Remember When Blake Shelton Became a Member of the Grand Ole Opry?
“This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Shelton said.
Blake Shelton – Grand Ole Opry
On October 23, 2010, Blake Shelton officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The superstar admits the moment was “the highlight of his career,” as he was inducted into the highly coveted institution by his longtime friend, Trace Adkins.
In 2020, Shelton reflected on the pivotal moment of his career on social media when he celebrated his 10th year as an Opry member.
“Wow…Hard to believe this was 10 years ago today,” he wrote. “Feels like just yesterday Trace Adkins was giving me the news every country artist dreams of getting! The biggest honor… Love and miss my @opry fam! Here’s to another 10!”
Shelton also shared a video clip to commemorate the occasion. In the video, a baby-face Shelton is seen being inducted as an Opry member by Adkins.
“This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Shelton says in the clip.
Shelton was invited to join the Opry from Adkins as well. Just after performing their duet, “Hillbilly Bone,” on September 28, 2010, Adkins told Shelton, who at the time was an avid Twitter user, to check his Twitter.
“Blake Shelton, you are invited to join the Grand Ole Opry! See you 10/23/10,” the Tweet read.
Overwhelmed by the news, Shelton went to the Opry parking lot to call his parents about the news.
Prior to his official Opry induction, Shelton opened up about the moment during a press conference, telling reporters: “Tonight is the pinnacle, tonight is the Nashville dream.”
In 2020, Shelton introduced his now-wife, Gwen Stefani, to the Grand Ole Opry when she made her Opry debut by his side. The couple appeared virtually from Ole Red in Shelton’s town of Tishomingo, Oklahoma for their performance.
Stefani had the chance to make her in-person Opry debut on September 10, 2022, when she joined Shelton on the iconic stage for a two-song performance.
Donning a sparkling hot pink dress, Stefani strutted onto Country music’s most famous stage to join her husband. Fans inside the packed Opry House welcomed her with a standing ovation and roaring applause. She stood by Shelton’s side as they sang “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere.”
Prior to the curtain closing, Shelton sweetly gave the spotlight to his wife as he shouted, “Gwen Shelton… everybody.”
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.
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