Country Singer Joanna Smith Makes Her Opry Debut Tonight And Reflect On What It Means To Her

For any country singer, the ultimate dream is to be able to walk on the stage, get a friendly nod from Little Jimmy Dickens then stand in the six-foot circle of oak and sing their heart out.

I first met Joanna Smith in 2011 when she came by the studio to preview a few songs for us on-air. She got a great response when we put out the call for listeners to help pick her first single. Even though the label picked a different track to start her out with, I'm almost 100% positive each and every person who listened that morning, not only fell in love with her but realized the amount of pure country heart and talent this young lady has.

Tonight she takes her first steps into that famed six-foot circle of oak. Standing where Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Carrie Underwood and others before her have stood and felt the same mix of nerves and excitement that she will experience.

When I asked her what tonight means to her she replied, "It's one of those moments you dream about before you ever make it to town. When you are still a little girl with stars in your eyes! When I found out I was going to make my Opry debut it was a milestone to reflect back on the last nine years of chasing this dream. Very sentimental."

Joanna will get to sing two songs tonight, 'Hold My Hand' and 'Borrowed Wedding Dress'. She says, "They're both songs that I feel are great contemporary representations of traditional country music, both musically and lyrically. I co-wrote 'Borrowed Wedding Dress' about the true story of my mama's wedding, and it's bound to be even more special because Patty Loveless will be joining me to sing harmonies. Hers was the first album I ever owned, and I sang one of her songs at my first gig when I was six-years-old."

Tonight has to be pretty spectacular, not only because she playing the Opry but tonight, so is Loretta Lynn! Listeners and guests will also get to enjoy performances from Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, Connie smith, John Conlee, and more.

The Grand Ole Opry airs on legendary WSM-AM out of Nashville and if you're lucky, tonight you can pick it up on your radio dial. If not, join with me in prayer that GAC re-airs Joanna's performance!

Best of luck my friend.