Carly Pearce Got a Phone Call From Barbara Mandrell
Carly Pearce was overwhelmed with joy upon receiving an invitation to become a Grand Ole Opry member — but Dolly Parton‘s surprise ask was merely the beginning of the excitement.
On June 17, Pearce was in the middle of filming what she thought was a promotional video for Dollywood when Parton herself surprised her, armed with a coveted Opry invitation. Pearce was immediately overcome with emotion: Tears streamed down her face as she dropped to her knees.
In the days following the the announcement of Pearce’s invite, the artist received a flood of texts and phone calls from friends and peers, all sending their well-wishes. One message, in particular, though, came out of the blue.
“I got a random phone call … and picked it up, and it was Barbara Mandrell,” Pearce shares. She hadn’t previously met the “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” hitmaker.
“She had this long conversation with me about becoming a member,” Pearce continues, “and how excited she was for me, and giving me some of her insight.”
The “idols” Pearce has heard from include Trisha Yearwood, who sent the younger star a congratulatory text. Parton, too, shared her excitement over being able to welcome Pearce into the Grand Ole Opy family after the cameras turned off.
“It’s just so crazy to have these women that I’ve really looked up, to that are country music royalty, wrapping their arms around me in this time,” Pearce raves.
Pearce will officially be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Aug. 3.
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