https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuiyfA52Buc
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Tuesday night marked a huge milestone in Dustin Lynch's career as he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry family by the iconic Reba McEntire. As seen in the video above, there wasn't a single moment that Lynch didn't gratefully soak up with the highest regard as he received one of the biggest honors in country music.
The "Cowboys and Angels" singer was on the Opry stage in late August when Trace Adkins stepped up to give him the good news that Lynch's next Nashville show on Sept. 18 would be his induction date. At the time, Adkins was celebrating his 15th anniversary as an Opry member.
Following up Adkins' surprise entrance a month later, Lynch's admitted crush, Reba McEntire, walked on stage to make his Opry induction even more special. Lynch was immediately overcome with emotion, putting his hand over his heart and looking McEntire straight in the eyes as she said, "I know how you feel. Do you know that 41 years ago yesterday was the first time I got to sing on this stage?" Next, she told him that he will help inspire others by continuing to play the music he loves.
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"I cannot believe what just happened. Reba McEntire just gave me a hug," Lynch said after admitting that he was going to be a "crybaby" that night, a trait he got from his dad. At one point, McEntire even brought him some tissues for Lynch as he thanked all of the people who helped him along the way. He attributed their "countless hours of hard work and belief" to creating "one of those dreams that we're living right now. And I can't wait to get backstage and celebrate with you."
Lynch's connection to his honest emotions is part of what propelled his career forward and enabled him to make his Opry debut in 2012 after releasing his self-titled debut album. In addition to the induction on Tuesday night, Lynch was also given a plaque to commemorate 1 billion streams of his music.
