Country music icons Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are saluting Scotty McCreery as he gears up to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry!
On Thursday, March 7, Brooks and Yearwood hosted the grand opening of the Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, named after the seven-time CMA Entertainer of the Year’s 1990 smash hit. While onsite at its location in Nashville, Tenn., on 411 Broadway, which used to be home to Nashville Sporting Club and Paradise Park, the beloved country music couple shared their excitement for McCreery’s upcoming Opry induction.
Garth Brooks Praised Scotty McCreery
Speaking exclusively with Music Mayhem, Brooks took a moment to praise the Season 10 American Idol winner for being “a really nice person” and someone who strongly represents the country music genre with enough passion and connection to its history to keep its legacy going.
“If I thought I had any worry about him carrying the country music torch, I would’ve not been part of it,” Brooks said, sharing his confidence in McCreery’s leadership. “This guy loves country music. He’s also a sweet kid. That’s what I love. And the truth is, you don’t know what you’re going to be in 20 years. None of us do. Scotty doesn’t know. I don’t know, but I can guarantee you this. He’s still going to be that same sweet kid because it’s in him, right? And that’s what the country music Opry is. I mean, that’s what the Opry is. It’s just good people. It’s a family, and that’s what you want when you go to Thanksgiving.”
Brooks continued, “Do you want a celebrity as your family member to come home that’s an a**hole, or do you want somebody that’s not a celebrity to come in? That’s a really nice person. Scotty McCreery is a really good guy. He’s going to represent the Opry forever. Same way Ashley McBryde is going to do. Same way Chris Janson’s going to do all these guys that I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with, it’s an honor to get that call and say, ‘Hey, you want to come out and invite these people?’”
Garth Brooks Invited The “Cab In A Solo” Singer To Join The Opry In December of 2023
Brooks’ support for McCreery stems even further, as he was the person who initially surprised the North Carolina native with the invitation to become a Grand Ole Opry member. The 62-year-old icon notified the 30-year-old of the prestigious honor in December of 2023 as part of the Opry Country Christmas Celebration, hosted by Larry Gatlin. At the time, Brooks walked out on stage to epic cheers as he carried a gold-colored gift box in hand. Brooks took the microphone and made his way toward McCreery to share the exciting news.
“Merry Christmas. This is for you, I wrapped it myself,” Brooks told McCreery, who made his Opry debut on June 10, 2011. “You don’t want to open it. Not til Christmas. I’ve got a card in there that I hand-signed myself. Don’t open it til Christmas, seriously because the gift inside isn’t here yet. Tonight is merely an invitation… On behalf of the Grand Ole Opry, and this is a Christmas present, we’d love for Scotty McCreery to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
“Ooh, Lord,” McCreery said in amazement. “I don’t know if I’m sleeping tonight, Garth.”
Trisha Yearwood Admitted McCreery is Deserving Of The Honor
McCreery joins a long list of stars who have earned their place inside the historic circle, including Luke Combs, Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, fellow Idol Alum Lauren Alaina, among others. And while there’s no way to predict who will be the next member to join the family — that decision, which starts with a nomination from a fellow artist and member, is ultimately made by the Opry’s management team — Yearwood believes the newly added McCreery is a much-deserved and appropriate choice.
“Scotty makes so much sense,” she exclaimed to Music Mayhem. “He’s played the Opry probably more times than I have. I mean, he is always out there, which is amazing. So I feel like that when you understand what the Opry is about, then that’s when you get asked to be a member.”
“I mean, it’s a family, and when I was a kid, I always dreamed of seeing myself on that Opry stage, and it’s such an honor because they ask people to be members who really seem to love the Opry, who understand the history of country music,” Trisha Yearwood, who will celebrate her 25th anniversary as an Opry member in the coming weeks, added. “I’m not a real super traditional country music artist. Maybe by today’s standards, I am, but I wasn’t back in the day, when I was asked to be a member. But there’s a real, as long as you have a love for what came before and a real respect. So I am just honored to be in this family.”
Becoming An Opry Member Is A Dream Come True For McCreery
Scotty previously told Music Mayhem that becoming an Opry member was “definitely at the top of my list, as far as goals. So if you love country music and tradition, the Grand Ole Opry is right there, in the middle of that. It would be a great honor, but you know. It’s on the dream board.”
McCreery, who is currently on the road as part of his The Cab In A Solo Tour, will be inducted to the Grand Ole Opry by Josh Turner on April 20.
