Luke Combs becomes newest member of the Grand Ole Opry
Tuesday night in Nashville, Dustin Lynch, Mark Wills, the Gatlins and more walked onstage at the Grand Ole Opry to help induct Luke Combs as its newest member.
Since Combs' mom snuck him into a Vince Gill show as his first concert, the Country Music Hall of Famer led the honors.
"What I love about this guy: he opens his mouth [and] his singing is undeniable..." Gill declared.
"I found out not too long ago that the first concert he ever went to was one of mine. So I obviously didn't ruin him," Gill added.
Combs listened to hits like "Pickup Man" and "John Deere Greene" before he was in kindergarten, so it was Joe Diffie who actually pronounced him the Opry's latest addition.
"It's pretty hard to find anything to say that makes me feel like I wouldn't sound like an idiot right now," Combs said candidly as the audience laughed and applauded.
"Here I am onstage with people that... shaped me as an artist," he added, "and I just want to say thank you to you guys."
The North Carolina native went on to voice his appreciation for the ones that make it all possible.
"Thank you to the fans. You guys should always remember that you are the most important thing... that all of us have on this stage," Combs continued. "Without y'all, there is no country music. There is no Grand Ole Opry."
For his debut as an Opry member, Combs sang the title of his record-setting debut album, "This Ones for You," changing some of the words for the special occasion: "There's a couple people in the Grand Ole Opry tonight I owe a beer to. And three or four I owe more than a few," he closed, ending to thunderous applause.
