Owensboro native Jon Brennan was able to cross performing on the Grand Ole Opry stage off his bucket list last week after he was invited to perform with music legend and Kentucky native John Conlee.
Brennan said the opportunity came about in a series of unexpected events. In November, he released a cover of Conlee’s chart-topping 1983 song I’m Only in It for the Love on his most recent EP I Ain’t Done Singin’ Yet.
Then last month, Brennan performed at a wedding for a friend’s daughter in New York.
The bride happened to be a co-host of Fox and Friends Weekend. She loved her wedding performance so much that she said she was going to find a way to get him on the air before the weekend was over.
“She said ‘I’m gonna try to get you on with me Sunday to sing your song,’” Brennan recalled. “Then Roe vs. Wade was overturned and they want me to sing the national anthem.”
A friend had gotten word that Brennan was performing on Fox & Friends, and suggested to Conlee to watch and also listen to Brennan’s cover; that friend told Brennan that Conlee enjoyed what he saw.
The next call Brennan got was Conlee asking Brennan to join him on stage at the end of the week.
So as you do when invited by music legends, he packed everything to go to the stage on Friday.
“Everybody asked me if I was nervous,” Brennan said. :No, I’ve been waiting my whole life to sing at this place. So I’m not nervous, but what’s gonna happen is halfway through the song, I’m gonna realize that it’s half over.”
He said that he wished his father could have been there because that was his inspiration to even get into country music. Still, with his mother there and to be on stage by a country music legend, Brennan was was able to enjoy it.
Brennan said this wasn’t his first time performing in proximity to Conlee, though. When the Executive Inn was standing, Brennan recalled that he actually opened for Conlee a few times.
Looking ahead, Brennan said they plan to re-release his EP in the coming months, and he’s looking forward to what comes next in his career.
“This year, I’m just focusing on trying to get my dream going before I get too old to do anything else,” Brennan said.
