Craig Morgan shared a throwback moment with Jelly Roll after surprising him with his invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Morgan shared a clip on Instagram on Thursday (December 11), embracing the Beautifully Broken superstar backstage at the historic Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. The two artists hailed one another “my brother,” and took the stage together with a rendition of Morgan’s “Almost Home.” Jelly Roll said the early 2000s song helped him through difficult times, so it was a meaningful moment to share with a fellow Tennessee-born country star.

Morgan surprised Jelly Roll with an invitation to become an Opry member in a pre-recorded video on The Joe Rogan Experience on Wednesday (December 10). Morgan said in the clip, “Jelly Roll, you’re officially invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. It’s an honor to say welcome to the family, brother.” Jelly Roll said an Opry invitation is “as big as it gets,” in the emotional moment.

“I don’t even know what to say right now y’all,” the 2026 Grammy nominee wrote in a caption on Instagram as he shared a clip of his full circle surprise on Wednesday. “They invited me to be a member of the Opry. CRAIG MORGAN INVITED ME TO BE A MEMBER OF THE OPRY!!!! I’m honored beyond words and I can’t stop pinching myself. To everyone at the Opry, y’all are like family to me. To Craig Morgan, no matter how many times I say it i’ll never be able to tell you enough how much this has all meant to me. I love you Joe Rogan.”

Morgan shared a tribute to Jelly Roll on Thursday, writing in his caption: “You made it home, [Jelly Roll]. Welcome to the [Opry]!”

Jelly Roll, one of iHeartRadio’s most-played country artists in 2025, is part of the star-studded lineup of the 2025 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour presented by Capital One. The tour includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth and more, with Alex Warren, BigXthaPlug, Conan Gray, Ed Sheeran, Jessie Murph, Laufey, mgk, MONSTA X, Myles Smith, Nelly, Olivia Dean, Ravyn Lenae, Reneé Rapp, Shinedown, The Kid LAROI, Zara Larsson and other artists taking the stage. To relive the holiday magic, iHeartRadio is teaming up with ABC to bring the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour to fans across the country in an exclusive network special, slated to air in December. It will also be available the next day on Hulu. More info, including tickets, can be found at iHeartRadio.com/JingleBall.

Bob Delmont

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