Ashley McBryde Gets Emotional During Heartwarming Opry Performance with Aspiring Young Artist
By Website Content Manager
“Everyone, make sure you remember the name Sawyer June,” McBryde emphasizes.
Ashley McBryde recently shared a heartwarming and unexpected moment that occurred during a visit to the Grand Ole Opry, where she met a young fan named Sawyer June. In a video recap, McBryde reflects on their backstage encounter, singing together and witnessing a reminder of music’s powerful impact.
Sawyer first caught McBryde’s attention during her performance in the Opry circle on Sunday, Feb. 22. While performing her emotional song “Light On In the Kitchen,” McBryde noticed the girl, around 10 or 12 years old, and her mother singing along at the front of the audience. McBryde admits she had to look away during the performance to avoid getting too emotional.
After the show, as McBryde and her band were packing up, they ran into a tour group that included Sawyer and her parents. “I stopped to say hello, and at the front of the group were the young girl and her parents. I shook her hand, learned her name, and they even gave me pecans from their farm, which I love,” McBryde recalls. “Then they mentioned she’s a singer too, and her mom said she performs ‘Bible And A .44’ really well.”
That revelation prompted McBryde to grab her guitar and sing a few lines of the song with Sawyer. In the video, the two sit on the floor harmonizing flawlessly together, showcasing the young singer’s remarkable talent and passion.
“She didn’t miss a breath, and her voice, agility, and tone were incredible,” McBryde says. “The most magical part was sitting with her, singing harmony, and then inviting everyone to join for the last chorus. Moments like this can’t be planned. I told her she’s a star and that I expect to see her on the Opry stage one day.”
McBryde admits that the rest of the night at the historic Nashville venue is a blur, overshadowed by her encounter with Sawyer. She plans to follow the young singer’s journey on social media, confident in her bright future.
Seeing Sawyer’s enthusiasm reminded McBryde of why she became an artist in the first place. “I often talk about making records that inspire others to make records, writing songs that make others want to write, singing songs that make someone want to sing. She looked at me and said, ‘You’re my favorite singer and always will be.’ I told her the same. That was a truly magical moment—it’s why we do what we do, and it happened only at the Grand Ole Opry.”
In a follow-up post, McBryde shared the full video of the duet. Sawyer led the song while McBryde harmonized, eventually inviting the rest of the tour group to join. The performance left onlookers visibly moved, with tears quietly shed during the special moment.