It was a powerful and emotional moment that Steve Earle is sure to never forget.
The Americana, Country Rock icon’s appearance on the Grand Ole Opry over the weekend (April 26th) took a surprising turn that left him overcome onstage when country legend Vince Gill appeared and presented him with a gorgeous, custom leather guitar strap commemorating 100 years of the Opry.
A sweet and thoughtful gesture from one legend to another, right? But the surprises didn’t stop there.
“What I forgot to mention is that, to get one of these straps, you have to be a member of the Opry,” Gill says to Earle. Within a split second, Earle’s perplexed expression turns to genuine emotion as he realized what was happening.
“I’m inviting you to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry,” Gill continued.
Earle broke down, visibly shaking with tears as he attempted to pull himself together in front of a packed house of cheering fans.
Of course, Earle accepted the invitation, thereby solidifying his status as a historic and integral part of the greater country music canon.
“This is kind of like the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole life,” Earle told the crowd as he saddled up for one more song, “Hillbilly Highway.”
The Grand Ole Opry is the longest-running radio program in U.S. history, having launched in 1925. To this day, it still broadcasts live between two and five nights a week and currently boasts 75 active members who are affectionately referred to as “family.”
Becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry is a lifelong dream for just about every musician in Country, Americana, Folk, Bluegrass, or Roots music (or anything even remotely akin to any of these foundation genres.)
And it is hard to come by. In the entire history of Country music, only 225 acts have ever held the coveted membership title.
A short list of Earle’s accomplishments more than qualifies him for an invitation: he’s an Academy Award winner and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member widely regarded as “one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the past 30 years.”
When Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Patty Loveless, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and Eric Clapton are among the handful of artists who’ve cut Earle’s song, the aforementioned statement feels more like an understatement.
His 1988 hit “Copperhead Road” was made an official state song of Tennessee in 2023. He’s published two books, a novel I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive in 2011, and Dog House Roses, a collection of short stories in 2003. He has appeared in several films and had recurring roles in the HBO series The Wire and Tremé. In 2017, Earle wrote music for and appeared in Coal Country, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. He is also the host of the weekly show Hard Core Troubadour on SiriusXM Radio’s Outlaw Country channel.
“This is kind of like the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole life.”
Steve Earle on his invitation to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry
To put it bluntly, Earle is the man. And it’s a beautiful sight to witness him getting these flowers on such a hallowed and historical stage.
Earle is the first artist to receive an invitation to join the Opry this year. Details on his official induction date, which will likely take place later this year, should be released sooner than later.
We’ll be waiting patiently and continuing to celebrate. Congratulations, Steve. As they say on country music’s most famous stage, “Welcome to the family.”