When Opry elder statesperson Bill Anderson presented Sara Evans on Thursday night (Aug. 17) with an offer she surely couldn't refuse, things briefly took a humorous turn.
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After Anderson invited Evans to join the illustrious Grand Ole Opry cast, she paused for a few seconds before simply saying "no."
The gravity of the moment was too much for Evans to keep the joke going for more than a few seconds, and she tearfully accepted the offer.
"There is no way that I would say 'no,'" Evans said. "I've been waiting to be asked to join the Opry for a long time, and it's always been a dream of mine. I'm so honored that [Anderson is] here to ask me that question. It means everything to me."
BREAKING: @WhisperinBill has just invited @saraevansmusic to become the newest member of the Opry on stage at @theryman! pic.twitter.com/GRqHlHhdW7
— Grand Ole Opry (@opry) August 18, 2023
In addition, Opry members Lady A took the stage to present Evans with a plaque commemorating platinum sales for 2003's "Suds in the Bucket." Carly Pearce was also on hand for Evans' crowning moment.
Evans will be inducted as the 75th Opry member on Oct. 7, which falls on the show's 98th birthday weekend.
"I remember clearly watching Sara's Opry debut live on television before I ever made the move to Nashville," Opry Executive Producer Dan Rogers shared in a statement. "Like nearly anyone about to take that stage for the first time, she was both thankful and overwhelmed, and she said in an interview minutes before her performance that to help with her jitters, she was going to pretend to be Patsy Cline. Watching as a fan at home, I thought that was a pretty incredible approach. More than 25 years later, I think she was once again tonight both thankful and overwhelmed. All of us at the Opry have appreciated her great performances every time she's visited us and look forward to celebrating official Opry membership with her during what is going to be a great October Opry Birthday Weekend."
