Ashton Shepherd gets in the GAC circle

"It's an unbelievable feeling to meet people you admire and respect," said Shepherd. "So it was a dream come true for me to spend time with Vince and Patty, not to mention that we were sitting on the stage of The Ryman. It was a moment that I will always treasure. I actually chose one of their duets, You're My Kind of Woman, You're My Kind of Man, as my wedding song and to have the chance to tell them about that and how much their music has been an inspiration to me was such an amazing opportunity. They gave me such great advice about trusting my instincts and being gracious and most of all to be true to myself. After the interview, Patty actually invited me to come to her house in Georgia and she kept saying, 'I really mean it. I want you and your family to come and visit us.' I thought I was going to faint."

The television special also features Shepherd in her hometown of Leroy, Ala. (population 204.) The cameras captured Shepherd picking peas with her two-year old son James and the interview portion of the show features Shepherd sitting on the front porch swing of the pickin' shed. "Getting to tape an interview at the pickin' shed was just perfect," said Shepherd. "I used to play music there three or four nights a week so to get to talk about my career sitting on that porch was extra special."

Shepherd's second single, Sounds So Good, has charted. Her debut disc was released earlier this year.