Sara Evans Earns Opry Invitation, Celebrates 20 Years of ‘Restless’

Last week, Sara Evans rang in the 20th anniversary of her fourth studio album, Restless. To make the celebration even sweeter, Evans also received an invitation to become an Opry member.

The anniversary festivities were held at the Ryman Auditorium. In addition to Evans, Lady A’s Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood and Carly Pearce were in attendance. Kelley and Haywood performed Evans’ “Tonight” while Pearce took on “Suds in the Bucket.”

Restless was performed in its entirety throughout the night with Evans telling stories about that time in her life in between the songs. To cap off the Restless portion of the night, Kelley, Haywood, and Pearce presented Evans with a platinum plaque for “Suds in the Bucket.”

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While the platinum plaque was surely an exciting moment for Evans, it was quickly paled by her invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. Opry member Bill Anderson came out onto the stage to fete Evans and extend the invitation.

According to a release, Anderson asked Evans two questions. The first was a request for her to sing one of his songs, “Walk Out Backwards,” which she happily obliged. The second question was the big one: “Would you like to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry?”

“No,” Evans playfully said, holding back tears. “Of course, I would never say no to that question.”

After officially accepting her invitation, Evans performed a few more of her hits, “No Place That Far,” “I Keep Looking,” “A Little Bit Stronger,” and “Born To Fly.”

Evans released Restless in 2003. In addition to “Suds in the Bucket,” the album is also home to a number of standout Evans tracks including “Backseat of a Greyhound Bus,” “Perfect,” and “Tonight.”

She recently shared a deluxe edition of the record featuring live versions of “Tonight” and “Suds in the Bucket.”

Photos Courtesy of Catherine Powell / Press On Publicity