NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kelsea Ballerini received one of the highest honors a country artist can receive: She's been invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
The Knoxville native joins the legendary ranks that include Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, and many others.
Ballerini received the invitation Tuesday night from the group Little Big Town, who she had been performing "Girl Crush" with that night.
At the end of the song, singer Karen Fairchild added a little flourish of her own... which came with a big surprise.
"Kelsea Ballerini, do you wanna join the Opry," she sang in harmony with the group.
Ballerini let out an enthusiastic 'Yes!' and wiped away tears as the crowd cheered.
"Absolutely unreal. I’ll post more when I have the words, but @opry I love you so much and you will forever be my family," Ballerini tweeted.
"There's no magic formula, no secret code that grants access to one of the most coveted invitations in all of music," the Opry's website says."The decision to increase the Opry’s ranks is, and always has been, made exclusively by the show’s management. The people who’ve been entrusted with the Opry’s tradition and future direction take into account all the standards of success in country music."