Carrie Underwood Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary As Grand Ole Opry Member Tonight

The Grand Ole Opry® presented by Humana® honored six-time Grammy® winner Carrie Underwood on her 5th anniversary as an Opry member this evening, and she celebrated by closing the first of two shows with a special segment full of her music.

After a video presentation highlighting five years of Underwood Opry performances ran for the audience, Underwood said, “It’s so hard to believe it’s been five years, but what an amazing five years it has been. Just watching that video, I was getting a little teary-eyed, thinking about how I felt when all of that was happening. And I still feel that blessed and that honored to be on this stage.”

Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher presented the Opry member with a commemorative print marking the occasion, saying, “You have far surpassed the high expectations we had when we brought you into the family, and we know it is going to continue into the future. You are not only so good for country music, you are so good for the Grand Ole Opry, and you are so good for America. We appreciate all that you do.”

Underwood was inducted as an Opry member by fellow member Garth Brooks before a sold-out audience in May 2008. Her next appearances on the Opry are set for July 5th and 6th.

Since winning American Idol and releasing her debut album in 2005, Underwood has sold over 15 million albums and placed 17 No. 1 singles on the charts. Her recent album, Blown Away, made history by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, making Underwood only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of their first four albums debut at No. 1. The now platinum-selling Blown Away album also debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, making Underwood only the second country artist in history to have three consecutive albums debut at No. 1. She is a six-time Grammy® winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, and a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner. She recently wrapped her “Blown Away Tour” having performed 112 shows in 110 cities before one million fans across three continents sand six countries since its launch last spring. The Country Music Hall of Fame is now featuring the “Blown Away Tour” in an exhibit that is open until the fall.

The Grand Ole Opry® is presented by Humana®. Opry performances are held every weekend of the year, and the Tuesday Night Opry continues through Dec. 11. To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or log on to www.opry.com.

About the Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. Celebrating 87 years of entertainment, the Opry can be heard on 650 WSM-AM, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, and opry.com. The syndicated weekly program, America’s Opry Weekend, airs on country radio stations across America. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP). For more information, visit opry.com.