Trisha Yearwood officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on March 13, 1999 when she was inducted by Porter Wagoner. She had previously been invited to join the Opry by Ricky Skaggs.
Several stars came out to help Yearwood celebrate this milestone. First, Emmylou Harris came out to introduce Yearwood. “From the moment we first heard that stunning voice and saw that beautiful smile, we fell in love with Trisha Yearwood,” Harris said. “She would, of course, become and remain one of the shining stars on the Opry stage or any stage.”
Yearwood shared with the audience that she was wearing a necklace that had once been owned by Patsy Cline and was given to her by Cline’s family on the night of her Opry induction. Yearwood treated the audience to her rendition of “Sweet Dreams,” a that has been a hit for both Cline and Harris, as well as other artists including Don Gibson (who wrote the song), Faron Young, Tommy McClain and Reba McEntire.
Skaggs appeared on the Opry stage to perform “Two Highways” as a duet with Yearwood After the songs he and Harris presented Yearwood with the Opry 20th Anniversary Hatch Print.
Artists including Kelly Clarkson, McEntire, Brenda Lee and Garth Brooks offered their congratulations to Yearwood in a video. Brooks, who has been married to Yearwood since 2005, came out to perform their duet “Whiskey to Wine,” which appears on Brooks’ Gunslinger CD. Brooks told the audience that Harris was one of the artists who inspired her to move to Nashville, adding that he had met hundreds of young women who have said Yearwood inspired them.
Yearwood reflected on being inducted into the Opry by Wagoner and recalled that he often said to “sing the one that brung ya.” With that, Yearwood performed “She’s In Love With The Boy,” which was her first single and first number one hit. Yearwood was the first female country artist to have their debut single top the country music charts.
Congrats Trisha!
