Carrie Underwood just celebrated her 15th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The “Out Of That Truck” singer has won major awards and sold out large concert venues, but calls being an Opry member one of her crowning achievements.
“It has always been just something that’s meant so much to me,” Underwood tells her record label. “I feel like I’ve been very blessed to take a part in a lot of awards shows and things like that over the years, but having this [Grand Ole Opry membership] in my career that I feel like I was able to accomplish is just one of the most important things that I think I have ever done. I love the Opry.”
Underwood, who will return to the Grand Ole Opry next month to help kick off CMA Fest, is also grateful for the camaraderie among her fellow members, and their shared reverence for country music.
“I love the family,” Underwood says. “I love that it signifies being a part of country music, and we call it the Mother Church and we do so for very good reason. It is like going to church, and you can pay your respects to those that came before, those that are playing now, and whoever’s going to come later on. So, it’s just a really cool thing just being able to be a part of that family. I always love going to the shows, and you never know who’s going to be on stage. You hear a lot of people doing what they love. It’s like singing in your living room. It’s very comfortable and relaxed and very sweet.”
Underwood takes every part of her time at the Grand Ole Opry seriously, including what she wears each time she performs.
“I’m very particular when it comes to [my[ Opry wardrobe,” Underwood tells Audacy’s Rob + Holly. “You see pictures on the wall, or looking up things about the Grand Ole Opry, and I feel like the women always dressed a certain caliber. It was very rhinestones, it was very shiny. It was a certain kind of dress. I love trying to carry that legacy on because they were just so beautiful to me.”
Underwood will resume her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency next month, but when she isn’t on stage, she loves everything about her quiet life at home with her husband, Mike Fisher, and sons Isaiah and Jacob, far away from the spotlight.
“I love my role as a mom and wife,” Underwood tells VEGAS. “In addition to what I get to do on stage, I go to baseball practice. It’s wonderfully ordinary, and I love that. In a lot of ways, I lead a double life. I’m mom at home, and then I fly away to Vegas or to go on tour.”
Underwood’s CMA Fest performance at the Grand Ole Opry will take place on June 6. She will be joined for the evening by The Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner, Bill Anderson and Lainey Wilson, among others. Tickets are available at Opry.com.
Find all of Underwood’s music and upcoming shows at CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com.
Read ‘Carrie Underwood: 11 Things to Know About the Global Superstar’ here.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Schmidt Relations / Chris Hollo