Darius Rucker Surprises Lady A With Invitation To Join Grand Ole Opry

The members of Lady A were surprised with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry from their longtime friend…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

January 21, 2021

6:58 pm

Darius Rucker, Lady A

The members of Lady A were surprised with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry from their longtime friend and Grand Ole Opry member, Darius Rucker.

The special invitation was delivered on Thursday (Jan. 21) while the GRAMMY-winning trio was filming their performance for the upcoming NBC primetime special, Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music.

Rucker invited Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood to join and revealed that their membership is effective immediately. Watch the emotional moment below.

While introducing the trio for their performance, Rucker said, “What can you say about three friends of yours who together have become one of the biggest groups in Country Music history? Well, how about this? This trio are multi-platinum superstars, seven-time Grammy Award winners and seven-time CMA Award winners too. And I feel so honored to stand here in the Opry House and hope they accept the invitation I am thrilled to be offering them tonight. So, what do you say, Lady A? Would you like to become members of the Opry?”

“This is the best surprise we could ever ask for,” an emotional Scott said. “I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl so to say we are honored is an understatement. We are so truly grateful to officially be a part of this amazing family.”

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The emotional moment, as well as Lady A’s first performance as Opry members, will air during Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music. Fellow Opry members Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton have been tapped to host the two-hour special, airing Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music promises to be an “unforgettable night of music” with appearances from some of country music’s biggest stars performing their own hits as well as covering classics originally recorded by some of the Grand Ole Opry’s most famous members. The show will also feature archival content and interviews as well as performances and appearances by country artists throughout their careers.

Additional details about the show will be announced in the coming weeks.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.