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Brad Paisley is celebrating 25 years as a member of the historic Grand Ole Opry.
Paisley became the newest member on February 17, 2001, per a throwback clip shared on the Opry’s Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon (February 17). Steve Wariner welcomed the West Virginia-born country star “into the family,” sharing that Paisley “is a serious triple threat. You know, he sings so great, plays wonderful guitar and writes incredible songs. …What I love about this guy is that he gets it. He respects and appreciates where we all came from. I have to concur with George Jones. I think country music is in wonderful hands with this guy.”
The packed crowd a the Grand Ole Opry stood and cheered as Paisley, then 28, took the mic. The “Mud On The Tires” artist said, “I love country music and I love you all. Thank you. You know, I would not be able to do this without every single one of you who has bought a ticket here this evening. Your support of my career thus far has made this possible. I don’t feel worthy of this yet, but I hope to earn it. That’s my plan. I hope to spend the next however many years I get to sing country music making this place proud that they did this.”
Paisley went on to thank Buck Owens for allowing him to wear his iconic jacket on stage. Owens, a legendary singer-songwriter from Texas, died in March 2006. He was 76. Paisley said “my favorite album of all time” is Owen’s live Carnegie Hall Concert. He wore the same yellow jacket on the Opry stage that Owens wore when he played that show.
“Thank you so much,” Paisley said. “It means the world to me that my friend, Steve Wariner, got to bring me in here. I love you, man.”
Paisley was one of the first Opry members to receive a trophy, now an iconic honor, during his induction in 2001. Other members of the legendary Grand Ole Opry include Lauren Alaina, Garth Brooks, Luke Combs, Sara Evans, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Lady A, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, Trisha Yearwood and many more. Watch Paisley’s induction here: