See Thomas Rhett’s Emotional Outpouring For Dad’s Grand Ole Opry Invite
on Jun 30, 2026
Thomas Rhett took to Instagram to reflect on the moment his dad, singer-songwriter Rhett Akins, was invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Rhett Akins Was Invited To Be An Opry Member Over The Weekend
On Sunday, June 28th, Rhett Akins was performing at the Grand Ole Opry as part of 90s Country Night, which featured performances from Lorrie Morgan, John Michael Montgomery’s son Walker Montgomery, Billy Dean, Dailey & Vincent, and Lee Roy Parnell.
While the crowd was loving every performer, Akins’ songs “That Ain’t My Truck,” “Don’t Get Me Started,” and “Kiss My Country Ass” were some highlights of the night.
But the fun didn’t stop there.
Akins was surprised on stage by Jon Pardi, who lovingly called the singer, “Rhettro.”
After saying some kind words about his longtime friend who co-wrote his one of his breakout hits “Dirt On My Boots,” Pardi said:
“You’ve always been family to me … but I’m here to invite you to be a part of different family. Rhett Akins, I’m here to invite you to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
As he was wiping tears from his eyes, his family joined him on stage to celebrate with him.
Akins’ 6-year-old son Brody ran out first, followed by his wife, Sonya, and his adult children Kasey Lee and country singer Thomas Rhett, among others.
Thomas Rhett’s hands were on his head in disbelief the entire time, knowing just how much this meant to his dad.
After finally taking it all in, Akins said, “Wow. All I do all day is write words, and I can’t think of any words right now, other than ‘thank you, Lord Jesus.’ I’ve been listening to the Grand Ole Opry since I was a kid with my grandparents, and watching it when it used to be on TNN, and playing here — any time they ask me, if I was in Alaska and they asked me to play, I’d fly home immediately, you know?”
He continued, “I love country music with all of my heart, have since I was a kid. All I ever wanted to do was just meet Hank Jr., you know? Meet George Strait. I never dreamed that I would be here in this Circle right here with Bill Monroe, and Minnie Pearl, and Roy Acuff, and Garth [Brooks] and Allen [Reynolds], and Jon Pardi.”
As he closed out his speech, he said, “I love country music. God bless y’all, thank you so much. I’m a member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Watch Pardi invite him below.
Thomas Rhett Shares Emotional Post Celebrating His Dad
After taking the evening to take it all in, Thomas Rhett shared a series of photos and videos to celebrate his father.
Alongside those photos and videos, he wrote, “I don’t have many words except for the fact that my dad has had a dream to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry since he was boy. He is a country music encyclopedia. There may be people out there that know it and have studied it extensively, but for people I know directly in my life, my dad knows it and loves it more that anyone I’ve ever known.”
Rhett continued, “He’s such a purist with music. He misses the days that people listened to records all the way through and didn’t just listen to the 20 second tik tok clip. He lives and breathes Hank sr, Merle haggard, Waylon Jennings and all the above. Dad I’m so proud of you. I love you. You deserve this! Can’t wait to celebrate this huge accomplishment.”
The first video in the post, Thomas was making sure that his dad was “100% completely surprised” by the invitation.
He told his dad, “For what it’s worth, I am beyond proud. That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes,” as Rhett was still wiping tears from his eyes.
“If you can dream it, it can happen,” Thomas said.
A slide further in the post featured Rhett singing the Hank Williams Sr. classic “”(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle” in his dressing room before the Opry show.
It’s clear Thomas Rhett is incredibly proud of his father, and we’re so happy he could be there to partake in this special moment despite being on his own tour.
See Thomas’ post below.
