Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman got invited to be a member of The Grand Ole Opry last week — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“This is my favorite place to sing. I feel at home,” said Chapman.
“For nearly 100 years, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, has been said to be the ‘true home of country music.’ Country legends as well as rising stars are invited to join the elite group, based on their ‘passion for country music’s fans’ and ‘connection to the music’s history,’” Church Leaders reported.
Chapman first performed at the Opry nearly 40 years ago. When he performed on July 27, country music star Ricky Skaggs came on stage with a photo of Chapman from that first performance.
“That’s my George Jones outfit, right there,” Chapman said.
“I was 19 years old the first time I performed on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry,” Chapman shared. “I’d grown up listening to my dad tell me stories about this magical stage where some of the greatest moments in music took place.”
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Skaggs offered Chapman the membership, and it came as a complete surprise.
“You deserve to be here,” Skaggs told him.
Chapmen knelt over in astonishment and said, “Are you kidding me? If you ever wonder if this is a surprise, yes, I promise you this is a massive surprise.”
Chapman’s Grand Ole Opry bio explains why he’s more than qualified to be a member:
Chapman has spent the last 35 years writing and performing genre-defining songs that shaped a generation. With a staggering 50 No. 1 singles in his catalog he is the most awarded artist in Christian music history winning 59 GMA Dove Awards, five GRAMMY Awards, an American Music Award and selling more than 11 million albums with 10 RIAA-Certified Gold or Platinum albums. In short, Steven Curtis Chapman is synonymous with contemporary Christian music.
“I am so honored and just so grateful. What an amazing family to be a part of,” Chapman said.
Chapman credited God and the people who have helped him in his long journey as a musician.
He said on Instagram, “To the many many people who’ve been a part of the journey that led to an amazing moment last night…Thank You! And to the Giver of every good gift…Thank You for yet another moment to ‘Taste and SEE how good you truly are!’”
Movieguide® reported on Chapman in June:
Storied Christian singer and songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman recently opened up about how he records cherished moments through his song-making.
“So songs are kind of my journal entries, you know, and I can sing them back to myself, and I can listen to them again, and I get to share them with other people and say, ‘Hey maybe, maybe this is a moment…that you need to be reminded of, too,” he told Snapshot Testimony in March. “And God showed up in this moment for me.”
“I’d go through songs like ‘Cinderella,’ you know, written after one night with my little girls, just missing a moment, feeling convicted that they wanted to dance with me. They wanted just to have a moment to make a memory, and it was late, and I was tired and I said, ‘Just get in your pajamas and go to bed, you know. We’ll do that tomorrow,’ and the conviction of that moment that I missed you know turned into a song called ‘Cinderella.’”
This article originally appeared on Movieguide® and is reposted with permission.
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