In the spotlight from a young age, Sabrina Carpenter got her start playing Maya Hart on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World. Following in the footsteps of stars like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato, she soon made the switch to music, releasing her debut album, Eyes Wide Open, in 2015. A decade later, the 26-year-old ranks among pop music’s “It Girls” thanks to the success of albums like Short n’ Sweet and Man’s Best Friend. Although Carpenter has dabbled in twangier fare on songs like “Slim Pickins,” many were stunned to hear the singer announce her Grand Ole Opry debut last month. However, the video footage from her Tuesday, Oct. 7 debut leaves little doubt that she belongs there.
Videos by American Songwriter
Born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Sabrina Carpenter is “not technically a country girl,” she admitted to the Opry audience. However, “I’ve seen a couple cows in the middle of the road, so I just took it as you guys are my people too,” she said. “When you see cows in the middle of the road you’re like, ‘Well, I’m not in the city, so I might as well just be in the country.’”
Sabrina Carpenter Pays Tribute to the Music That “Raised Me”
In spite of her less-than-rural upbringing, “My mom raised me on artists that started here, like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, and of course my favorite Dolly Parton, and so many more,” Sabrina Carpenter told the audience.
The “Espresso” singer joined a stacked lineup that included Kaitlin Butts, Marcus King, Jamey Johnson, Ernest, and Riders in the Sky. Then, multi-platinum artist Sheryl Crow introduced Carpenter, who performed (mostly) clean versions of four hits: “Please Please Please,” “Go-Go Juice,” “Manchild,” and “Slim Pickins.”
“So much of making my newest album was a pedal steel, a banjo and a dream, so I’m really really lucky to have so many talented people on stage tonight,” Carpenter said.
Thanking the crowd, she added, “”I know you don’t welcome people onto your stage and into your world so easily, but you really raised me with your music. You being fans of this music is what is continuing this legacy and allowing artists to be able to experiment and feel inspired.”
Featured image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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