Kathy Mattea officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, October 11, 2025.

Kathy Mattea was officially welcomed to the Opry family, two months after Charlie McCoy surprised her with an invitation. Mattea became the 234th member of the hallowed institution, and the 76th active living member.
 

A longtime Opry favorite and host of the Mountain Stage radio show, Kathy Mattea was introduced to the stage by Opry member/long-time friend Trisha Yearwood. Opry member Trisha Yearwood shared her own personal accounts as she introduced Mattea to the stage to perform. 

“I’ve had so many great times on this stage, and the thing about the Opry is that it doesn’t matter if you’re a member or not, they make you feel like family," Mattea said. "

After Mattea performed two tunes, singer Terri Clark presented her with an Opry membership.

Longtime Opry member Terri Clark had the honor of welcoming Kathy Mattea to the Opry family. “I can’t believe my 18-year-old self gets to do this," Clark said. Clark praised Mattea’s influence on country music and agreed with the sentiment that “it’s about time.”  Clark also praised Mattea’s artistry, saying, "Your blend of country, folk and bluegrass carved out a niche at mainstream country radio that continues to inspire and influence to this day. It sustained a fan base and career longevity that most can only dream of. Tonight, we add another milestone to that list. It's truely humbling and an honor for me, as you are someone who really inspired me. I can't believe I get to stand here with your fans, your loved ones, your friends, and say welcome to the Grand Ole Opry family Kathy Mattea. Well deserved.”  

Kathy Mattea addressed the audience, humbly sharing her excitement over the honor. “If you get lucky enough to do this, it’s your dream that something you put into the world will mean something to someone else. If that happens … that’s what we all want, right? We all want to have sense that something we did meant something to someone else and enrich somebody else’s life in some way,” Mattea said.  “I’m happy to be welcomed into this family. Happy to stand on this stage, in this circle, in this moment of my life.” 

She added, “I think music is more needed in this world today than ever before. As I tell my audiences every night, when you’re sitting next to someone you’ve never met before and you both know the song ‘Eighteen Wheels,’ and you’re both sitting there singing it, you have no idea who that person next to you voted for. And you don’t care at that point, because really, we’re all the same at the heart.”

Kathy Mattea’s Opry induction became an unforgettable moment when she surprised country legend Suzy Bogguss, 68, with her own invitation.

In a history-making evening at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, Oct. 11, Grammy winner Kathy Mattea officially became the Opry’s newest member — and immediately turned around to invite her longtime friend and fellow country icon Suzy Bogguss to join the Opry family as well.

The emotional moment unfolded as Mattea, newly inducted by Terri Clark, wrapped up her milestone night. After performing “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses” alongside Clark, Trisha Yearwood, and Suzy Bogguss, Mattea paused before the final chorus to make a surprise announcement.

“On behalf of my friends, and the entire Grand Ole Opry family,” she said, “Suzy Bogguss has the voice of an angel with a generous spirit who has a collection of work that is timeless. Well, I have one question for you, my dear friend. Would you like to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry?”

A visibly stunned Bogguss gasped and struggled to find words, finally saying,

“I was just so excited about all of us singing together tonight. I don’t even know what to say. Thank you, but I think I may wake up in a minute,” said Bogguss.

The night marked a 100-year first for the Opry — the first time an induction and an invitation occurred on the same evening.

Suzy's induction date will be announced soon, but fans are already celebrating the long-overdue recognition for one of country music's most enduring voices.

More About Kathy Mattea:

Kathy was born in Cross Lane, W.V. She received classical voice training in junior high but also took up guitar when she discovered folk music. In 1976, while in college at West Virginia University, she joined the bluegrass band Pennsboro and two years later dropped out of school to move to Nashville.

She worked odd jobs and waited tables while honing her music, and in 1983 she landed a deal with Mercury on the strength of her demo tape. Her self-titled debut was released in 1984, and the follow-up, From My Heart, appeared the next year. None of the singles from either record managed to reach the Top 20. However, her third effort, 1986's folky Walk the Way the Wind Blows, proved to be her critical and commercial breakthrough. Her cover of Nanci Griffith's "Love at the Five and Dime" was her first Top 5 hit, and the record produced three other Top 10 hits. Her 1987 album Untasted Honey offered two No. 1 country hits, "Goin' Gone" and her signature song, "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses." The latter won the 1988 Country Music Association's (CMA) Single of the Year Award.

Kathy's 1989 album Willow in the Wind brought two more No. 1 hits, "Come from the Heart" and "Burnin' Old Memories," as well as "She Came from Fort Worth." She won a Grammy for another of the album's tracks, "Where've You Been," and also captured the CMA's female vocalist trophies in 1989 and 1990.

Seeking to keep her music fresh by returning to its roots, Kathy made several trips to Scotland in the early '90s, studying the links between country music and traditional Scottish folk. Her own music kept getting "rootsier" and more eclectic throughout the '90s.

Kathy's new direction couldn't have taken her further from her old way of doing things. Where once she was pitched songs by Music Row writers, now she collects the generations-old and new but old-in-soul tunes that move her at folk gatherings and rounds out her repertoire through extensive research.

Never one to tread water creatively, she's made her gracefully daring leap into the roots-honoring traditional folk world with the albums Calling Me Home and Coal. "To be a complete novice at something after you've been singing for three or four decades, to feel that humility of 'I don't even know if I'm going to be able to pull this off again,' it's a great gift," she shares. "A lot of times people go through their whole lives and never get to that place.

Kathy is a frequent guest on the Grand Ole Opry. "When you play the Opry, you're entering history, right there. There's a wonderful sense of community – family really – that's inter-generational. From the welcoming presence of a long-timer stepping into the dressing room saying, 'Glad to have you back!' to the spontaneous backstage jam sessions, to catching up with old friends, there's just no place like it."

The Grand Ole Opry:
The Grand Ole Opry is the home of country music where artists and fans gather, in person and virtually, to celebrate and be part of country’s past, present and future. Founded in Nashville in 1925 and today the longest-running live broadcast show in the world, the Opry strengthens its roots by constantly evolving. The Opry’s members are country’s most emblematic artists, and the show regularly showcases country music’s top new talent. The Opry welcomes legions of fans to visit the Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee – Music City, USA – to experience one of the 3-7 live shows it hosts per week; take a backstage tour; listen to live broadcasts on opry.com and wsmonline.com, SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse, or its flagship home WSM Radio; and watch Opry Live on Saturday nights and Opry content all week long on Circle Country. The Grand Ole Opry is part of Opry Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP)