Charlie Worsham Invited to Grand Ole Opry, Releases Independent Album on Same Day

Charlie Worsham was invited to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry on Aug. 7 during a sold-out performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, with Vince Gill delivering the invitation on stage.

The surprise came the same day Worsham released Once Upon a Second Time Around, his first full-length independent album, capping two decades in Music City with a dual milestone that reflects both his artistic independence and his standing as one of Nashville’s most respected musicians.

Worsham, a Nashville-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was singled out for the honor by Gill, his current touring bandmate, during the Opry performance.

The invitation arrived exactly 20 years to the day after Worsham moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music, a detail that Gill and Worsham both acknowledged from the stage as a marker of the moment’s personal weight.

Gill Extends the Invitation

Gill, a longtime Opry member, embraced Worsham and his wife after extending the invitation, framing the moment as a dream fulfilled.

“Now I get to do something I’m so excited about. I’ve been keeping this inside of me for a long, long time. What I get to do right now is fulfill a dream for somebody. I am so excited to get to do this,” Gill said.

Worsham, for his part, framed the invitation in terms of both gratitude and resolve.

“I’ve had the great privilege of having Vince as my North Star. We’ve had interviews together over the last year about the great music you are making. And I got to ask you about what you said when you went into the Hall of Fame, and your answer would be what I’m going to say. ‘Now I’m going to try to go earn it.’ This is definitely the ultimate dream,” Worsham said.

Independent Artist Milestone

The album release marks a shift toward greater creative control after more than a decade with a major label, with the record arriving through a new distribution partnership with ONErpm.

Once Upon a Second Time Around is Worsham’s third solo album, following Rubberband (2013) and The Beginning (2017).

Its lead single, “Wrap My Porch Around,” released July 3, blends his country and bluegrass influences and carries a personal backstory tied to honoring his bluegrass roots.

The Opry invitation and the independent release land together as a statement of arrival rather than departure.

Worsham has spent much of his Nashville career as a collaborator and side player, writing songs recorded by Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, and Dierks Bentley, and performing alongside Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, and Carrie Underwood.

He is a two-time ACM Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year and was named CMA Musician of the Year, reflecting recognition as one of the format’s top instrumentalists.

Opry Executive Producer Dan Rogers said the invitation reflects Worsham’s unusual blend of tradition and forward motion.

“Charlie Worsham the artist and Charlie Worsham the human being often remind me of the Opry itself. Charlie has the utmost respect for decades-old music traditions, and he’s also always looking toward tomorrow and making innovative music that opens doors to the future. Whether he’s playing country, bluegrass, or the many sounds of his native Mississippi, and whether he’s standing alone centerstage accompanying himself on acoustic guitar or picking along with some famous friends, he truly always delivers. I am thrilled his boundless talents and huge heart will have a forever home on the Grand Ole Opry,” Rogers said.

Worsham, a native of Grenada, Mississippi, made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 1997 at age 12 as a Junior National Banjo Champion.

He later studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and was part of the band KingBilly before launching a solo career.

In addition to his solo work, he has opened for Brad Paisley, Old Crow Medicine Show, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Kenny Rogers, and remains an in-demand session musician who has contributed to albums by Eric Church, Luke Combs, Chris Shiflett, and others.

He has also served as lead guitarist in Dierks Bentley’s band.

Specific details about Worsham’s formal Opry induction ceremony have not yet been announced.

Sources

• Backstagecountry