Garth Brooks has been a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1990. Brooks joined the Opry a little more than a year after he made his debut, which took place on June 24, 1989.
The first time Brooks took the Grand Ole Opry stage, he wept with joy over making one of his biggest dreams come true. On October 6, 1990, Brooks was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Johnny Russell. During his induction, Brooks performed “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “The Dance”, and “Friends in Low Places”
Interestingly, when Brooks announced he was coming out of retirement in 2009, one of the reasons he listed was because of the Grand Ole Opry.
“I want to do more stuff everywhere,” Brooks said at the time. “I want to do more stuff here. I’d love to play the Opry more. I know I owe them, and if they want it, they should have it.”
Brooks did briefly come out of retirement in 2008, when he inducted Carrie Underwood.
“It is a marriage, and it is a marriage that you try to uphold the best that you can,” Brooks told The Boot at the time. “She’s from Oklahoma, which, to me, is the land of common sense. I think she gets it. The coolest thing she said was ‘I know I didn’t come here by the conventional road.’ That was very cool, so I think she’ll love it and respect it enough.”
What Garth Brooks Says About the Grand Ole Opry
Decades after Brooks first became a Grand Ole Opry member, he continues to support the historic institution. He also remains an active member. In 2022, he invited Ashley McBride to become a member. One year later, he issued the same invitation to Scotty McCreery. He also inducted Jon Pardi in 2023. And in 2024, it was Brooks who inducted Lainey Wilson, along with his wife, Trisha Yearwood.
“I would say I’m happy for you, but I’m so danged happy for the Grand Ole Opry,” Brooks told Wilson at the time. “I really am. It’s just really rare that you find somebody at your age who really gets it. I’m going to tell you, if it’s up to you, which I think it will be, your career’s going to be as long as you want. There’s going to be highs, there’s going to be lows. The awards they give now and you continue will fade in time.”
“The one thing that will always stay the same is this family right here,” he added. “Welcome to it.”
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
The post Remember When Garth Brooks Became a Member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1990? appeared first on American Songwriter.