Thanks to Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani can now say she has stepped inside the historic Grand Ole Opry circle.
Over the weekend, the country music star and longest-running coach of NBC’s The Voice performed a show at the iconic location. And to Stefani’s surprise, her country star husband offered to take her on a tour through the famous venue. In a recent Instagram story, as reported by the Outsider, Stefani admitted to having never been to the Grand Ole Opry, saying, “It’s happening. I’ve never been here.”
During the tour, Stefani got to go behind the scenes. She gushed over Shelton’s mailbox, where he retrieves mail from his fans. She also got to peek into the dressing rooms, where Shelton and other country artists who have performed at the Opry get ready for the show. That’s not all, though. As the night progressed, Stefani was welcomed to the stage to perform alongside her hubby!
That’s right, Stefani has officially made her Grand Ole Opry debut, despite having debuted an Opry broadcast in 2020 from Shelton’s Ole Red in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
Stefani, of course, was elated over the invitation. She couldn’t help but share her excitement with her fans. On TikTok, she posted a video where she told viewers her husband of over one year was going to take her through “the Mother Church of Country Music.” She added that she would make her way to the stage.
@gwenstefani thx for having me, nashville:) what an honor to play the grand ole opry!!
“Hello, I’m on the bus – Blake’s bus, and he invited me to come on stage here in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry, legendary, yeah so that’s happening,” Stefani beams in the clip, which also features footage of her and her hubs standing outside of the venue marquee.
For the occasion, which took place on Saturday (Sept. 10), Stefani donned a sparkly pink dress featuring a tie around the waist. She wore her hair up in a spunky ponytail and accessories her look with a pair of white booties decorated in various florals.
Onstage, Shelton and Stefani performed two of their duets – their popular “Nobody But You” and their chart-topping “Happy Anywhere.” And judging by a recent clip posted to Shelton’s Instagram page, Stefani’s appearance was met with an eruption of cheers, as country fans embraced every bit of her and Shelton’s musical chemistry.
“I am absolutely beside myself right now,” Shelton wrote on Instagram, sharing a video from the memorable evening. “Congratulations [Stefani] on not one but TWO standing ovations for your Grand Ole Opry stage debut!!!!” That was an incredible moment to witness.”
“Thx for having me, Nashville:) what an honor to play the Grand Ole Opry!!” Stefani wrote beneath the video of one of her posts, which she set to her “Happy Anywhere” collaboration with Shelton.
Along with TikTok, Stefani also took to her Twitter page to share a series of photos from her unforgettable evening. The first of four snaps have the Californian solo and posing for a selfie, while the second features her and Shelton side-by-side, smiling for the camera amid a backdrop of the Grand Ole Opry.
A third picture is an action shot of the happily married couple performing together inside the historic circle. Then, the last picture has Stefani taking another selfie, this time in full-length, showing fans her stylish get-up that includes her floral embellished ankle boots.
“A perfect night at the @opry I’m so honored to have performed on such a legendary stage plus @blakeshelton is the perfect duet partner thx for having us Nashville,” Stefani captioned the spread of photos.
a perfect night at the @opry ✨ i’m so honored to have performed on such a legendary stage 💕 plus @blakeshelton is the perfect duet partner 🥰 thx for having us nashville 🤠🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/8ry5VSQIZx
— Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) September 12, 2022
Shelton, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, made his venue debut back in 2001.
“I sang Austin and… That’s all I remember,” Shelton previously told CMT, recalling his first performance on the stage. “I remember thinking, ‘Man this is my shot.’ The dog might have been in the [chart] 50s at that point. It’s had been out for maybe two weeks. And I just remember thinking, ‘Here it is, here’s my song’. There’s no telling what else I did – probably threw up.”
Speaking of performances, Shelton recently announced he will be heading out on tour in 2023. The “No Body” singer will embark on his Back to the Honky Tonk Tour, and he will be bringing special guests Carly Pearce and Jackson Dean along for the ride. The Back to the Honky Tonk Tour begins on February 16 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and currently wraps on March 25 in Buffalo, New York.
