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Reba McEntire reminisced on the moment she surprised Lainey Wilson on Th Voice.
McEntire said she’s “getting ready for The Voice finale this week,” as she looked back on “one of my favorite” moments on the show. The country megastar posted a clip of that moment on Instagram over the weekend, and said Wilson’s “reaction says it all!”
Wilson took the stage with “Hang Tight Honey” during The Voice finale in May 2024. McEntire said at that time the she was “so proud” of the Whirlwind hitmaker, particularly after her success at the Academy of Country Music Awards days earlier. She went on to surprise Wilson with an invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
“Lainey, I am so proud of you,” McEntire said at the time. “You did a wonderful job, and I have heard that I’ve inspired you in what you’ve done so far, and I am thrilled to death if I have anything to do with you career because you are blowing it up. I was so proud of you at the ACMs the other night, and I couldn’t be more proud to be the one that helps you continue to bridge the gap between our generations (and) keep them all going. I’d like to be the person to invite you to be a member, (an) official member, of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Wilson exclaimed, “holy moly,” during that moment. She said during a previous interview with iHeartCountry that she’d visited the Opry for the first time when she was 9 years old. She remembered the “overwhelming feeling” that she’d become a country artist and perform on that stage someday. Wilson said when McEntire invited her to become an Opry member, “I knew that I wanted to play there. I wanted to do it. And it is so crazy that you are asking me to be a member because I look up to you so much. I’m not talking about just musically, but the way that you carry yourself, and your work ethic. You inspire me every day.”
Wilson, who was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on June 7, 2024, said it was “a moment I’ll never forget,” when she commented on McEntire’s throwback clip on Instagram.
McEntire returned to The Voice as a coach this season alongside Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg and Niall Horan. The legendary country star said in an interview with iHeartCountry earlier this year that “we want to lift up” the rising artists on the show. “We want to inspire. We want to encourage, not tear down. They get enough of that out there in the world.”
The Voice live finale will air on Monday evening (December 15) at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on NBC. Results will air live on Tuesday evening (December 16) at the same time. Each episode will be available to stream the following day on Peacock.