Vince Gill Invites Steve Earle To Become The Next Member Of The Grand Ole Opry
Vince Gill invited Steve Earle to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday (April 26). (Photo Credit: Grand Ole Opry / Instagram)
Steve Earle Receives The Invitation Of A Lifetime As Vince Gill Asks Him To Join The Opry
Congratulations are in order for Steve Earle, as he just learned he is going to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry!
On Saturday night (April 26), Steve Earle had a show at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville when he got the invitation of a lifetime. Longtime Opry member Vince Gill strolled out onstage to ask him the instantly life-changing question.
The invitation happened shortly after Earle performed his iconic song, “Coppearhead Road.” Gill, a friend of Earle’s for years, handed him a personalized guitar strap that was created for the Opry’s 100th anniversary this year (2025).
Gill pointed out, “You have to be an Opry member to have one of these.”
Realizing what would happen next, Earle stared at Gill in shock as his buddy said, “We want to invite you to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Earle broke down, clearly overwhelmed with emotion, as he hugged Gill. The crowd cheered wildly and gave him a standing ovation.
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After taking a moment to process things, Earle said, “This is kind of the biggest thing that has ever happened to me in my life.” At Gill’s request, he then launched into an encore performance of “Hillbilly Highway.”
Earle will be inducted into the Opry at a yet-to-be-announced date later this year. He’s the first artist asked to join their renowned membership in 2025, the year of their milestone 100th anniversary.
Who Are Some Of The Opry’s Most Recent Members?
Before Earle, Steven Curtis Chapman was the Opry’s newest member. He was officially inducted in November 2024 by Lady A.
Chapman was one of four artists who joined the Opry in 2024. Before him, Lainey Wilson, T. Graham Brown, and Scotty McCreery all became members.
All four were involved in the recent Opry 100 celebration that aired on NBC. While Wilson’s portion of the program was pre-taped, Brown, Chapman, and McCreery were all present at the event. They appeared onstage to sing Dolly Parton‘s “I Will Always Love You” for the finale and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
The latter performance didn’t air on TV, but you can watch it below.
Now, Steve Earle will finally join the Opry family himself! Congratulations to him once again!
