Virginia’s Li’l Ole Opry welcomes home one of its past stars, Troy Hedspeth, this Saturday night. The same night, the Opry will also be celebrating longtime emcee “Uncle Jimmy Wickham” Smith’s 80th birthday.

The show will be at Mathews High School’s Harry M. Ward Auditorium. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 o’clock.

Hedspeth joined the Li’l Ole Opry when he was a youngster who adored Garth Brooks, sported a much too large cowboy hat and called himself “the little big man of country music,” a release stated. Since that time, he has graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, with a degree in music theater and has become Associate Director of Music and Worship at Spring Branch Community Church in Virginia Beach, his hometown.

He said he will conduct Saturday’s show mainly in the country and inspirational realm, but added that “I’d also like to give the audience a small variety ...