Friday night, he’s going to join a list of legendary names that chronicles the history of country music.

Just like Hank Williams and Porter Wagoner before him, Justin McBride will take the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and perform two songs on what is the longest running and perhaps most famous radio program of all-time.

“I still don’t know if I’ll be able to process it until the whole thing is over,” McBride said. “I think it’s sunk in – the part of all the people who played there – but me actually getting to be part of that is…I don’t know if that’ll ever sink in.”

McBride spoke with www.pbr.tv in an interview this past weekend in Molalla, Ore., for a special feature that was broadcast on the Internet during the intermission prior to the short go Friday night.

It was then that the two-time World Champion joined another growing list of legends.

This particular list is highlighted by the likes of Ty Murray, Cody Lambert and Adriano Moraes. That trio, and now McBride, have all publically stated the sport of bull riding is in need of coaches.

“I know if I was still riding today, I would hire Cody Lambert,” McBride said. “I would go out on a limb right now and say that, ‘I would hire Cody Lambert to be my coach.’”

McBride pointed to the ongoing controversy involving J.B. Mauney’s re-ride in San Antonio.

He said he doesn’t know if he would have challenged the call, but added that today’s athletes need to be “thinking on those terms.”

“In this day and age, I think a guy needs to be paying attention to those kinds of things,” he said. “I think a guy needs a coach there to make those calls for him.”

He also added, that in spite of his own retirement along with those of Adriano Moraes and J.W. Hart, the riders have stepped it up, and “the bulls just keep coming. You know, they’re unbelievable.”

“It’s been a huge year for the PBR.”

McBride was in Molalla this past weekend to support his friend Ross Coleman, who hosted a Challenger event in his hometown to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon. He and his band performed Friday night following the bull riding event.

Two nights later he was performing on Broadway in Nashville at the famous Robert’s Western World as he prepares for his Opry debut.

During the exclusive interview, which can be seen by logging onto www.pbr.tv and ordering the Ross Coleman Invitational, McBride said that he’s “played it pretty safe” with his burgeoning career as a country singer.

He pointed out that he hasn’t been too many places where they don’t know about bull riding.

“The great thing about it is bull riding fans are also country music fans,” he said.

For those who are unable to attend his Opry performance in person, it can be heard around the world on WSM AM radio and on the Internet by logging onto www.wsmonline.com.

— by Keith Ryan Cartwright