While recording a performance with Vince Gill for the SiriusXM program T. Graham Brown’s Live Wire, Brown was surprised with a special request—an invite from Gill to join the Grand Ole Opry.
Brown was utterly shocked by the invitation, and at first didn’t believe Gill was telling the truth. He reacted initially by saying, “Awww, boo…no,” as if he wasn’t sure if the Opry was truly extending the honor. However, Gill reassured him that he was, in fact, telling the truth.
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“I was asked to come here by the Opry to invite you to become the next member,” said Gill. When Brown didn’t believe him, he hinted, “Maybe you’ll sing that song, on that night,” referencing the song they’d just performed. Upon realizing that the Opry was really inviting him to join, Brown broke down and hugged Gill while crying.
“They love you,” Gill told Brown. “It’s a special place and you will be a valued part of that place.” Then Gill admitted, “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
T. Graham Brown Invited to Join the Grand Ole Opry, Vince Gill Reveals the Whole Day Was a “Set-Up” for the Invite
Vince Gill admitted that he set up the entire day to be about the invitation, telling Brown, “Every question you asked me today, I lied like a dog!”
Of their contemporaries, musician Mark Wills was among the first to congratulate Brown and welcome him to the Opry. “A HUGE congrats to my friend T. Graham Brown on being invited by Vince Gill to join our Grand Ole Opry Family. His addition is so welcomed!” he wrote on social media. Randy Travis also commented his congrats on the Opry’s official Instagram post, writing, “Welcome, welcome to one of the great ones!”
Brown called the invitation “the greatest thing,” noting that it had been a dream of his for a long time to be a part of the Grand Ole Opry. “I’m so proud of the Opry,” he said. “I’m just so proud to be there every time. I’ve never taken it for granted. It’s just amazing.”
T. Graham Brown debuted at the Opry in 1986, and has played more than 300 shows since then. Fans were quick to congratulate him on the achievement, with some declaring, “About damn time.”
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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