Ashley McBryde will be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry! The Arkansas native was invited to join on Thursday, October 6, by Garth Brooks, when he surprised her during her appearance on CBS Mornings, by appearing virtually from the Grand Ole Opry.
“I’m here for a proposal,” Brooks quipped. “This is part of a family that keeps growing. You know where we’re at. We’re at the Grand Ole Opry. I’m standing in the circle of wood right now where you stand. Miss Ashley McBryde, on behalf of the Opry and myself as an Opry member – I’m gonna try not to cry – we would love for you to consider becoming the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
“It would be the great joy and the great honor of my life,” a tearful McBryde responded.
Brooks praised McBryde for her contributions to country music, rightfully predicting that her impact will last for a long, long time.
“It’s the longest living family in music history,” Brooks said. “You belong in it. We need you. You will make us stronger for decades to come. I love you. Congratulations. Couldn’t happen to a sweeter person.”
Only on #CBSMornings, two-time Grammy-winner @garthbrooks just surprised singer-songwriter @AshleyMcBryde with an invitation to join the "longest-living family in music history," at the @opry! pic.twitter.com/c9S7A9EDfH
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) October 6, 2022
McBryde has made no secret of her love for the Grand Ole Opry, dreaming about someday joining the sacred institution in her “Girl Going Nowhere” single.
“Grammys and being a member of the Grand Ole Opry are two of the greatest things that can happen to you as an entertainer,” McBryde said. “I’ve always said I will earn it, and this is a pretty surreal moment.”
Brooks, who became a member on the same day in 1990. insists that McBryde has more than earned her place as a Grand Ole Opry member.
“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. 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.”
Even without being an official member, McBryde has always had a strong reverence for the Opry, and its place in country music.
“The Opry is one of the most important things to me in my whole career,” McBryde told Everything Nash last year. “I’ve never come into the building without saying hello to Minnie Pearl. I’ve never left the building without saying, ‘Goodnight, Minnie.’ I’ve never stepped right into the circle. I always put a toe in first. And then I always either point down to it or reach down and touch it when I leave. It’s such a sacred thing to me.”
McBryde was also surprised by an appearance from her mother, who flew in to be with her daughter for the milestone event. McBryde’s next album, Lindeville, was just released. Find music and tour dates at AshleyMcBryde.com.
