Twenty years ago, a young singer named Carrie Underwood stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage for the very first time. She was only 22 years old and had just won a big singing contest called American Idol, becoming the first country singer ever to take the top prize in season 4. Three years later, something even more exciting happened—another country star, Randy Travis, surprised her on that same Opry stage and asked her to become an official member of the show. Today, Carrie is one of the Opry’s biggest stars, so it was no surprise to see her singing at NBC’s Opry 100: A Live Celebration.
The Grand Ole Opry started a long time ago, back in 1925. It all began when a company called National Life and Accident Insurance decided to create a radio station named WSM, which stood for “We Shield Millions.” They built a small studio in Nashville, Tennessee, and on October 5, 1925, WSM went on the air for the first time. A month later, they hired a man named George D. Hay, who was famous for a fun radio show called the National Barn Dance. He started the WSM Barn Dance with a 77-year-old fiddle player named Uncle Jimmy Thompson on November 28, 1925. That’s how the Grand Ole Opry was born!
IM NOT CRYING YOU ARE 😭 #CarrieUnderwood #Opry100 pic.twitter.com/jYTH6d0elT
— creech (not parody) (@creecher28) March 20, 2025
Fast forward to Wednesday, March 19, 2025—Carrie Underwood joined other huge country stars like Reba McEntire and Brad Paisley for NBC’s Opry 100: A Live Celebration. To honor her special moment from 2008 when she joined the Opry, Carrie sang two of Randy Travis’ songs: “Three Wooden Crosses” and “Forever and Ever, Amen.”
One of the sweetest parts of the night was when Carrie walked over to Randy Travis, who was sitting in the audience, and handed him the microphone for the last “Amen” of the song. She shouted, “Randy Travis, everybody!” with a big smile. Randy has had a tough time since a serious stroke in 2013 made it hard for him to talk, but his huge grin showed how happy he was—no words needed!
Carrie looked so confident singing on stage that night, shining like a star. But she hasn’t always felt that way. A long time ago, she told a writer named Nancy Brooks that she used to feel shy and nervous around people. “I never know what to say,” she said. “I’m not good in big groups—I get quiet and just watch everyone else.” Even though she’s won 16 ACM Awards and is a superstar now, she still loves to sit back and enjoy watching others sometimes. Seeing her glow at Opry 100 showed how far she’s come, and it was a night full of music and love that everyone will remember!
Carrie Underwood’s touching tribute to Randy Travis. ❤️ #StunningVocals pic.twitter.com/I6UbU3o5sp
— Hilary ~ MollyVegas ミ☆ (@MollyVegas) March 20, 2025
