Scotty McCreery received a Christmas gift like no other. Garth Brook had the honor of asking McCreery to join one of the most esteemed establishments in country music—the Grand Ole Opry.
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McCreery was a spotlight artist for one of the Grand Ole Opry’s X-mas shows Opry Country Christmas. However, McCreery’s performance also doubled as an opportunity to ask him to join the organization as well.
Brooks appeared on stage with a Christmas present in hand. “Merry Christmas,” Brooks said. “This is a Christmas present to the Grand Ole Opry… We would love to invite you to be the newest member of the Opry.”
McCreery was taken aback by the announcement but also honored, expressing his admiration for Brooks and his music.
“Holy cow. Yes, I would love to,” McCreery said. “I grew up listening to your records Garth and you’re a part of what made me want to do this for a living and didn’t think that dream would become a reality, but it is because of all of y’all sitting in this house tonight. God bless y’all.”
McCreery got emotional by the news, bending and touching the center stage of the Opry. He explained that this had been a long-time goal of his. McCreery has been in the business for a relatively long time becoming the youngest male artist to have a debut album Clear as Day at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. This was back in 2011, and McCreery has continued to add accolades throughout his career. This induction is the cherry on top of an already highly successful career.
“When I got started doing this people asked, ‘What are your goals,’” McCreery said, “and I’d say ‘one day I’d like to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.’”
Scotty McCreery on Grand Ole Opry
Previously, McCreery discussed with 101.3 KFDI why joining the Opry would be such a big deal for him. He said. “It would be huge. It’s kind of the same thing with me and the North Carolina Hall of Fame. A lot of my heroes are members there, played there, and to me, every time you step on that stage, it’s an honor.”
McCreery also discussed who he would want to induct him. While Brooks’s name wasn’t mentioned, McCreery did mention that he had a few names in mind.
He said, “There would be quite a few. I could rattle off a number of members there. Even my good friend Lauren [Alaina] is a member there, and we started together. I love her. Josh Turner — I grew up learning all of his albums and songs and sang them when I first got started. He would be a big one. There would be a bunch.”
[Photo by: Schmidt Relations/Grand Ole Opry]
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