Dustin Lynch Overwhelmed by Invitation to Join Grand Ole Opry

Dustin Lynch is still overwhelmed by his invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. The Tennessee native was invited by Trace Adkins last month, and will become an official member on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

“It took me a few days to let it soak in and really digest what had happened,” Lynch tells PopCulture.com. “Just an amazing, amazing feeling, still is. It’s still weird talking about it.”

Lynch’s parents were in the audience when he was invited, as they are every time he takes the Opry stage. But thanks to the excitement of his fans, by the time he was able to reach out to others to share the good news, most had already heard he would be the next Grand Ole Opry member.

“I didn’t have to call anybody,” Lynch says. “Social media works quickly, I didn’t have my phone, obviously, on me on stage – it was backstage. Mom and Dad were in the crowd, so the first person I hugged was Mom. Actually, it was Trace and then Mom. That was wonderful to share with them. I went straight off stage into interviews, so I didn’t even get to see Dad yet until after the interviews happened.

“It was really two days before I really had the chance the to take a breath, when I finally got to go home and have a minute,” he adds. “But then I got home, I was so tired I took a shower and went to bed.”

The 33-year-old says his Opry induction is validation for him that he is steering his career in the right direction.

“I knew it was something that my team knew was important to me. We obviously put it on the list of dreams to chase down,” Lynch tells PopCulture.com. “I just feel like I’m getting started. I feel like I just started this journey. So to be asked to be a member of the Opry, which is at the top of my bucket list, is mind-blowing to me.”

Lynch will likely perform his current single, “Good Girl” during his induction ceremony, which is the first single from his upcoming, still-untitled new album.

“It’s a song that came out of nowhere,” Lynch reveals of the new tune. “I wasn’t writing. I always love to write; I have to exercise that creative muscle. I’ve learned that it keeps me happy, whenever I have new music to play for my friends and family, whenever we go out on the boat or just on vacation, that’s kind of something we’ve done, traditionally. We listen to music and I get a good feel for what people are gravitating towards. I figured out I didn’t write a whole lot then or last year after the [Current Mood] album released and I didn’t have anything to play for people on vacation in January.

“Since then, I’ve really started writing a lot and I’m really happy with what is happening right now,” continues Lynch. “I’m back in the groove, lyrics are really coming alive and coming easy to me and ideas are coming easy to me. I’m in a great groove right now going into the fall tour with Cole Swindell, who’s a wonderful songwriter. He an I are gonna have the songwriters out every weekend and we’re gonna make some great music, I just know we are.”

Lynch will hit the road next month with Swindell on their Reason to Drink … Another Tour. Find a list of all of Lynch’s upcoming shows at DustinLynch.com.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Terry Wyatt