Blake Shelton calls his induction into the Grand Ole Opry “the highlight of my career.”
The country superstar was already well on his way to building one of the biggest careers in country music when he joined the country music institution on Oct. 23, 2010.
What Was Unusual About Blake Shelton’s Opry Invitation?
Shelton received one of the most unusual Opry invitations in the history of the institution when his friend Trace Adkins tweeted him on Sept. 28, 2010, during the Country Comes Home celebrating the re-opening of the Grand Ole Opry House after Nashville’s devastating flood that May.
They had just performed “Hillbilly Bone” when Adkins informed Shelton, who’s long been an active Twitter user, that he had a message waiting for him online.
“Blake Shelton, you are invited to join the Grand Ole Opry! See you 10/23/10,” the message read.
A stunned Shelton went out to the parking lot after the surprise invitation to call his parents.
At a press conference before his induction, Shelton revealed that he arranged for his parents, sister and close friends Larry and Carole Large to come in from Oklahoma to be there for his big night.
“After Trace Adkins invited me to join the Opry via Twitter on September 28, I went out in the parking lot and called my parents and said, ‘I’m sending a bus for you, because it’s that important to me that you be here,'” he said.
What Songs Did Blake Shelton Perform at His Opry Induction?
Shelton opened the Opry show on Oct. 23, 2010, with “It’s All About Tonight,” and he returned in a later slot after Jeannie Seely introduced him as the newest Opry member, performing “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” before inviting Adkins to join him for “Hillbilly Bone.”
“Tonight is the pinnacle, tonight is the Nashville dream,” Shelton told reporters backstage at the event.
Top Blake Shelton Songs: His Greatest Hits + Best Deep Cuts
Below are the The Voice coach’s 50 best songs. Lyrical integrity and production were also considered in this ranking. Really it’s hard to argue against any of the Top 5, but we understand if there’s a debate about placement. Heck, we encourage it!
10 Blake Shelton Facts You Probably Didn’t Know
In this list of 10 things you didn’t know about Blake Shelton, you’ll learn what the singer thought of his ’90s mullet, what his pet peeves are, what songs he sang when he entered pageants as a kid (yes, really!) and more.
