33 years ago is a day that Garth Brooks will never, ever forget. It was on October 6, 1990, when the Oklahoma native was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Johnny Russell officially inducted Brooks into the Opry family.
“To be recognized as a member [of the Grand Ole Opry] is among the class of honors that will never be topped, no matter how long or how far my career goes,” Brooks said (via Taste of Country).
Brooks made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry on June 24, 1989. From early on, he knew he wanted to be part of the Grand Ole Opry family, and it is a commitment he feels just as strongly, even after all these years. He has also inducted others into the Grand Ole Opry, including Carrie Underwood.
“It is a marriage, and it is a marriage that you try to uphold the best that you can,” the husband of Trisha Yearwood told The Boot of being an Opry member. “[Underwood [is] from Oklahoma, which, to me, is the land of common sense. I think she gets it. The coolest thing she said was, ‘I know I didn’t come here by the conventional road.’ That was very cool, so I think she’ll love it and respect it enough.”
Brooks celebrated his Opry anniversary last year by inviting Ashley McBryde to join the Opry.
“There isn’t anybody in this family who hasn’t [earned their membership], because it’s the love they show for the Opry, it’s the respect they show for country music,” Brooks said on CBS Mornings. “And try to remember, it is the longest living family in music history, so Grammys, CMAs, they’re all going to fade. This won’t. This will be until the day they put you in the ground, you will be part of the coolest show on the planet.”
Brooks is currently headlining his own Garth Brooks/Plus ONE Las Vegas residency, putting the finishing touches on his Friends in Low Places downtown bar, and also working on new music.
“We got a lot of new music coming out this fall,” Brooks hinted on Good Morning America. “We’ve been off for a while; we had the Comeback Tour, the Stadium Tour, and now we’ve got this residency, which allows you time to get in the studio, which is fun. So we’ve got some new music coming out, and mixing it with the old stuff.
“‘Cause my thing is, too many times, we go to concerts, and somebody drops a whole new record, instead of playing the old stuff,” he added. “We’re very proud of our old stuff, so anywhere we go, even with the new stuff, we’ll bring the old stuff with us.”
Find music and tour dates at GarthBrooks.com.
