Kathy Mattea is officially a member of the Grand Ole Opry! Mattea was inducted by Terri Clark on October 11, later inviting her good friend, Suzy Bogguss, also to join.
“18-year-old me is freaking out right now, that I get to do this, ” Clark says during Mattea’s induction. “Kathy, your blend of country, folk, and bluegrass carved out a niche for you at mainstream country radio that continues to inspire and influence to this day. You have earned multiple awards, including a Grammy, two Grammys … It sustained the kind of fan base and career longevity that most can only dream of. And tonight, we add another milestone to that list.
“And might I say, it’s about damn time,” she continues. “It’s truly humbling and an honor for me, as someone you really inspired. Your music inspired me so much growing up. I can’t believe I get to stand here, with your fans, your loved ones, your friends, and say, ‘Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry family, Kathy Mattea. Well-deserved.'”
Kathy Mattea Shares Heartfelt Speech During Her Grand Ole Opry Induction
“I see many friends and family in the audience,” Mattea begins hear heartfelt speech. “Lots of old friends, people I’ve met out on the road coming to my shows. My cousins from West Virginia are here, and lots of dear, dear friends. I don’t know what to say, except that, if you get lucky enough to do this, it’s your dream that something that you put into the world will mean something to someone else. And if that happens, that’s what we all want, right? We all want to have some sense that something that we did meant something to someone else, and it enriched somebody else’s life in some way.
“So this moment, for me, is a lovely experience, that something I did meant something to someone else,” she adds. “Something that moved me moved you, too. … I am so grateful to have this life, and still get to sing.”
Mattea also used her time on stage to encourage unity among others, something she speaks about during all of her live shows.
“As I tell my audiences every night, when you’re sitting next to someone you’ve never met before, and you both know the song ‘Eighteen Wheels,’ and you’re both sitting there singing it, you have no idea who that person next to you voted for,” he says. “And you don’t care at that point, ’cause really, we’re all the same at the heart. So thank you for allowing me the privilege of doing this after all these years.”
Suzy Bogguss Invited To Join the Grand Ole Opry
Mattea was then joined by Clark, Trisha Yearwood, and Bogguss, to sing “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” together. Mattea stopped the song before the final chorus, surprising Bogguss with her own invitation to join.
“As the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry, they have already given me my first job,” Mattea says. “On behalf of my friends Trisha and Terri, and the entire Grand Ole Opry family, I get to say, ‘Suzy Bogguss, you have the voice of an angel. You have a generous spirit, and you have a collection of work that is timeless. And I have one question for you, my dear, dear friend. Would you like to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry?”
“I was just so excited about all of us singing together tonight,” a stunned Bogguss says. “I don’t even know what to say. Thank you, but I think I may wake up in a minute.”
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Photo Credit: Chris Hollo