Jordan at Benefit Show: 'He Was Extraordinary'
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Catherine Powell The finale
"Reportin' for duty" was a favorite Leslie Jordan catchphrase, and a legion of his friends and admirers took it to heart on Sunday night, showing up at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House to pay homage to the beloved character actor who died, at age 67, last October.
"Leslie was a bow-tie-loving Southern boy whose his biggest accomplishment was being unapologetically himself," the show's host, comedian Leanne Morgan, said, kicking off the tribute event, "and I'm sure that he's all smiles knowing that he's brought together the most eclectic group of people to ever grace the Opry stage."
Catherine Powell Leanne Morgan
No exaggeration: Who else could draw to the same stage such varied celebrities as Tanya Tucker, Eddie Vedder, Jim Parsons, Ruby Amanfu, Margaret Cho and Jelly Roll? And that's just for starters. In all, 26 actors, comedians, singers (of multiple genres) and one broadcast journalist took turns paying homage to the saucy Tennessean in "Reportin' for Duty: A Tribute to Leslie Jordan."
RELATED: Leslie Jordan's Cause of Death Confirmed
The expansive show, which lasted just under four hours (including an intermission), was filmed for an upcoming Circle Network special. It benefited a cause dear to Jordan's heart, the EB Research Partnership, a nonprofit that supports research into epidermolysis bullosa, a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder that affects the skin.
Over the course of his career, Jordan, just 4-foot-11, made an outsized impact with supporting roles, perhaps most memorably on Will & Grace, Boston Legal, American Horror Story, and most recently, Call Me Kat. During the 2020 pandemic quarantine, he earned even greater public affection with a series of Instagram pick-me-ups for his fellow "hunker-downers" — video posts that attracted more than 6 million followers. That connection helped spark Jordan's late-in-life foray into music, and in 2021, he released a gospel album, Company's Comin', filled with collaborations with lots of new Nashville pals.
Catherine Powell Tanya Tucker
Among them was Tucker, who had first crack at the stage on Sunday evening, consecrating the Opry House with a solemn offstage rendition of "Amazing Grace" before making her entrance in a sequined rainbow jacket — no doubt in tribute to Jordan's LGBTQ community. Her soulful performance of signature song "Delta Dawn," a Jordan favorite, led off a parade of musical and spoken tributes.
Some of the songs offered pointed references to the subjects of grief and loss. Maren Morris and husband Ryan Hurd duetted on "What Would This World Do?" a song that appears on Morris' latest album, Humble Quest; the couple co-wrote it in tribute to Busbee, a Morris producer who died of brain cancer in 2019.
Catherine Powell Maren Morris
Fancy Hagood, in a full-length leopard-print coat, took on Vince Gill's signature anthem, "Go Rest High on That Mountain," with the help of John Osborne's guitar accompaniment.
Catherine Powell Fancy Hagood
And HARDY turned in an acoustic performance of "Give Heaven Some Hell," a single off his debut album that he said had a fan in Jordan.
Catherine Powell HARDY
Several tunes from Jordan's gospel album also received their due. Album co-producer Danny Myrick, who served as the event's musical director, performed "In All Things," which he wrote with Jordan. Album co-producer Travis Howard assembled an album medley of "I'll Fly Away," "I Saw the Light," "Somebody Touched Me" and "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder." Up-and-coming artist Katie Pruitt turned in a winsome "This Little Light of Mine," her duet with Jordan on the album.
Catherine Powell Danny Myrick and Travis Howard
Pruitt returned to the stage with Cheyenne Jackson, Jordan's Call Me Kat co-star, for some risqué business, bringing down the house with a countrified song (doubtless only for this night) inspired by another favorite Jordan catchphrase, "Well, s---."
One choice verse imagined Jordan in the hereafter: "Well, s--- / Hey, ya'll, turns out heaven is a ball / I've got the saints and sinners and the holy rollers rolling on the floor / Well, s--- / I guess I must be kinda blessed / 'cause, boy, I never thought a Southern queen would be the one they all adored."
Catherine Powell Katie Pruitt and Cheyenne Jackson
RELATED: Leslie Jordan's Best Roles, Funniest Videos and Inspiring Journey
Catherine Powell Ashley McBryde
Other musical guests picked catalog favorites with rough-edged themes that seemed fitting for the moment. Ashley McBryde told her own story in song ("Girl Goin' Nowhere"), as did Lainey Wilson ("Heart Like a Truck") and Jelly Roll ("Son of a Sinner").
Catherine Powell Jelly Roll
Brothers Osborne offered "Younger Me," TJ Osborne's poignant reflection on his own coming-out journey. The brothers paired it with another fan favorite, "I'm Not for Everyone," which, they noted, memorably featured Jordan in its video. This time around, John Osborne altered the lyrics from "Talking 'bout Hendrix and heaven" to "talking 'bout Leslie Jordan in heaven."
