What started as a memorable backstage meeting months ago has come full circle, with Ashley McBryde now helping 11-year-old Sawyer June achieve her dream of making her Grand Ole Opry debut.

The country star first met Sawyer back in February during a chance encounter backstage at the Opry. The young girl and her family were visiting town and decided to attend a show at the iconic venue, followed by a group tour backstage. McBryde, who was performing that day, noticed Sawyer in the crowd, singing along to every word of “Light On In the Kitchen.”

Later on, the two crossed paths backstage, where McBryde learned that the young fan was also a singer herself, leading to a special moment neither of them would forget.

“I stopped and said hello to everybody. And the front of the tour was the young girl and her mom and her dad. I went over and shook her hand, and I found out her name and they gave me some pecans from their farm, which I love pecans,” she shared at the time. “And then they let me know that she is a singer as well. And her mom said that she sings ‘Bible And A .44’ really well.”

The Arkansas native instinctively grabbed her guitar and invited Sawyer to sing a few lines of the song with her. The two sat together, effortlessly harmonizing and creating a special moment that McBryde said left her amazed by Sawyer’s talent and passion at such a young age. She later followed Sawyer on social media and promised to keep up with her musical journey.

McBryde kept her promise and was recently given the opportunity to share some very special news with Sawyer, during her recent visit to the WSM studio. The young girl was on-air with one of the show’s hosts, Eryn Cooper, who explained that there was someone calling in to speak with her.

McBryde’s voice appeared on the other end of the line as she asked Sawyer how her week was going. She also called attention to the fact that the talented singer recently performed in her Redemption Bar on Nashville’s lower Broadway.

“Oh that was awesome, that was amazing,” Sawyer said while still getting over the shock of realizing she was talking to the country star again.

“Us becoming friends is one of the best things that’s happened to me in a long time,” McBryde stated.

Sawyer echoed that sentiment saying, “It’s one of the best things that’s happened to me in a really long time.”

The “One Night Standards” singer went on to say that she had a very important question for the young artist.

She said, “As a proud member myself, and on behalf of the folks at the Grand Ole Opry, we’d love to invite you to stand in the circle and make your Opry debut. What do you say?”

Overwhelmed by the surprise, Sawyer took a moment to process the invitation before enthusiastically accepting. The emotional moment quickly turned into tears of joy, with Sawyer telling McBryde she was “the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“Thank you so much this is the biggest honor I’ve ever had in my life,” she responded.

The Grand Ole Opry has yet to share a date for Swayer June’s big moment in the circle.

source: https://countrynow.com/