On 28 September 2018, swamp rock pioneer Tony Joe White performed his Grand Ole Opry debut, an honour that proved bittersweet—it was also his final public performance before his death from a heart attack one month later. White's significance lies not only in his six-decade career spanning multiple genres, but in his prolific songwriting that produced hits for numerous artists, including Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, and John Anderson, yet remarkably, he had never performed at the legendary Nashville venue until this appearance.

White's catalogue included "Poke Salad Annie," which he recorded as a top 10 hit in 1969 before Elvis transformed it into an international success, and "Rainy Night in Georgia," which reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 when Brook Benton recorded it in 1970. He composed "Steamy Windows" for Tina Turner's album Foreign Affair and had collaborated with numerous rock and country legends including Jerry Lee Lewis, Waylon Jennings, Joe Cocker, and Eric Clapton. The Opry's house bandleader reportedly said, "It's an honor" upon meeting White, reflecting the widespread acknowledgement amongst industry figures that they were in the presence of a genuine legend.