Martina McBride has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1995, and she was welcomed in by none other than Loretta Lynn. It was a big moment in her career, and she still remembers it fondly.
Martina first performed at the Opry on May 23, 1992. Her debut album, The Time Has Come, had come out just 11 days earlier. Three years after that first performance, she officially became part of the Opry family. On November 30, 1995, Loretta Lynn—who had joined the Opry herself back in 1962—inducted Martina.
Later this year (2025), Martina will celebrate 30 years as an Opry member. Even after all this time, she says she still gets butterflies every time she steps onto that famous stage.
“Whenever I do the Opry it still feels like the first time,” she once shared. “I still get nervous. The Opry’s going to be here for hundreds of years, and I’m just proud my name is on that list. It’s a highlight of my life.”
Not long ago, Martina watched a video of her induction and smiled as Loretta Lynn spoke onstage. It brought back a lot of memories. She also shared a funny little story that she hadn’t told before.
During rehearsal, Loretta was handed the plaque meant for Martina. She looked at it and said, “Is this it?” Martina laughed and told her, “I guess so…” Loretta didn’t seem convinced, but when it came time for the real ceremony, she leaned into the moment. Onstage, she joked, “Welcome to the Opry, honey. This is what you get.”
“That’s just who she was,” Martina said with a smile. Loretta was always honest, and she didn’t hold back.
When Martina was asked who she wanted to welcome her into the Opry, she didn’t hesitate—Loretta Lynn was her first choice. She never thought it would really happen, but she was thrilled when it did.
A Night to Remember: Honoring Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn passed away in 2022 at the age of 90. After her death, Martina spoke about what Loretta meant to her and to country music. In an interview with TODAY, she said:
“She was like our northern light, like our northern star. She was always there, always true, always Loretta… I feel like part of her legacy is us carrying that on and being a mentor and a friend to any new artists coming up, especially female artists. She was always so supportive, and so kind and so available to all of us.”
This year, as the Grand Ole Opry celebrates its 100th birthday, they hosted a special tribute show in Loretta’s honor. It took place on May 13 at the Grand Ole Opry House.
The show featured performances by Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Crystal Gayle (Loretta’s sister), Emmy Russell (Loretta’s granddaughter), Martina McBride, and the duo Twitty & Lynn (made up of Conway Twitty’s grandson Tre and Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter Tayla).
Twitty & Lynn even shared a short video of their time at the Opry. It was a touching day filled with love, memories, and great music—just the way Loretta would have wanted.
