Ashley McBryde remembered her most starstruck moment, saying, “I honked like a goose.”
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The country singer recalled meeting the celebrity who left her starstruck at the 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Ashley McBryde has met countless singers and celebrities over the years, but one moment still stands out as her most starstruck. It was at the 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards when she encountered Reba McEntire.
“She snuck in while I was doing a radio interview, and she got right next to my face and said into the microphone, ‘Hi, Ashley McBryde, this is Reba McEntire, and I’m your biggest fan,’” the 41-year-old “Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs” singer recalled to PEOPLE.
“I just literally honked like a goose at her,” McBryde added, admitting she nervously said “Hi” in response.
While the moment with Reba McEntire, 69, remains vivid in Ashley McBryde’s memory, she also recalls avoiding Emmylou Harris for years, fearing she wouldn’t be able to contain her excitement.
“If we were in the same building, I would walk the opposite direction because I knew I’d do something stupid,” McBryde explained.
However, last year, McBryde had the chance to perform alongside Harris, 77, at a benefit in New York City and realized her fears were unfounded.
“I was like, ‘I can’t talk to her. I can’t talk to her,’” McBryde recalled. “And then [Harris] just walks over to me and says, ‘Hey, come into my dressing room. I wanted to talk to you.’”
McBryde nervously thought, “Here it goes. I’m going to say something stupid,” but ended up having a wonderful conversation with the music legend, surprising herself.
McBryde shared with PEOPLE that there have been other moments where she said “stupid things” to people she admires.
“I’ve said stupid things to Patty Loveless. I’ve said stupid things to Morgan Stapleton. I almost said stupid things to Jackie Crawford,” she confessed, referring to the event she and Crawford hosted at Las Vegas’ Ariat store on December 12 during the National Finals Rodeo.
“When I look at her, I see the best in the world, and no matter what field or sport you’re in, it makes you feel both tiny and incredibly seen at the same time. I’m talking to the best at what she does, and that’s humbling,” McBryde explained.
She added, “Now that I’m sober, I know it’s okay to feel awkward about these things in the moment.”
Last month, Ashley McBryde marked 900 days of sobriety, a milestone she holds close to her heart.
Reflecting on her past, McBryde shared with PEOPLE, “I’d lost so much self-trust without even realizing it had completely vanished.”
She added, “My favorite thing about the last 915 days is that when I say something to you, you can trust it because I can trust it. I had no idea, and it’s one of the most cowboy lessons I’ve ever learned: the reason you can trust that person is because they trust themselves.”