PLATINUM-selling Broken Bow Records star DUSTIN LYNCH has made it to the mountaintop of Country music, officially becoming the newest member of the GRAND OLE OPRY last night (9/18).

Inducted into the hallowed institution by iconic entertainer and Opry member REBA MCENTIRE, the moment came as a complete surprise to Lynch. He later shared, “I wouldn’t have wanted to be inducted by anyone else … Reba’s the top of my list. She could have been anywhere in the world today and chose to be here. That means so much to me.”

Lynch was praised for bringing a tasteful sense of modern energy to his well-documented love of traditional Country, and welcomed into the Opry’s permanent cast by a packed house of fans, friends and family. Realizing a lifelong dream, the Tennessee native could barely contain his emotions as he stepped into the Opry’s famous onstage circle for the first time as a full member.

“I told everybody before I came out here I’m a crybaby, and I get it from my dad,” said Lynch. Thanking his friends, family, bandmates, and everyone who plays a part in his career for sharing in his dreams, he continued, “This is one of those dreams right now … Thank you for allowing us to live the dream.”

There was even more good news in store for Lynch, as BBR Music Group Executive Vice President Jon Loba stepped up to surprise the star with a special commemorative plaque. Lynch has now surpassed 1 BILLION DIGITAL STREAMS over the course of his career, stretching all the way back to his PLATINUM-certified 2012 debut, “Cowboys and Angels.” Since then the hitmaker has racked up five more PLATINUM or GOLD #1 singles (“Where It’s At,” “Hell of a Night,” “Mind Reader,” “Seein’ Red” and “Small Town Boy”) and three Top 5 Country albums (DUSTIN LYNCH, WHERE IT’S AT and CURRENT MOOD).

His Opry induction follows another event, which framed Lynch as a piece of Tennessee’s musical history – the SIX DEGREES TO TENNESSEE ROOTS JAM at the historic New Daisy Theatre in Memphis, TN, hosted by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. With Grammy winners The Roots serving as a house band, the Saturday night (9/15) concert featured Lynch alongside artists like Elle King, The Isley Brothers, and Booker T., highlighting connections between the genres that call Tennessee home – blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll. The event was meant to help launch the new Tennessee Music Pathways program, which allows fans to plan their own statewide musical pilgrimages online.

Meanwhile, Lynch’s grooving current single “Good Girl” is making its way up the Country radio charts, and its action-packed video is live now. Up next for Lynch is a high-profile performance at the all-genre iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, NV, on Saturday (9/22), and he’ll team up with Cole Swindell and special guest Lauren Alaina for the REASON TO DRINK … ANOTHER TOUR beginning October 4 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.