On Saturday night (Dec. 10), Ashley McBryde claimed her rightful place in the Grand Ole Opry's family circle. A surprise invite from Garth Brooks during McBryde's Oct. 6 in-studio interview on CBS Mornings set up her career-affirming moment.
Terri Clark inducted McBryde following the pair's duet of "Girl Goin' Nowhere": the song that earned McBryde a standing ovation during her June 16, 2017 Opry debut.
"Right then we all knew you belonged here," Clark said. "The Opry is a family and my sister, you have earned your spot at the table."
Chris Hollo
McBryde followed that with an emotional speech, during which she referenced being surprised before the show by The Judds Final Tour mate Wynonna.
"This moment is the biggest of my life. And if it's your first time to be at the Opry, this is what it feels like every time you are here," McBryde said. "It looks like it's made of brick and mortar, but it is pure, pure love. That is what you are experiencing. Thank you. I know what this means. I know what my responsibilities are, and I take this very seriously. And God bless country music."
Another highlight of McBryde's set came via a surprise appearance by Eric Church. The pair sang McBryde fan favorite "Bible and a .44," with Church sticking around to conclude the evening's first show with a solo acoustic set.
"I figured since the first time I had ever played in an arena or seen 19-to-25,000 people in one building at the same time or use in-ear monitors was when Eric put me on stage in Chicago," McBryde told the audience. "We should do this one for old times' sake, yeah?"
Chris Hollo
"What a great night for country music and what a great addition to the Opry," Opry Executive Producer Dan Rogers shared in a press release. "Watching Ashley on stage tonight, I think almost everyone in the room as well as those tuned in could feel a collective approving nod from those who have come before as well as the sense that the future is wide open for this new member and for this show edging closer to its landmark 100th year."
