The Unforgettable Moment Charlie Daniels Was Asked To Join The Opry

In November of 2007, Charlie Daniels heard the coveted words, “You’re officially invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”

Daniels was playing an ordinary show at the Grand Ole Opry when someone interrupted him saying “we’ve got an announcement.” You can tell Daniels was taken aback by this as he responded, “Oh, okay. We got an announcement?” Martina McBride (also a member of the Opry) walked on stage and said, “Hi Charlie! Martina!”

“I didn’t know you were here! That’s Martina McBride, ladies and gentlemen,” Daniels states with his arms out and shoulders shrugged. She said she had a Christmas present for Daniels and proceeded to open the shiny silver box revealing a card. “I’m gonna read this to ya,” McBride said.

The card read, “Peace, joy, love, and wishes fulfilled. These are the timeless traditions of Christmas. Thank you, Charlie, for all you’ve done to make Christmas wishes come true for thousands of children over the years. Now it’s time to make a wish come true for you. You’re officially invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”

An obviously flustered Charlie Daniels was left speechless. The video of the emotional moment shows him wiping away tears a few seconds after he heard the news.

He finally gathered his thoughts and said, “I just don’t know. I cannot even begin to tell you, folks. This is very emotional for me. When I was so young, when I first started listening to music, some of my first memories of music were happening right here where I’m standing right now. When I listened to all the greats of country music sing over the airways of WSM when I was a kid over in North Carolina before I could even play a chord on the guitar, I never ever, in my wildest dream, when we came to Nashville, my precious wife, and son, and myself in 1967, with a $20 bill and a clutch out of our car, I never dreamed that this would ever happen…And to think that now my name will be added along with all those great, great names, to people who are members of the Grand Ole Opry.”

Charlie Daniels left behind a legacy when he passed away in July of 2020.

He made an impact on the world of country music, Southern rock, and bluegrass with tunes such as “Long Haired Country Boy,” “Simple Man,” and perhaps more notable, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” His $3 million contract with Epic Records in 1976 broke a record for a Nashville act. Daniels had nine Gold, Platinum, or multi-platinum albums over the course of his career. And before he passed away, Daniels was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He spent his life doing what he loved as he said “I just thank God I can make a living doing something I enjoy as much as I do playing music.”

Hear a young Charlie Daniels perform “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” in the video below: