Carrie Underwood is a regular on the hallowed stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and in a new article, she opens up about an unexpected encounter with a country legend that took place backstage. The superstar says "it definitely caught me off guard" when one of country music's all-time icons walked by and smacked her on the backside.

"I was talking to Vince Gill," she recalls to People, pausing to joke about her casual name-dropping, "and somebody walked by me and smacked my rear."

"It definitely caught me off guard for a second," Underwood admits, adding, "and then I turned around, and that was my first time meeting Ms. Loretta Lynn!"

Underwood shared the hilarious recollection as part of a retrospective People published about the Opry turning 95 in October of 2020.

Opry members Dierks Bentley, Terri Clark, Gill and Lorrie Morgan are slated to kick off a month-long celebration at the Opry on Saturday night (Oct. 3), when limited in-person audiences are allowed to return to the venue for the first time since March. Lauren Alaina, Bill Anderson, Clint Black, Little Big Town, Chris Janson, Carly Pearce, Jeannie Seely, Josh Turner, Steve Wariner and more are among the artists scheduled to appear during the month.

Underwood remembers her debut appearance at the Opry fondly in the article, saying it was "magical" to step into the Circle for the first time.

"It was such a whirlwind because it was right after I was on American Idol," she recalls. "I was backstage, and there were so many people I was meeting and taking pictures with. I just felt like everyone was excited I was there, which was great, because I was excited that I was there!"

Underwood joined the Grand Ole Opry as a full member on May 10, 2008. Fellow Oklahoman Garth Brooks was on hand to induct the superstar into the country music institution, and she continues to perform there regularly.

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