10 Opry Women Who've Blazed the Trail - Grand Ole Opry
A lot of talent has come out of the women of the Opry these past 95 years, and there’s no telling how many future Opry members in these next 95 years they will have inspired.
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Carrie's included
When Carrie Underwood came onto the scene after winning American Idol in 2005, a curious thing was happening on country radio: While the ladies of country music dominated the nineties, fewer female artists were getting radio airplay and reaching the top of the charts in the new millennium.
But the “Before He Cheats” singer broke through, earning herself nine No. 1 songs before the close of the decade and the distinction of being the first solo female artist to win the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year award in nine years.
While Carrie has always stood out for her powerful vocals and emotion-injected ballads, she has also stood up for other female artists, even when she’s been the lone woman at the top of the charts. “We have so much talent, we just need some more open doors,” she said in 2019, speaking openly about the need for equal opportunity for women in the genre.
Carrie’s talent and grace has earned her the admiration of many rising female artists, including that of fellow Opry member Kelsea Ballerini, whom Carrie inducted on stage in 2019. “I really wouldn’t know what it looks like to be a woman in country music without Carrie Underwood — and every [woman who] is on the wall of the Women of Country dressing room — but especially this one,” .