Carly Pearce is the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. The “Next Girl” singer was inducted by Trisha Yearwood, who performed her own hit, “How Do I Live” with Pearce.
“I’m honored to be asked,” Yearwood told Pearce during her induction ceremony. “This is the first time I’ve ever been asked to induct someone. I got to meet you at an awards show several years ago, and I liked you immediately. Your kindness; you’re a good egg. But you also have those pipes. You are truly a talent. Congratulations on all your success. I do want to say that this place, the Grand Ole Opry, is a special place. When I was a little girl, I just saw myself on this stage. This is what I wanted, so I get it.
“This is not a club that you can just join,” she continued. “This is a very special family that you have to be invited into. When they ask you to become a member, it means that they know that you get it. You’re doing something great, but you also get what came before. It is with joy, and so much pride, and I represent everybody here at the Grand Ole Opry, and all your fans, to say, ‘Carly Pearce, you are now officially a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Pearce is honored to be part of the hallowed institution, which she dreamed about even as a young girl.
“I’ve seen a lot of my dreams come true over the last few years, but I think what makes this place so special, what makes this family such a place that I wanted to be a part of, is because you can have hit records,” Pearce said from stage. “You can sell out shows. You can be on awards shows. But all of that can fade, and this is something that I will have forever, and a place that I can come to, and a stage that I can sing on, and a circle that I can stand in, and a family that I can be a part of, and that can never be taken away from me. And that’s super special to me.
“All I’ve ever wanted to do in the entire world is sing country music,” she continued. “The Grand Ole Opry let a 25-year-old Airbnb cleaner — yes, that’s me — stand on this stage before I ever had a record deal, so I kind of feel like I’ve grown up in this industry over the last five years with them. Grand Ole Opry, this isn’t another feather in my cap. This isn’t another accolade. This isn’t another thing to add to my wall. This is a promise to all of you, and to this organization, that I will do my due diligence as a Grand Ole Opry member to make sure the circle is never broken.”
Pearce just announced the release of her 15-track album, 29: Written in Stone. The record, which will be out on September 17, is available for pre-order here.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Schmidt Relations / Chris Hollo