Ashley McBryde is one of the top artists in country music now, but when she was starting out in Nashville, she took a unique job opportunity that involved country music royalty: Dolly Parton. McBryde was tasked with the job of overseeing the renovations at one of Parton's Nashville homes — namely, letting workers in and out of the home — and she was allowed to stay in the home and use the pool while on the job.
On a recent episode of the Jennifer Hudson Show, McBryde told Hudson of this gig and shared a story about the time a fire almost broke out in the home. As McBryde explains, she was staying in a part of the house where she had access to a microwave, and one day while making a snack, she caused a fire in the microwave.
"Dolly's niece was there; that was the other person house sitting, and we set the microwave on fire on accident in a newly wallpapered room," McBryde says.
"Bagel bites are delicious," she adds.
McBryde then began telling how she grabbed the microwave herself and took it outside as it was burning. She did get something out of the ordeal, though: Dolly let her keep the microwave.
"It smelled like burnt bowling shoes," she says. "I used it for, like, a year and a half."
McBryde has had an eventful year so far, beginning with the accomplishment of taking home a Grammy award in February. She and Carly Pearce won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their collaboration, "Never Wanted to be That Girl." McBryde also released a brand new song on Feb. 24 called "Light on in the Kitchen." She is also among the artists slated to perform the 2023 CMA Festival in Nashville. The full lineup was revealed on Tuesday (March 7).
