On Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 20), Vince Gill joined '80s country star T. Graham Brown for a taping of Brown's SiriusXM radio show "Live Wire." Gill had an ulterior motive— surprising Brown with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry cast.
"Awww, man. That's amazing, Vince. Oh my goodness. Please tell me you're not kidding me. This is the greatest thing," Brown responded to Gill's surprise. "You don't know what that means to me. I so wanted this; you just don't know. I'm so proud of the Opry. I'm just so proud to be there every time. I've never taken it for granted. It's just amazing."
"They love you," Gill responded. "That's a special place, and you'll be a valued part of that place. I didn't mean to make you cry. "
Brown rose to prominence in Nashville in the '80s. The Athens, Ga. native's accomplishments include a trio of No. 1 hits: "Hell and High Water," "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Darlene."
"T Graham Brown feels like family every single time he walks through the backstage doors of the Grand Ole Opry House," shared Dan Rogers, Opry executive producer, in a press release. "He adds a special spirit and a great performance to every Opry show he's part of. It's not lost on me that immediately after having been invited to join the Opry at the SiriusXM studios, within minutes he was on the road to the Opry for yet another performance, adding to his 300-plus count of Opry appearances."
SirusXM's Prime Country will premiere the "Live Wire" episode on Wed., April 6 at 10 p.m. ET. Brown's induction date at the Opry House has yet to be announced. There are 72 active Opry members now, including Brown and another recent invitee in Scotty McCreery.
