Nashville singer-songwriter Tommy Prine makes his Grand Ole Opry debut

Beaming from head to toe, Tommy Prine held his guitar close as he stepped into the circle at Nashville's historic Grand Ole Opry House for the very first time on Friday night. Sporting a classy black suit with a bolo tie and impressive mustache, Prine said, "It's such an honor to be here tonight."

The 28-year-old Nashville-based Americana and folk musician, and son of late country folk songwriting royalty John Prine, has had quite the busy year.

He released his debut album, "This Far South," in March and spent the rest of the year on the road, hitting the stage performing with Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit. And though he's spent the year playing every nook and cranny of the country, performing a hometown show on the Opry stage stands out.

"I don't think there's a way to describe it, honestly," Prine told the crowd about how he felt stepping into the performance circle.

"The moment I woke up this morning, there was a bit of a different air going around," the singer-songwriter said. "And it kind of felt similar to my wedding day, actually. It was a really special moment."

Playing on the Opry stage is "a big landmark of my entire life that I've lived so far," Prine told The Tennessean. "But part of it feels like the beginning of something really special." Prine feels that this first of his is launching him into the new year with fresh momentum.

His hearty performance kicked off with song "Mirror and a Kitchen Sink" from his recent album. With a full band in tow, Prine gave an upbeat, swingy country-rock performance. He sang, "And I think that I win / Every single argument / But now it's you and me / A mirror and a kitchen sink."

Prine chose "Ships in the Harbor," a 2022 single, as his second song. "This next song is the first song that I ever recorded and released and it's actually the song that kind of gave me a bit of kick-start for my career," he said on stage.

His acoustic performance held vulnerability and reflectiveness, all captured within a simple, poetic lyricism. The final refrain gives thought to the loss John Prine in 2020, who died at age 73 of complications from the coronavirus.

Prine closed out the song, singing, "I'd do anything just to talk to my father / But I guess he was leaving soon as we do / And yeah, I guess he was just passing through, and I am too."

Prine's musical background comes as no surprise. "I've been playing music my whole life and it's been such an integral part of my human experience," Prine said, who picked up guitar at a really young age and songwriting in his teenage years.

And now, he heard the call to the Opry stage, a stage his father performed on many times. As Prine carries on a musical legacy, he is also paving his own, unique path and distinct sound.

More: Tommy Prine isn't standing in his dad's shadow. He's 'just walking next to it'

"I'm just bursting with pride for him," said Gena Johnson, a Nashville-based producer who has worked with two generations of Prine musicians. Johnson produced Tommy Prine's debut album "This Far South" alongside Ruston Kelly, and also worked on John Prine's last album in 2018, "The Tree of Forgiveness."

"I am so excited to see [Tommy's] career keep moving forward and progressing the way it is and, quite honestly, just doing it by working hard, touring, thinking positive, treating everybody with kindness."

Prine says that the Opry debut brings him closer to his father, but also the long legacy of all great artists who have stepped foot on the stage before him.

He said, "I was there the night that Tyler Childers did his Opry debut. And that was a really special night, just kind of from the outside looking in and hanging out with him afterwards and just how much that meant to him.

"Just a few short years later, I'm in that same position. That is kind of crazy to wrap my head around, even just talking about it out loud now," Prine admitted.

This is only just the beginning for Prine, who will continue touring next year, performing with artists from Gabe Lee to CJ Starnes and hitting the stage again with Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit.

For more information on Tommy Prine and his music, fans can visit tommyprine.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville musician Tommy Prine tops off busy 2023 with Grand Ole Opry Debut