The finale.Photo: Catherine Powell
“Reportin' for duty” was a favoriteLeslie Jordancatchphrase, and a legion of his friends and admirers took it to heart on Feb. 19, showing up at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House to pay homage to the beloved character actorwho 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.”
Leanne Morgan.Catherine Powell
The expansive show, which lasted just under four hours (including an intermission), was filmed for a Circle Network special, airing Saturday at 10 p.m. 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 onWill & Grace,Boston Legal,American Horror Story, and most recently,Call Me Kat.During the 2020 pandemic quarantine, he earned even greater public affection with aseries of Instagram pick-me-upsfor 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, hereleased a gospel album,Company’s Comin', filled with collaborations with lots of new Nashville pals.
Tanya Tucker.Catherine Powell
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 Morrisand husbandRyan Hurdduetted 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 Morrisproducer who diedof brain cancer in 2019.
Maren Morris.Catherine Powell
Fancy Hagood, in a full-length leopard-print coat, took onVince Gill’s signature anthem, “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” with the help ofJohn Osborne’s guitar accompaniment.
Fancy Hagood.Catherine Powell
AndHARDYturned in an acoustic performance of “Give Heaven Some Hell,” a single off his debut album that he said had a fan in Jordan.
HARDY.Catherine Powell
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.
Danny Myrick and Travis Howard.Catherine Powell
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.”
Katie Pruitt and Cheyenne Jackson.Catherine Powell
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Other musical guests picked catalog favorites with rough-edged themes that seemed fitting for the moment.Ashley McBrydetold her own story in song (“Girl Goin’ Nowhere”), as didLainey Wilson(“Heart Like a Truck”) and Jelly Roll (“Son of a Sinner”).
Jelly Roll.Catherine Powell
Brothers Osborneoffered “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.”
John and TJ Osborne.Catherine Powell
Rising pop artistJake Wesley Rogerstorched his way through his own coming-out song, “Jacob from the Bible,” and delivered a blazing “Middle of Love,” accompanying himself on piano.
Jake Wesley Rogers.Catherine Powell
Charlie Worsham.Catherine Powell
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Lainey Wilson and Lukas Nelson.Catherine Powell
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 ofCall 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 inThe 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.”
Mayim Bialik.Catherine Powell
Jim Parsons, 49, anotherBig Bang Theorystar who executive producesCall Me Katwith 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.”
Jim Parsons.Catherine Powell
In avideo message that also airedonCall Me Kat,Dolly Partonproclaimed 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.
ActorMax Greenfield,43, a close friend since their days onWill & Gracetogether, spoke of Jordan’s joy over his two Opry appearances.
“He was so honored to be on this stage,” said Greenfield, a cast member inNew GirlandThe 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.”
Max Greenfield.Catherine Powell
“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.”
Margaret Cho.Catherine Powell
Anthony Mason.Catherine Powell
In a video testimonial, actorJustin Longexplained 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,” theJason 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.”
Eddie Vedder.Catherine Powell
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 theBob Dylananthem “Any Day Now (I Shall Be Released).”
source: people.com
