Remember When Garth Brooks Inducted Carrie Underwood Into the Grand Ole Opry?

Carrie Underwood is one of the Grand Ole Opry’s most famous stars and it was on this day in 2008…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

May 10, 2021

2:31 pm

Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood; Photo Courtesy Grand Ole Opry

Carrie Underwood is one of the Grand Ole Opry’s most famous stars and it was on this day in 2008 that she was officially inducted into the hallowed institution.

Underwood’s Opry induction was a star-studded affair with appearances by fellow Opry members Garth Brooks and Vince Gill.

Brooks, a fellow Oklahoma native, was on hand to officially induct Underwood, while Gill joined her for a performance of “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”

“I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now. I cried like a baby the whole time,” Brooks told Underwood as they stood in the Opry circle together.

“You will be rained with awards from the CMA, ACM, Grammys and all that stuff,” he went on to say. “Nothing will last as long or be more important than this award right here tonight. Congratulations.”

Underwood held her officially Opry trophy as she went on to perform several of her hits. She even got emotional as she accepted the honor.

“The induction award they gave me says, ‘Hey, you’re a part of the family,’” Underwood later recalled. “It means a lot to me because it’s the heart of country music, the church, the sacred place, the super-elite club that says you love this music.”

Underwood’s Opry induction came after one of her musical heroes, Randy Travis, surprised her with an invitation to join the Opry a few months prior.

Carrie Underwood made her official Opry debut on June 10, 2005, just two weeks after she was crowned winner of American Idol.

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.