The Opry stage is a coveted precipice for any country artist to reach in their career. “Anyone who has ever mattered in country music has played here,” Carly Pearce noted during her 100th performance in the famed circle.
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Eight years ago, Pearce played her first show at the Grand Ole Opry. Cleaning Airbnb’s by day and lulling crowds at the Opry by night, Pearce says she still felt “far away” from her dreams despite securing a milestone many aspiring country artists can only hope for.
“I remember thinking that I was gonna throw up right before,” she told the crowd on stage during her 100th performance. “It was all of my dreams come true. The Opry was something, as a little girl growing up in Kentucky, that I always wanted. I equate it to your wedding day – it’s such a whirlwind.”
Right from the beginning, the Opry has been an integral part of Pearce’s career – a fact she keeps in the forefront of her mind.
“I’ve always said that Carrie Underwood is my inspiration for the way that she cares about the Opry and the way she has made it such a part of her platform,” she said. “I hope that the Opry at this point knows that I feel responsible to be one of the ladies in the next generation that carries that torch.”
Pearce has certainly put in her time on the Opry stage. Playing 100 shows in just eight years is a staunch commitment to the country music cause – continuing the legacy that the likes of Hank Williams and Bill Monroe started in the early days of the Opry radio show.
Those in attendance Tuesday night (April 11) weren’t in for just any Opry show, as Pearce tapped a number of special guests to join her for her celebrations. Among the line-up were The Isaacs, Ricky Skaggs, Ashley McBryde, and Charles Kelley.
Pearce kicked off the night with the bluegrass-infused “Easy Going” with Ben and Sonya Isaacs. The trio hammered out a three-part harmony before the members of Pearce’s band were given the opportunity to shine on various solos. Pearce has a number of show-stoppers but, “Easy Going” couldn’t have been a more apt intro to the night.
She later brought out Skaggs for the Bill Monroe-penned “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” The pair of native Kentuckians brought the classic country spirit back to the Opry for a moment.
“I’ve gotten to share the stage with him quite a few times now,” Pearce said before bringing out Skaggs. “He’s an inspiration to me. He’s a pillar. I call him a friend.”
Pearce went No. 1 on the Country Radio Charts in 2022 alongside McBryde with their duet “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – the first female duet to do so in 30 years. Naturally, Pearce brought McBryde out to perform the song with her during the Opry performance.
“You don’t need me to tell you why I wanted to write a song with her,” Pearce said. “When I hear her sing it just reminds me of home and it reminds me of the kind of country music that I love.”
The pair brought the house down with the emotional ballad, proving why the song sparked such a reaction upon its release.
The big surprise of the night came toward the end of Pearce’s set when she brought out Kelley of Lady A to perform “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” The pair first performed the song at the 54th Annual CMA Awards, after the song’s original collaborator, Lee Brice, came down with COVID-19.
The pair ended the night on a high note, bounding around the stage singing the chorus: you get moving on, all figured out / And you don’t hate me somehow / ‘Cause I hope you’re happy now.
Of course, Pearce had to perform arguably her biggest song to date, “What He Didn’t Do.” Prior to the performance, she was feted with multiple plaques from Big Machine Label Group, Opry, and RIAA. The RIAA honored Pearce with a platinum certification for “What He Didn’t Do” alongside a plaque to commemorate her four AMC Awards, three CMA Awards, 2022 CMT for Artist of the Year, four No. 1 singles, and more than 2 billion global streams.
Revisit all of the moments above when Pearce’s 100th Opry performance airs on Circle Network on April 22 at 9/8c pm.
All Photos: Alexa Campbell / Full Coverage Communications
