Martina McBride Fondly Remembers Being Inducted Into The Opry By Loretta Lynn
Martina McBride was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Loretta Lynn in 1995. (Photo Credits: Grand Ole Opry / Instagram)
Martina McBride’s History With The Grand Ole Opry
Martina McBride joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1995, and country music legend Loretta Lynn inducted her into the family.
McBride made her Opry debut on May 23, 1992. She had just released her debut studio album, The Time Has Come, 11 days prior.
Three years after making her Opry debut, McBride became an Opry member. Loretta Lynn, who joined the Opry in 1962, had the honor of inducting McBride on November 30, 1995.
Later this year (2025), McBride will celebrate her 30th year of Opry membership. Although she’s been a member for nearly three decades, she says she still gets nervous to perform within the famous “Circle” every time she returns.
“Whenever I do the Opry it still feels like the first time,” the Opry website quotes her as saying. “I still get nervous. The Opry’s going to be here for hundreds of years, and I’m just proud my name is on that list. It’s a highlight of my life.”
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Recently, McBride revisited the special moment when Lynn inducted her into the Opry almost 30 years ago. With fondness, she watched a short clip of her induction and smiled as she watched Lynn speak. Then, McBride told a “funny story” she hadn’t shared before.
“During rehearsal, they gave [Lynn] the plaque, and she said, ‘Is this it?'” McBride recalled. “And I said, ‘I guess so…'”Â
While McBride assured Lynn she was fine with the plaque, Lynn still questioned if that was all she’d receive.
When they were onstage for the real deal, Lynn cracked a joke during McBride’s induction. She said, “Welcome to the Opry, honey. This is what you get.”
“That’s just who she was,” McBride said with a grin, speaking about how Lynn was always “honest” and didn’t hold back.
When asked who she wanted to induct her into the Opry, McBride named Lynn as her first choice. She never imagined that she’d be able to do so, and was thrilled when she did.
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Opry Stars And Special Guests Remember Loretta Lynn During Tribute Concert
Sadly, Loretta Lynn passed away in 2022 at the age of 90. McBride remembered her after her passing, telling TODAY:
“She was like our northern light, like our northern star. She was always there, always true, always Loretta. And I feel like part of her legacy is us carrying that on and being a mentor and a friend to any new artists coming up, any new, especially female artists coming up. She was always so supportive, and so kind and so available to all of us.”
As the Opry celebrates their 100th birthday this year, they set aside a special night to honor Lynn. Opry stars and special guests gathered for a heartfelt tribute concert at the Grand Ole Opry House on May 13.
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The show featured performances from Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Crystal Gayle (Lynn’s sister), Emmy Russell (Lynn’s granddaughter), McBride, and Twitty & Lynn (Conway Twitty’s grandson, Tre, and Lynn’s granddaughter, Tayla).
Twitty & Lynn shared a brief clip showcasing their day at the Opry, which you can watch below. It was an extraordinary day honoring one of the most extraordinary artists to grace the country music scene.
