Suzy Bogguss officially joined the Grand Ole Opry family on Friday night (Jan. 16) and was inducted by friend and fellow member Reba McEntire. Bogguss, made her Opry Debut on May 12th, 1989 and has been a frequent performer and a favorite ever since.
Bogguss kicked off her induction night performing three of her signature songs: “Someday Soon,” “Aces” and “Outbound Plane,” all top 10 hits from her 1991 album Aces which earned her the prestigious CMA Horizon Award in 1992. Her friend Trisha Yearwood then surprised the audience when she walked on to the stage to congratulate her friend, saying, “I love this woman. It’s really an honor to be here on such a special moment. To get to be here on the night you were invited and to be here tonight is just amazing.” She added, “Suzy Bogguss is one of those artists who doesn’t just sing songs, she lives them. Her voice, her heart, her commitment to the music have inspired so many, including me.”
Reba McEntire inducts Suzy Bogguss in to the Grand Ole Opry © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Danielle Piazz
Yearwood then introduced their friend and fellow Opry member Reba McEntire, who was also celebrating her milestone 40th Opry anniversary tonight, to the stage. An emotional McEntire said, “This is so special, Suzy. This family is incredible. They are loving. Everybody in this building. This stage is very important to all of us dating many, many generations back. To be able to give you this trophy is very special to me, to everyone sitting here, and to everybody in this building watching.”
l to r: Opry’s Brooke Stuart, Gina Keltner, Nicole Judd, Opry members Rudy Gatlin, Rhonda Vincent, Steve Wariner, Trisha Yearwood, Terri Clark, Bogguss, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, Ben Isaacs, Mark Wills and Opry’s Dan Rogers © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo
McEntire added, “Suzy Bogguss’s voice is like an angel’s voice. When she sings you know it. You know it when you hear it on the radio. I am so proud to give you this trophy that tells you that you are the latest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
“I can’t even express it to you. And you know me – I talk a lot and I can’t even find words,” said Bogguss. “This place is so special. Honestly, I have always been nervous up here. Tonight, sitting in the circle, I feel so calm. It’s like being in the eye of the hurricane or something.”
Suzy Bogguss becomes the newest Opry member © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Danielle Piazza
She continued, “I am so proud to be a part of [the Opry]. Thank you for including me in this amazing cast, and the past cast. I feel a lot of pretty special spirits in this room right now. I was lucky enough to get to be here with some of the real greats starting here in 1989 and feeling welcome from the very first time of stepping into the circle.”
Suzy Bogguss’ friends and fellow Opry members Terri Clark, Trisha Yearwood, Kahty Mattea and Reba McEntire join Suzy Bogguss for “Hey Cinderella” © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo
