Alan Jackson had the honor of making a dream come true for his grand niece Carlisle Wright as he surprised her with an invite to make her Grand Ole Opry debut.
Alan Jackson’s Grand Niece Will Make Her Grand Ole Opy Debut
In a video shared to social media, Wright sits on a chair with her dog Bing. She’s handed a phone and is told that its her great uncle on the line, whom she calls Uncle Hat.
He chats with her briefly about her big week performing at CMA Fest before bringing up the fact that this year marks his 35th anniversary of being a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She congratulates him and that’s when he delivers the big news.
“They asked me to call you today to extend you an invitation to make your Opry debut on June 28,” he tells her as she immediately starts crying.
“That will be a big event that you’ll aways remember,” he tells her.
Remember When: Alan Jackson Inducted Into the Grand Ole Opry
“I remember the first time when I sang on there and Roy Acuff was standing — he’s a lot shorter than me — but he was standing there staring up at me, about three feet from my face the whole time I sang,” he recounts. “And I was scared to death.”
“I’m gonna keep it country for you, don’t worry,” she assures him at the end of the call.
Who is Carlisle Wright?
According to her website, Wright is a “fourth-generation singer/songwriter of Southern-style songs.” Her career began at age 19 while she was a student at Belmont University and she released an EP called Does Forever mean Forever. Her debut single was “Graduation Year.”
Wright’s father is Big City Brian Wright who is a musician in his own right and Jackson’s nephew. His mother is Jackson’s sister Cathy.
The Last One: Everything You Need to Know About Alan Jackson’s Final Show
There are a lot of musicians in Jackson’s family and many of them will be taking the stage at Jackson’s final show on June 27. Carlisle Wright, Big City Brian Wright and Adam Wright are all on the lineup for Last Call: One More for the Road — The Finale.
The 30 Best Alan Jackson Songs of All Time
Over his three-decade-plus career, Alan Jackson has released some of the most essential country music songs ever. His catalog includes classic barnburners like “Chattahoochee,” tender ballads like “Remember When” and everything in between.
No matter which songs are your favorite, it’s hard to dispute that Jackson’s music changed the country music genre forever.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
