Mark Wills Invited to Become a Member of the Grand Ole Opry

Mark Wills will become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry! The 'Don't Laugh at Me' singer was [...]

By Gayle Thompson

Mark Wills will become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry! The "Don't Laugh at Me" singer was invited to join on Dec. 20, by fellow Opry member Vince Gill.

"We at the Opry would like to ask you to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry," Gill said to a shocked Wills, who fell to his knees, before being helped back up by Gill.

"This boy has been the greatest supporter and the greatest proponent of what the Opry stands for, these people," Gills continued as Wills kept crying. "Now I like him even more – he's a crybaby like me!"

"That's been the plan all along for tonight, to make this request and hope that you'd love to come and be a part of this family," Gill concluded. "You've been a great part of this family for a lot of years, and everybody here has paid attention and knows it, so we appreciate your support all these years."

"Thank you," Wills finally managed to say. "I would love to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry."

Later, the 45-year-old took to social media to share his feelings on the career accolade.

"The 'selfie' I was taking with Vince @vincegillofficial because we were supposed to sing a song together, NOT get invited to be an @opry MEMBER!" wrote Wills. "BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING!!!!!!"

Wills' latest studio album, Looking for America, was released in 2011. The Tennessee native has charted more than a dozen hits, including "Wish You Were Here" and "19 Somethin'."

Wills also shared a picture of himself, on his knees, on the phone.

"@MarkWillsMusic, you've just been invited to join the #Opry," the Grand Ole Opry tweeted. "What are you gonna do next? Call my girls!"

Wills is maintaining a busy touring schedule while he works on new music. The singer has several dates on the calendar in 2019, including a show with Lorrie Morgan in Louisiana, and a show with Chuck Wicks in Florida. Find dates and venue information at MarkWills.com.

Wills will become an official member of the Grand Ole Opry on Jan. 11. More information, including how to purchase tickets, can be found at Opry.com.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Mindy Small

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