Earns Standing Ovation with Performance of Chart-Rising Single “Weak” and
Heartfelt Delivery of “Headed Home”
NASHVILLE, TN (October 28, 2025) – The Valory Music Co.’s burgeoning vocal force Preston Cooper reached a defining moment in his young career on Friday night (10/24), making his anticipated Grand Ole Opry debut. Opry member Vince Gill took the stage to personally introduce Cooper, who earned a standing ovation from the packed Friday night Opry crowd. The debut followed a surprise on-stage invitation from Riley Green during the final stop of his Damn Country Music Tour at Red Rocks Amphitheatre last month.
“This doesn’t feel real. It’s definitely emotional,” shared Cooper. “I want to thank the Opry team for having me – it’s the greatest honor to play the Grand Ole Opry. Having my family and friends here means the world to me. I don’t know if anything could ever top this moment.”
“I got a call from Preston asking me to introduce him for his debut,” Gill reflected from stage. “We’ve written a few songs together, and I’ve cut a few of them that’ll be coming out soon. I think the world of this kid – he’s one of the best singers I’ve heard in a long time.”
Cooper’s debut performance showcased a striking blend of grit and heart, opening with his current Top 30 single “Weak” – a stormy, soul-baring anthem that also happens to be the first song he wrote in Nashville. Cooper shared the story with an enthusiastic crowd of how the track stemmed from a voice recording he made during his time as a mailman while walking his 14-mile mail route.
He closed his set with “Headed Home,” an emotional ballad that he dedicated to his late friend and publisher, Ben Vaughn.
“I always told everyone that I was going to sing this if I played the Opry someday,” Cooper continues. “If you didn’t know Ben Vaughn, he was a light to this community – a great friend and a great publisher. He was one of the first people I played this for and when I did, tears fell from his eyes. Right then I knew that this was an important song and that it would give people hope. I want to dedicate this to him.”
Cooper wrapped his debut with a standing ovation, surrounded by family and friends, before returning to the stage for a second performance later that evening. The moment marks another major milestone in what has been a breakthrough year for the fast-rising artist.
Following a summer on Riley Green’s Damn Country Music Tour and a spring run with Kameron Marlowe’s Keepin’ The Lights On Tour, Cooper’s debut album Toledo Talkin’ (released in August) continues to earn praise from both critics and fans for its honest storytelling and commanding vocals. As the year draws to a close, Cooper shows no signs of slowing down – promising new music and more unforgettable moments to come in 2026.
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ABOUT PRESTON COOPER: With a vocal so expressive it builds into jaw-dropping eruptions of power and emotion, 22-year-old artist Preston Cooper represents the start of a new generation in Country Rock. The biggest voice to ever hail from the tiny town of Fredericktown, Ohio, Preston’s soulful and blues inspired vocal is a potent force of nature, drawing comparisons to icons like Chris Stapleton and Bob Seger. First picking up guitar as a high school freshman, he joined the US Postal Service after graduation and found local fame as “The Singing Mailman” – walking up to 14 miles each day while belting out raw, raspy vocal runs, then clocking out to perform across the region. Hundreds of shows later, hit-making legends Brad and Brett Warren (Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban) discovered Preston at a Toledo songwriter’s round, and quickly recognized his once-in-a-lifetime talent. With his debut album, Toledo Talkin’, released August 29, the first chapter of this generational talent’s story unfolds. With 12 incendiary tracks – all but three co-written by the no-frills newcomer – Toledo Talkin’ was recorded with an old-school, full-band process, lashed together with sheer vocal intensity miles different from the Music Row norm. The album wields a mix of raw, organic Country and edgy Alt Rock, as evidenced on his show-stopping debut track “Weak,” emotive “One More Place I’ve Never Been,” shot of nostalgia “Numbers On A Mailbox,” highway rocker “One For The Road,” and personal reflection “The Takedown.” Preston recently wrapped his run as direct support for Kameron Marlowe’s Keepin’ The Lights On Tour and select dates of Riley Green’s Damn Country Music Tour. For more information, visit www.prestoncoopermusic.com.
