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It’s been over a decade since Carrie Underwood was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and the Opry is reminiscing on that moment. It was March 15, 2008 when Underwood delivered her rendition of “I Told You So” by Randy Travis. When she finished the song, Travis “surprised her by walking out on the stage, unannounced, inviting her to become the newest member of the Opry,” the Opry remembered on Tuesday (March 15). Garth Brooks inducted Underwood as the then-newest member on May 10 of that year.
March 15 is also the day the Grand Ole Opry held its final show at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. That was in 1974, the Ryman recalled in a new Instagram post: “For twenty years the Ryman remained mostly empty until reopening its doors to live music in 1994,” the Ryman captioned a new photo. “Here, a large cast of Opry performers are seen playing ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’ one last time from the Ryman stage.”
The Grand Ole Opry was broadcast from the Ryman Auditorium stage for more than three decades, beginning in 1943 and spanning to 1974. The growing crowds prompted the Opry to migrate to a larger venue, and its first show happened on March 16, 1974. Find out more about the Opry’s history here.
See the Opry’s Instagram post reflecting on Underwood’s invitation from Travis here:
See the Ryman Auditorium’s post here: