Last night, Darius Rucker became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. And the way he found out may have been a bit unorthodox, but when you consider that the invite came in-person from none other than Brad Paisley, that’s to be expected.

After playing a set at the Opry, Darius answered a few questions from the audience. The person asking the final question, though, turned out to be Brad. He asked two questions: “Are you still the worst poker player in the world?” And then, “Would you like to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry?”

“Oh, you’re kidding me,” said an obviously surprised Darius. “Tonight? Really?” He then goes on to say “Wow” about a hundred times. Brad then takes the stage, the two buddies embrace. “I am totally moved,” says Darius, wiping tears from his eyes.

The section of the video below featuring Brad’s Opry invite begins at about the 2:22 mark:

Darius Rucker will receive his formal induction on Tues., Oct. 16 at the Opry House in Nashville. The event will air that night on the GAC program Noteworthy at the Opry.

Tonight I was honored by my good friend Brad Paisley when he inducted me into the Grand Ole Opry. What an honor. I am in awe.

— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) October 3, 2012

One of the greatest honors of my life was getting to ask my friend @dariusrucker to join the @opry tonight. Welcome to your new home pal.

— Brad Paisley (@BradPaisley) October 3, 2012

Formerly of Hootie and the Blowfish, Darius will release his third solo country album early next year. His current single is “True Believers.”

- Kurt Wolff, CBS Local