Country artist Rhett Akins recently shared the reason his 6-year-old son is not allowed to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, revealing that the restriction comes from the venue’s strict rules about who can appear on stage.

“…We’re currently working on retraining him for the Opry,” Akins said, adding that they’re hoping he’ll get back on track soon.

Rhett Akins said his son Brody seems to have inherited the family’s passion for performing, though he’s still adjusting to the expectations that come with being on stage. He shared a lighthearted story about the moment his 6-year-old was effectively “banned” from performing at the Grand Ole Opry.

Speaking to Country Now, Akins compared Brody’s enthusiasm for performing to that of his older son, country artist Thomas Rhett, noting that both have always wanted to be part of the action on stage.

Akins explained that he never encouraged his children to pursue music, but said Thomas Rhett “could not stay off the stage” at age five, and now sees the same behavior in Brody.

Brody had occasionally joined his father during Opry performances, but things took a turn after one appearance where he had a public meltdown.

“We’ve had to ban him from the Opry so far,” Akins said jokingly. “He used to come out and sing with me a few times. And the last time he had a little meltdown on stage. And so we’re having to retrain him for the Opry right now, but hopefully he’ll get it back together.”

Akins also recalled apologizing to Opry executive Dan Rogers after the incident, only to be reassured that it wasn’t a serious issue, with Rogers telling him they had “seen so much more than that.”

The story was shared during a Country Now interview backstage at CMA Fest, where Akins reflected on his long history with the event, dating back to its earlier days as Fan Fair.