Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Steve Earle was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night during a live show at the Opry House in Nashville.
Vince Gill surprised Earle onstage after a performance of “Copperhead Road,” gifting him a custom Opry guitar strap for its 100th anniversary and officially extending the invitation.
A teary-eyed Earle, who called the honor “the biggest thing that has ever happened to me,” will be formally inducted later this year.
Known for his landmark albums like Guitar Town and recent honors including induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Earle becomes the first artist tapped for membership during the Opry’s centennial year.