Lainey Wilson was officially inducted as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry on Friday evening.
For Wilson, who has waited her entire life and 13 years since moving to Nashville to reach this milestone, the induction marks the most significant moment in redefining her career and its impact on country music, emphasizing the genre's enduring influence on pop culture.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, surprise guests for the sold-out audience, officially welcomed Wilson into the Opry family.
Earlier in the evening, as she did at her recent sold-out shows at Ascend Amphitheater, Wilson performed with two-decade Opry member Terri Clark on “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and with Country Music Hall of Famer Wynonna Judd for their upcoming collaboration on Tom Petty's “Refugee.”
In a rare, extended set, Wilson returned to perform a selection of her songs, including “Dreamcatcher,” “Things A Man Oughta Know,” “Heart Like A Truck,” “Watermelon Moonshine,” and “Hang Tight Honey.”
Overcome with emotion and surrounded by her entire family on the Opry's legendary stage, Wilson called the evening "the biggest night of my life."
"We’ve had a crazy couple of years with all the awards and everything, but this feels like the highest honor for me. It feels like the stamp of approval from everybody who has stood right here.
"That just lights another fire under me.”
"As a little girl, I didn’t dream about my wedding day. I didn’t dream about what song I’d play at my wedding, I dreamed about this right here. I dreamed about what song I would play in the circle if I got the opportunity.”
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