Jon Pardi is the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry! The 38-year-old made history when he was inducted on Tuesday, October 24, becoming the first California native inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
Garth Brooks surprised Pardi by doing the official inducting.
“Your life is about to go into warp speed now,” Brooks said. “i’ve had great honors in my life. None greater than getting to be a member of this family right here. This is a big one, right here.”
Brooks went on to share his first memory of meeting Pardi, when Pardi was just getting started in country music, sharing that the first selfie Brooks ever took in his life was with Pardi. He also recalled Pardi, as a new artist, opening for Brooks in Knoxville, praising the new Opry member for how well he performed in front of 85,000 people.
“This is me and you joined in holy matrimony shared by our love of country music,” Brooks told Pardi. “Are you prepared for this? Because now, we’ve got each other’s back. There’s gonna be a time when your a– needs saving, and there’s gonna be a time when mine needs saving … You are the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
An emotional Pardi took the stage to reflect on sharing the iconic moment with a legend like Brooks.
“It’s full circle,” Pardi said. “My hero that I watched fly around in an arena is right behind me … It’s crazy that Garth is right here. I don’t even know what to say. I love the Opry. I love being a part of the family.”
Pardi was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry while performing at Stagecoach earlier this year. Alan Jackson invited Pardi, with a little help from Pardi’s good friend, Guy Fieri,
“When I first saw Guy on stage, I was like, ‘What the hell is Guy doing on stage? And how did he get a microphone?’” Pardi recalled to Everything Nash at a recent media event. “Guy’s a good friend, and he was so excited. He knew about it for a long time. We’re buddies, and he never said anything.”
“It was a great moment out and it was cool that it was at Stagecoach,” he continued. “It’s one of my favorite festivals in country music. and it’s the biggest in California. Tying my home state to country music in Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry, I thought it was really special, and I thought it was a look that nobody’s really seen. It gave the Opry a stronger connection with the crowd in the West Coast. They knew exactly what the Grand Ole Opry was. They went crazy. It was pretty cool.”
Pardi just dropped “Cowboys and Plowboys,” his collaboration with Luke Bryan, from his next album. He will release his first Christmas album, Merry Christmas from Jon Pardi, on Friday, October 27, and help kick off the holiday season as the first performer for Opry Country Christmas on November 26.
Pardi is currently headlining his Mr. Saturday Night World Tour. Find all of Pardi’s music and upcoming shows at JonPardi.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry / Chris Hollo