You can tell this one means a lot.
Lauren Alaina had an emotional moment on stage at the Grand Ole Opry last night as her hero, Trisha Yearwood, officially invited Lauren to become the Opry’s newest member.
After surprising Lauren with her dad being in the audience, Trisha had an even bigger surprise up her sleeve – and as Lauren realized what was happening, she dropped to the ground and broke down in tears.
“I have not cried like this in a really long time. I guess I needed it.”
Then after taking a few moments to compose herself, Lauren managed to tell the Opry crowd just how much the moment meant to her:
“I’m not kidding, I was backstage and I was like ‘Can you please tell the Opry the only thing I want is to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry?’
And then I snotted on stage over it.”
Lauren also told The Tennessean just how special the Opry is and why she wanted to be a member:
“Anyone [who’s] in country music has an undeniable respect for the Grand Ole Opry.
Just playing here was a huge deal to me from the beginning. To be a member? I’m gonna get mail here. I get a mailbox. I can’t believe I get a freakin’ mailbox.”
(Each member of the Opry has a mailbox in the Opry’s mailroom to receive mail from fans).
And she said that she would choose being an Opry member over another one of music’s highest honors:
“I would choose being a member of the Grand Ole Opry over a Grammy because it’s such a respectable thing in the genre that I love, that was I raised on, that’s taught me everything about music.”
An induction ceremony will be held sometime in 2022.
Big congrats to Lauren on her well-deserved honor.
