Dolly Parton Invites Carly Pearce to Join the Grand Ole Opry [Watch]
Carly Pearce is set to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. In a scenario that the country singer calls "even better than you dare to dream," Dolly Parton surprised Pearce on June 17 to ask her to join the country music institution.
In a video the Grand Ole Opry posted online, Pearce believes she is giving an interview to promote Dollywood. She's in the middle of sharing her earliest memory of Parton's theme park in Tennessee when Parton herself walks in from the wings, causing the singer to burst out emotionally — especially when her hero says, "I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you."
Parton shares that Pearce began singing at Dollywood when she was a teenager. She notes that Pearce has already performed on the Grand Ole Opry 80 times, adding, "You should be a member of the Grand Ole Opry! What's the matter with them?"
When Pearce replies, "I agree," Parton has one more huge surprise for her.
"I came here today to tell you, you are now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry," she says, causing Pearce to double over, sobbing and laughing at the same time.
See the emotional scene in the video below:
Pearce turned to social media on Tuesday (June 22) to share her excitement at the news.
"Dreams come true… sometimes even better than you dare to dream," she writes, accompanied by a heart emoji. "I couldn’t be more happy or honored the be the newest member of the @opry."
Pearce scored a No. 1 hit with her debut single, "Every Little Thing," in 2017. She has scored subsequent hits with "Hide the Wine" and "I Hope You're Happy Now," a duet with Lee Brice that reached No. 1 in 2019. She and Brice won Music Event of the Year at the 2021 ACM Awards for the collaboration, which also took home Single of the Year. Her latest single is "Next Girl," from her new EP, 29.
According to the Opry's Twitter post, Pearce's official induction is set for Aug. 3.