Grand Ole Opry blasts off: NASA astronauts sing 'Rocky Top' for Opry live from space

For the first time ever, The Grand Ole Opry welcomed an announcer from far beyond planet Earth.

This weekend, the Opry presented a live performance and guest appearances from NASA astronauts, including Tennessee native Barry "Butch" Wilmore and his crew of five at the International Space Station. The guest appearance marked the 55th anniversary of landing a man on the moon.

The crew connected to the Opry via video stream, all clad in different Tennessee gear — like state flag shirts and a Predators jersey — as they floated in the reduced gravity field.

The fleet even chanted a classic Tennessee tune, bringing country music well outside of Tennessee's borders.

On Sunday, The Opry posted the guest appearance on Instagram , saying, "Tonight, The Grand Ole Opry Welcomed NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore as Guest Announcer, and we even received a very special call and a 'Rocky Top' singalong from the International Space Station! How special is that! 🚀 @nasa "

In the video clip, Wilmore said, "We've got a special tune for you, you can join along if you like."

The team sang a verse and chorus of "Rocky Top" singing out, "Wish that I was on ol' Rocky Top / Down in the Tennessee hills / Ain't no smoggy smoke on Rocky Top / Ain't no telephone bills."

"Butch, thank you," the Opry announcer said. "When you get back to earth, will you please do us the honor to come visit The Grand Ole Opry in person?"

"Oh absolutely! We'll bring the whole crew if we can," Wilmore said.

"Shout out to my sister-in-law Laurie Bradshaw who is there at the Opry...we appreciate all of you coming aboard and joining us!"

Butch Wilmore is a Mt. Juliet native who attended Mt. Juliet High School and graduated from Tennessee Tech .

A retired Navy caption, Wilmore is currently the commander of the Crew Flight Test mission on NASA's Boeing Starliner spacecraft . Wilmore is now on his third spaceflight.

After issues with the ship's thrusters, Wilmore and his crew will be remaining in space until late summer as of recent updates. Delays have turned what was originally intended to be a week-long trip into a 47-day-and-counting stay in space .

Right now, NASA is analyzing data to find the proper time to undock and return back home to Earth.

As of July 10, the astronauts said they were still enjoying their stay in space and didn't mind the delayed return.

An Opry appearance can't be bad for the soul, bringing the stuck-in-space astronauts a slice of Tennessee culture.

Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Grand Ole Opry blasts off: NASA astronauts sing 'Rocky Top' for Opry live from space