Nashville’s own Jelly Roll kicked off the 50th season of “Saturday Night Live” as the musical guest this past weekend, and Music City will remain in the SNL spotlight for a while longer with comedian Nate Bargatze hosting on Saturday, Oct. 5.
The first time Bargatze took over hosting duties last October, “The Tennessee Kid” made several mentions of Nashville and notably closed out the show in a “37138” sweatshirt — a nod to Old Hickory. Let’s look back at his opening monologue and a couple of sketches.
- Monologue | Bargatze reflects on his experiences at the Wilson County Fair while growing up in the ‘80s.
- Washington’s Dream | The skit, called an “instant classic” by some viewers, also featured SNL cast member and fellow Nashville native James Austin Johnson.
- Hallmark Horror | This sketch parodies Hallmark movies with Bargatze in the role of a charming hometown figure with a dark side.
Nashvillians through the years
Let’s look back at a few celebs with Nashville ties who have hosted SNL.
Oprah Winfrey | April 12, 1986 | About a decade after attending Tennessee State University and anchoring at Nashville’s WLAC-TV (now WTVF), Winfrey took the stage to recap her time at the Academy Awards.
Dolly Parton | April 15, 1989 | “I’ve done a lot of TV in Nashville, but I have to say, things are a lot different here in New York; everything is just so artistic,” Parton said in her monologue while cracking a joke about camera angles.
Garth Brooks | Feb. 28, 1998 and Nov. 13, 1999 | The country artist was joined by his alter ego, Chris Gaines, as the musical guest in 1999.
Reese Witherspoon | Sept. 29, 2001 and May 9, 2015 | The Nashville-raised actor and producer celebrated Mother’s Day by sharing a story from her high school days, alongside her mom, Betty.