Catherine Powell John and TJ Osborne
Rising pop artist Jake Wesley Rogers torched his way through his own coming-out song, "Jacob from the Bible," and delivered a blazing "Middle of Love," accompanying himself on piano.
Catherine Powell Jake Wesley Rogers
Other standout performances included Ruby Amanfu ("How Beautiful You Are"), Charlie Worsham ("Believe in Love"), ERNEST ("Songs We Used to Sing"), Brittney Spencer ("Sober and Skinny"), and Lukas Nelson ("Where Does Love Go"). Wilson joined Nelson for "You Can't Make Old Friends," a 2015 duet for Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
Catherine Powell Ruby Amanfu
Catherine Powell Charlie Worsham
Catherine Powell ERNEST
Catherine Powell Brittney Spencer
Catherine Powell Lainey Wilson and Lukas Nelson
In between the musical performances, a steady succession of Jordan's friends arrived to speak to his singularity and, inevitably in the storytelling, make attempts — with varying success — to imitate Jordan's inimitable Southern drawl.
Mayim Bialik, the star and executive producer of Call Me Kat, recalled how Jordan nailed a role in the cast that had been intended for a woman. "So Phyllis became Phil, and so began my life as Leslie Jordan's boss, as he called me," said Bialik, 47, who also starred in The Big Bang Theory. "But I was not his boss. I was just one of the actors lucky enough to share a stage with Leslie, to watch Leslie work, to watch Leslie play … Everyone wanted to be around him to soak up the light that was Leslie."
Catherine Powell Mayim Bialik
Jim Parsons, 49, another Big Bang Theory star who executive produces Call Me Kat with Bialik, said being around Jordan "was like being around an angel."
"It also," he mischievously added, "was like being around a devil. Listening to Leslie tell stories, sometimes he made me think of the cute guys I met as a young man in my first gay bars down south — and sometimes he reminded me of my grandma. Leslie transcended classification while being utterly specific and unique. He was extraordinary because he was so human."
Catherine Powell Jim Parsons
In a video message that also aired on Call Me Kat, Dolly Parton proclaimed about Jordan: "We had so much in common, didn't we? We were little. We were crazy. We wanted to go to heaven. But we were crazy as hell. And we made everybody laugh, when we were together especially." The 77-year-old country legend also was among Jordan's duet partners for his album.
RELATED: Leslie Jordan and Friends Rock the Ryman: Go Behind-the-Scenes of the Fun-Filled Nashville Evening
Actor Max Greenfield, 43, a close friend since their days on Will & Grace together, spoke of Jordan's joy over his two Opry appearances.
"He was so honored to be on this stage," said Greenfield, a cast member in New Girl and The Neighborhood. "He never said it, but I'm pretty sure he knew that his presence on this stage … could only be explained as an act of God."
Catherine Powell Max Greenfield
"Leslie was not a good singer," Greenfield said, evoking considerable audience laughter. "He certainly didn't have the discipline to be a musician, so it had to be that this was God's work."
"And so," he added, "was Leslie."
Margaret Cho also spoke about Jordan's music and faith. "I am so proud that he also got to embrace the hymns that he loved, the gospel that he loved," said the 54-year-old comedian, who also is gay. "It's a controversial thing to talk about homosexuality and the church, but really, if you're gay, you love God, too. We can still love God. We can have a seat at the table. I loved Leslie so much."
Catherine Powell Margaret Cho
CBS newsman Anthony Mason, 66, conducted the last TV interview with Jordan, in October 2022, and he remembered how the actor "had a way of instantly becoming your friend. He was open, empathetic, and above all, absolutely joyous. He was never afraid to take risks and made every day count."
Catherine Powell Anthony Mason
In a video testimonial, actor Justin Long explained how Jordan considered everyone a friend. "I know this because I once … referred to people who followed him [on Instagram] as his followers, and that was the only time he ever took offense to anything I said," said Long, 44, who hosted Jordan on his podcast, Life Is Short. "He quickly corrected me. He said, 'I actually don't consider them my followers. I consider them my friends.'"
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder's appearance capped the evening, starting with a Lukas Nelson duet of "Maybe It's Time," the Jason Isbell-penned song from the 2019 film, A Star Is Born. Vedder followed with a solo turn of Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe," a song about love and death.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer became close to Jordan through their work together on the EB Research Partnership, and he spoke movingly about mourning his friend.
"I've been missing on him so much," said Vedder, 58, "and in the last two days, to be around people that knew him and loved him, and we can share this story of loving him and all the ways he inspired us, it's the best we've felt in a long, long time."
Catherine Powell Eddie Vedder
Vedder reprised his album song with Jordan, "The One Who Hideth Me," receiving support from the Nashville choral group, the W. Crimm Singers. "It was a duet between me and Leslie, and it takes 17 singers to get his part down," Vedder quipped.
Afterward, Vedder summoned the whole cast back to the stage for a rousing finale of the Bob Dylan anthem "Any Day Now (I Shall Be Released)."
