Thread: My Backstage Pass to Carrie's Big Night at the Opry!!

SAME REVIEW POSTED ON THE OFFICIAL FAN CLUB!

Hey guys! Finally home from my fun-filled weekend in Nashville TN! This may be long.. hopefully I don't bore you all! haha

First off.. I had my senior prom on Friday night (the 9th) So I had to wake up at 4AM Saturday morning to catch my flight into Nashville! I'm 17, and this was my first time flying along, but it was so worth it! I got into Nashville around noon and met up with my aunt and younger cousins..went out to lunch.. etc.
It was around 4PM, I was getting ready and all that cool stuff..I was SUPER excited to go backstage at the Grand Ole Opry! I was even more excited to see Carrie on her big night, and hopefully get the chance to meet some fan club members!
Well, I was planning on meeting everyone at the food court for 4:30 and then taking the big group picture for 5:30.. but my silly aunt forgot to get a babysitter for my 3 younger cousins! Sooo.. the plans changed and I was actually on my way over to the Opry around 5:30. I was SOO upset because I knew I was going to miss the big group picture out front..(I was in contact with Renee though, but around 6 PM I tried calling her a few times to figure out where to meet to get the picture so I could go backstage and give it to Carrie.. but I couldn't get a hold of her).. Come to find out.. They were taking the group picture outside with Carrie!!
I got there right around 5:45-6.. but I had to go backstage first and get my pass and stuff.. so by the time I went out to the front.. I saw a huge group of people walking in who had on their official fan club shirts! I actually spotted Renee and found out that Carrie came out and was in the picture, and that it was the "official" picture, so I didn't have to wait for it to develop and give to Carrie. I was alittle disappointed because I could have been able to make the picture in time if I knew what was happening, but I totally agree that it was a little stressful and hectic out there! haha..

Soo.. my aunt and I went out to the front.. We sat in the 3rd row, dead center in the middle right in front of the stage. We watched my uncle and the band perform.. then Carrie walked out in her sparkling dress and shoes and sang Last Name (which was AMAZING and I have a video of it)! Then I believe Dierks came out and sang a few songs.. then Aaron Tippin(sp?) came out as well.


(my uncle is the one on the far left playing the mandolin.. his father Del is the one to the right with the white hair playing the guitar)

Carrie then came out to sing All American Girl which sounded INCREDIBLE!



And NOW it was time for the BIG MOMENT! Pete, of the Grand Ole Opry came out (he's very very nice by the way), and talked a bit about Carrie and we all watched a video on the big screen of her journey to the Opry stage. Then the big surprise of the night.. GARTH BROOKS walked out to induct Carrie as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
This very moment was probably one of the most magical moments that I have ever experienced.. It was soo breath-taking, and so surreal to see My Idol, Carrie, being Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, something of great importance that will always be a part of this young woman's life. I felt so lucky and so blessed to share that moment with Carrie and with all of you! That moment was something I will never forget!



Garth Brooks inducted Carrie and the place went CRAZY!!! He had some really sweet things to say to her.. but the comment that made me get chills was when he said, "Nothing will last as long, or be more important than this award." She kissed the award and made a heartfelt speech as she was fighting back the tears!
Just like Pete said though.. Carrie walked out on stage to sing AAG and she would be walking backstage after as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.. that was something that I will always remember from her induction speech.. as well as her thanking everyone for being there with her to celebrate (as she was crying).. and also talking about the grand ole opry family and how she was so excited to be a part of it now!
She then sang Jesus Take the Wheel and Vince Gill came out to help sing it with her.. What an Awesome Duet! Vince Gill is like family to me.. so it was absoultely amazing seeing them up on stage singing together! Vince tried taking the award away from her so she could sing.. but she held on to that award like it was a baby. She even mouthed to the crowed during a commercial break that it was really heavy.. she also had to get her makeup touched up on during the break since she was crying. But she held on to that award the whole time!!! it was soo cute!


(looking at her award)

After the big show.. My aunt and I went backstage and met Garth Brooks! He is the sweetest man I have ever met, and we talked for quite some time! He said really nice things about Carrie as well. I was backstage for a good amount of time, talking to Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, and Dierks Bentley.. but no sign of Carrie. There was a giant room backstage that said "Private Reception"-- this was where Carrie's celebration was a.k.a "the after party!" haha.. Her friends, family, and the artists were all back there congratulating her on her induction. My uncle didn't have a pass to go back there, but his father, Del McCoury and his wife went back there. We waited around the entrance.. I saw Carrie's mother and father in there.. and finally Del and his wife came out. They gave me a napkin from the party and told me that there were lots of people in there talking to her. Then, Vince came out and said the cake was really good.. and that Carrie told him that she was SO Super nervous all day and that she was soo happy to be a part of the Opry family. Then Vince started singing Jesus Take the Wheel, but was messing up all the words...haha it was funny!
My aunt and I were so hungry and we were going to go out front and grab some food.. but Del told us that we should just go into the private reception area where Carrie's party is at and grab some food. Sooo (you can't tell Carrie this.. shhhhhh) haha but my uncle Ron, my aunt, and I snuck into Carrie's party by going through the back doors. The back doors where towards the back and it was really dark around there, so we were hoping no one would kick us out.. haha. We just pretended like we were invited.. and grabbed a small plate of food (the food was soooo good!) We ate in the back corner.. and I saw Carrie, from not too far away, eating and drinking her diet coke. She was at a table with her mom and dad.. and possibly one of her sisters.. and I think a friend. They were playing Carrie's Carnival Ride CD in the background. When we got in there "Crazy Dreams" was playing and when we left "Twisted" was just ending.. so that's about how long we were in there. Carrie kept looking up at us.. she was probably wondering why we were in there (Sorry Carrie, Del McCoury told us to go in and grab some food.. we were starving..haha and we were there to congratulate you!) Carrie just sat at the table for most of the time.. but whenever she looked up she could see us..haha. She then got up and took pictures and talked/laughed with a few people. Then we were getting ready to leave, when all of a sudden one of Carrie's band members, Chad or Chase.. (can't remember his name) came up to talk to us. I guess he knows my uncle from somewhere, because he immediately started talking to my uncle like they were best friends. Anyways, we talked for a bit about being on tour.. and I told him which shows I've seen so far this year, and he told me a little highlight from each one which was cool. Then he talked about how nervous Carrie was this morning.. and he just talked about how amazingly talented she is.. and how she is such a sweet person, and shes soo funny! Then he told my uncle and myself that if were around at a concert of Carrie's that we could call him up and he'd hook us up with some backstage passes! He was such a great guy!

After crashing Carrie's party (I was nervous the whole time..lol) my aunt and I decided to go back out front to watch the band perform again, as well as Vince, and Dierks and Carrie. We watched Carrie's performance of Last Name from the 4th row.. and then we decided to go backstage to watch her performance of DFTRM! When she came out to perform she set the award down on the stage so it was there when she performed during the second show..haha. Then we were backstage when we watched her and Vince go out and do some country line dancing/square dancing.. whatever it was! hahaha.. it was soooo funny! I remember watching it and I was cracking up 'cause it was hilarious! (I have some on video!) Then Carrie walked off and Matt, Ann, Keith and her bodyguard were immediately right there around her. My aunt and I decided to wait in the hallway to try and get a picture with her. She was walking torwards the hallway but she stopped to sign autographs for some fans.. and then she was right near me.. and this little girl went up to Carrie and asked for an autograph. Carrie asked her what her name was.. she was soo cute, and replied that she didn't know (this little girl was nervous) but she finally spit it out.

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