Remember When Carrie Underwood Made Her Opry Debut?

Carrie Underwood fulfilled a life-long dream on June 10, 2005 when she had the chance to perform at the Grand…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

June 10, 2021

Carrie Underwood; Photo Courtesy Grand Ole Opry

Carrie Underwood fulfilled a life-long dream on June 10, 2005 when she had the chance to perform at the Grand Ole Opry for the first time ever.

Making her debut on the coveted stage just two weeks after her season four American Idol win, the fresh-faced Oklahoma native was nervous, but pulled through her performance like “The Champion” she is (see what we did there?).

The soon-to-be superstar stepped into the circle to perform “Inside Your Heaven,” the first song she released after Idol, and Roy Orbison’s “Crying.”

“I don’t even know how, but I always knew what it was,” she previously said of the Grand Ole Opry. “You don’t have to see it or hear it; you automatically know what it is. That’s how legendary it is.”

Underwood continued to perform at the Opry as a guest artist until March 15, 2008 when she was invited to become a member of the Opry by longtime Opry member Randy Travis. Underwood was officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on May 10, 2008.

To this date, Underwood remains a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and performs on the show several times each year.

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.