Vince Gill Surprises Mark Wills With Grand Ole Opry Invitation [Watch]
Mark Wills is set to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Vince Gill surprised the "19 Something" singer with the invitation to join the country music institution onstage at the Opry on Friday night (Dec. 21) at the end of the evening's performance. Gill brought Wills to center stage, put an arm around him and said, "We at the Opry would like to ask you to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry," as the fans who were on hand for the special moment roared.
In the video above, an emotional Wills drops to his knees and puts his hand over his eyes as the weight of Gill's words fully impacts him.
"That boy has been the greatest supporter and greatest proponent of what this Opry stands for, these people," Gill tells the audience, his other arm still around Wills. "Will you do it?" he asks the singer, who, unable to speak, simply offers Gill a high-five in acceptance.
"Now I like him even more! He's a crybaby, like me," Gill tells the fans.
The heartwarming moment came at the end of an evening which also saw the institution mark guitarist Jimmy Capps' 60th anniversary with the Opry. Capps is a Musicians Hall of Fame member who plays with the Opry's house band. He first performed on the Grand Ole Opry stage with the Louvin Brothers in December of 1958, while he was still a teenager. The Grand Ole Opry has re-named the band room backstage at the Opry House the Jimmy Capps Music Room.
Wills released his debut single, "Jacob's Ladder," in 1996 and began performing at the Grand Ole Opry not long after. His hits include "Places I've Never Been," "I Do (Cherish You)," "She's in Love" and "Back at One." He's scored two No. 1 hits with "She's in Love" and "19 Somethin'." He's set to be formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Jan. 11, 2019.
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