HANCEVILLE (AP) — When they took the stage for the first time back in 2017, the Cotton Pickin’ Kids couldn’t possibly have known they might one day be entertaining fans under the lights of Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry.

But after the success of their latest viral hit, playing country music’s biggest shrine to all things authentic is looking more and more like a possibility, and less like a distant dream.

As of this week, the group’s online rendition of Earl Scruggs’ “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” has been viewed an astonishing 3.4 million times on Facebook, according to dad and de facto band manager Fabio Cipollari. Posted April 29, the clip gained momentum on social media almost immediately, and the numbers have just been climbing ever since.

“It hit 3 million views in about eight days,” says Fabio. “I mean it went fast. The kids called me at work, and they were coming apart. They were like, ‘I think this thing’s going viral!’ I ’m the kind of person who’s, like, ‘Nah — not us’ — but they were right. It’s been really neat.”

When your music reaches that many eyes and ears, there’s a good chance that there’ll be ripple effects. National radio host Delilah featured the clip on her nightly show, and mom Elizabeth Cipollari says it’s even gotten the attention of one country music insider in Nashville, who resolved to draft the kids to the Grand Ole Opry as soon as he saw — and heard — the band’s family-friendly and whimsical (yet seriously skilled) talent.

“That person has called us and kept in touch to work on getting the kids to the Grand Ole Opry. He’d heard the kids on their Facebook page, and he pretty much told us, ‘When I watched that video of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” I just think these kids are wonderful.’ He really wants them to get the opportunity to play there, which for us would be just a really special thing.”

The band’s mixture of real musicianship with an irresistibly wholesome and approachable take on bluegrass has earned them instant fans anytime they’ve shown up at a local event, or when traveling to bluegrass festivals and competitions in North Alabama and out of state (they already have two travel events lined up this summer; one in Indiana and the other in Tennessee). But the kids were still amazed, and more than a little excited, when their video went viral.

“I was like, on the floor, actually screaming,” admits daughter and fiddle player Therese, who posted the clip. “My sister makes fun of me because I was doing that. I was jumping up and down when I realized what was happening.”

The band has been posting videos regularly, and they’ve kept it up during the past two months, as social distancing has prevented them from booking gigs and playing in local venues. Therese says all their videos get good viewership and feedback, but she has no idea why this clip in particular is the one that took off. “I know a lot of people love the song, but I don’t know why that was the one,” she says.

Formed more than three years ago from the brothers and sisters of a family that was still in the process of growing, the Cotton Pickin’ Kids began playing small gigs at Berkeley Bob’s Coffee House — something they’ve continued to do, along with playing at other local festivals and events, ever since. When they first started, the youngest member of the band was two years old; the oldest was 14.

That begs a question: Are all the kids in the Cotton Pickin’ Kids — well, are they still kids? “I think so,” Elizabeth says with a laugh. “The oldest is 17, so I suppose he can still be considered a ‘kid.’ The youngest in the band is 9 now.”

To check out “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and the rest of the kids’ music — a mix of original songs and classic covers — find the Cotton Pickin’ Kids on Facebook, where you can also even order T-shirts and a CD (“Their skills have improved from when they recorded that,” Elizabeth notes with pride.) Then stay tuned as the Opry reopens and summer heats up: the next place you see the Cotton Pickin’ Kids just might be at the Mother Church of country music.