Garth Brooks surprises tearful Ashley McBryde with 'surreal' invite to join Grand Ole Opry
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Ashley McBryde stepped on set at "CBS Mornings" expecting to just talk about new music. Instead, she left with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry.
On Thursday, Garth Brooks surprised McBryde during her "CBS Mornings" appearance to ask the "Girl Goin' Nowhere" if she would become a member of the Opry's indelible circle of country music entertainers.
"What's happening?" McBryde asked moments after Brooks virtually dropped into her live interview from the Opry House in Nashville.
Brooks replied, "This is part of a family that keeps growing. ... Miss Ashley McBryde, on behalf of the Opry and myself as an Opry member – I'm gonna try not to cry – we would love for you to consider becoming the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry."
Through tears, she humbly accepted.
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"It would be the great joy and the great honor of my life," McBryde said.
As she dabbed her cheeks with a handkerchief, McBryde added: "There's Grammys, and there's bein' in front of the Grand Ole Opry – the two greatest things that could happen to you as an entertainer. I always said I will earn it. This is a pretty surreal moment."
An induction date plans to be announced in the near future, according to Opry organizers.
McBryde appeared Thursday on CBS in support of her new collaborative concept album, "Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville." Driven by richly-drawn small-town characters, the album features appearances from Brothers Osborne, Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark and more.
And she earns an Opry invitation after years of hard-won success in country music. An Arkansas native, the raspy-voiced and tattooed storyteller cut her teeth in local bars with a collection of self-released songs. She inked a deal with Warner Music Nashville in 2017, quickly endearing herself to new listeners with a brand of songwriting that straddles backwood tall tales and tender-hearted truths.
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A CMA and ACM Award winner, she's known for songs such as "Girl Goin' Nowhere," "One Night Standards" and chart-topping country radio duet with Carly Pearce, "Never Wanted To Be That Girl." She made her Opry debut in summer 2017.
"We're thrilled that her seemingly limitless talent will be on display and that she'll be a part of this very special show for years to come," Opry executive producer Dan Rogers said in a statement.
She becomes the fourth artist to receive an Opry invitation this year, joining wild-haired troubadour Jamey Johnson, "The Gambler" songwriter Don Schlitz and legendry session player Charlie McCoy.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Garth Brooks presents Ashley McBryde with Grand Ole Opry invitation
