Last night was one of the biggest nights in the career of country music artist Chris Young, when he became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.

This is the highest honor for any country music artist.  The rich history of the Grand Ole Opry and all the artists that come before you makes it the most special thing ever for a country artist.

One of the greatest things is the circle on stage pictured below.  This is sacred ground, because this is the wood from the old stage at the old Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville.  The new Opry, where it stands now, was opened in 1974.

Grand Ole Opry Circle (Photo by Mike Soileau)
Grand Ole Opry Circle (Photo by Mike Soileau)
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They took the part of the stage from the Ryman where all the greats had stood and performed, and moved it to the new Opry. That is probably the coolest thing to me about the Opry stage, and why it is special for artists to step into that circle and perform.

They are literally standing where greats like George Jones, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Keith Whitley have stood and performed, just to name a few.  Cool, huh?

Sure, winning ACMs and CMA awards are great, but to become a part of the Grand Ole Opry family is the pinnacle of any country music artist's career.

Last night, Chris Young was inducted by his good buddy and Grand Ole Opry member, Brad Paisley.  Here's a video of how it all went down.

Congrats Chris, and welcome home to the country music family. May the Circle be unbroken!

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