Tuesday night October 17th 2017, Chris Young was inducted as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Chris got the invite from Vince Gill back in August, and Tuesday night Brad Paisley was the one who made it official. Before he took the stage Chris said that he couldn’t have scripted it any better than having Vince and Brad be a part of his Opry invite and induction. With all the amazing things he been able to do Chris says that becoming a member of the Opry is the top, and nothing will beat it. Chris also promised a special night of music, which he delivered when he took the stage. Chris opened with his very first number-one song “Gettin’ You Home,” follow by a cover of Marty Robbins song “Devil Woman,” then Chris played “When You Say Nothing At All,” a song by one of musical influences, Keith Whitley–and shared that one of the reasons he loved being on RCA Records, was that it was also the recording home of Keith as well. For his fourth song, Chris played another of his number-one hits, “I’m Comin’ Over.” After that Brad Paisley joined Chris Young on stage, reminded the crowd that the Grand Ole Opry has a unique place in music, as most musical formats have Halls Of Fame, but only Country Music has a living breathing place where you can see the past, present and future of the format. Brad might have also compared the Opry to a zoo in that way. Brad also sang the praises of Chris, and then officially inducted him into the Grnad Ole Opry, to which Chris simply said “Thank You.” As Chris closed out his Opry performance, Cassadee Pope, who performed on the Opry earlier that evening stepped by out on stage to join Chris to sing their number-one duet “Think Of You.” Chris Young is now the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry!
Before he took the Opry stage Chris Young knew that he had an amazing night ahead of him. (37)
“Man this is just going to be an amazing night I mean this is just pure excitement you know there is nothing really nerve wrecking about it I’ve had people ask me about that I’ve had people ask me what’s it going to be like and I say the same thing it’s a bit of a joke but I was like, I’ve never been inducted into the Opry before I don’t know I don’t know what it’s going to be like but I am going to be doing a set that’s a little bit different than you know what I would normally do, very very pumped about that and you know all my friends and family are here, Brad Paisley’s the one inducting me so what could possibly go wrong with Brad Paisley at the helm.”
Before he took the Opry stage Chris Young says that having Vince Gill and Brad Paisley involved in him becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry meant a lot. (:35)
“I’m just a huge Brad Paisley fan so the fact that it was Vince Gill asking me to be a member of the Opry and Brad Paisley doing the induction, is just so special I wouldn’t have been able to plan it any more perfectly or to make it any more meaningful then that, and you know just a huge thank you to them cause that’s time out of their days too I know it’s coming to play the Opry along with that for them but actually scheduling that and making sure they are here and wanting to be here and be a part of that is just incredible and it means a lot to me.”
Before he took the Opry stage Chris Young shared the details about the songs he was going to sing that night. (1:28)
“This sets going to be really different I mean you look at the songs that I’m going to play… I’m doing ‘Gettin’ You Home,’ cause I have to that was my first one, I’m doing ‘I’m Comin’ Over’ because obviously that song meant so much to my career, put me in a different place as an artist helped me take kind of that next step, doing a Keith Whitley cover because I’ve been on RCA for 11 years, and will be there for the foreseeable future and so happy about it, I’m doing a Marty Robbins song because growing up that was one of the guys that I heard so many stories about coming to play the Opry and him playing at the end and playing way more songs than he was supposed to play and you know just the history of his music and what he’s done and the fact that I grew up listening to his music with my granddad at his house and then on top of all that, being able to bring Cassadee Pope out for ‘Think Of You’ is just an incredible extra piece of tonight I mean that song means so much to me and so much to her and the fact that she wanted to come out and be a part of that night on top of everybody else that is involved with this… it really is… I’m taking I think probably 100 peoples night away from them so that we can all be here to celebrate this but I’m just so honored and so excited about everything that this night means and just the honor that it really is to be a member of that Opry family.”
Before he took the Opry stage Chris Young shared what joining the Grand Ole Opry means to him. (:48)
“I’ve got friends, family I think they literally told me to stop adding people and we add like twelve more people to the list they were like really you have to stop adding people but it’s incredible that on a night like tonight which is something I never could’ve dreamed of I mean I could say all I wanted as a kid it’d be great to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry its never anything that you’d expect because… somebody asked me, they were like where do you put that as far as the list of meaningful things that could happen to you as a Country artist and its up there at the top to the point that there’s probably some other things on that same level, but I don’t know if there is anything id put above it, so having my friends my family here, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, far in a way one of the best nights of my life.”
During his Opry set, Brad Paisley told the crowd that they were there on a very special night. (:18)
“Chris loves this place so much… I’m sure you’re so excited to see this tonight this is history in the making everyone, you’re in the building where someone’s ultimate dream is about to come true and this is really exciting to experience this all together.”
Chris Young steps out on the Opry stage to sing his set before his Opry induction. (:36)
“My name is Chris Young and I am so excited to be standing right here in this circle right now thank you guys for being here tonight, obviously this is a really special night for me and I am so excited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry and I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I picked up Vince Gill over my head last time I was on stage, everybody was like Vince Gill is a really big guy I didn’t know you could do that and I was like well… neither did I’ve never been that excited before so I was really happy at that moment.”
Brad Paisley tells the crowd that Chris Young will be a great addition to the Grand Ole Opry. (:55)
“This is a really big deal you know that, look where you’re standing in the circle. Alright raise your right hand… repeat after me… I’m kidding we don’t actually do that in this. I’ll tell you when I was first made a member in this crazy family, I had no idea the actual way this is a family. I quickly was accepted and asked to be a part of so many things. Chris is one of those people that will make the most of this. You are a great guy, I say that with all my heart. You folks probably have only had the pleasure of either meeting him or watching him on TV, you may not know him that well but this is a great human being, that’s what the Opry needs, it needs people like Chris Young.”
Brad Paisley inducts Chris Young into the Grand Ole Opry (1:20)
“The thing about this, when you look around at the history in this place, this… I’ve always considered the Opry unique in any format of music. Every format has its Hall of Fames and its museums and its artifacts, I don’t know any that have a zoo besides us. This is a zoo, it’s not a museum full of inanimate objects, this is a zoo you can come see the animals live in their cages, you can… some of them will let you pet them, it’s truly a unique organization but I’m serious when I say that you’re part of something that’s living and breathing, you will have a home on this stage for the rest of your life, you can come out and sing any song you want to sing and we will be so proud to have you here, I love you and I can’t wait for you to be… I guess I get to say this… Chris Young is the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Chris Young’s reaction to his induction into the Grand Ole Opry. (:16)
“I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to say… something not stupid probably… so it’s the two best words I can think of is thank you.”