Ashley McBryde joins the Grand Ole Opry with a tearful speech: “This moment is the biggest of my life”

Ashley McBryde officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night, claiming her trophy from country music icon-turned-friend Terri Clark, who shared some powerful words as she inducted Ashley into the hallowed halls.

“To me, the Opry is about family. It is a family, and my sister, you have earned your place at the table more than anybody I know,” Terri said, according to People.

Ashley was already crying by the time she took the mic, and her emotion only grew as she told the crowd that Wynonna Judd had surprised her in her dressing room before the show, coming out to the Opry to support Ashley’s induction.

“This moment is the biggest of my life,” the “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” star continued. “And if it is your first time to be in the Grand Ole Opry, this is what it feels like every time you’re here. It looks like it’s made of brick and mortar, but it is pure, pure love. That is what you’re experiencing.”

Of her new status as an Opry member, she added, “I know what this means. I know what my responsibilities are, and I take this very seriously. And God bless country music.”

Ashley also performed during the show, in a set that included a duet with Terri and another with Eric Church, who joined her for a performance of her song “Bible and a .44.” That’s a song they first performed together during one of Eric’s tour stops in 2017, when Ashley was still not well known to country fans.

Ashley received a surprise invite to join the Grand Ole Opry during an in-studio interview on CBS Mornings in October. Garth Brooks crashed her interview via video chat to extend the invitation.