black opry tour

Get tickets to a Black Opry Revue near you.

Berkeley, CA @ Freight & Salvage

Lori Rayne | Layna | Deidra Hall | Naomi Wachira

Barre, VT @ Barre Opera House

Sug Daniels | Grace Givertz | LW "Blue Water" Watterson | Mehuman | Tylar Bryant

Keene, NH @ Showroom

Sug Daniels | Grace Givertz

Jacksonville, FL @ JAX Music Experience

Jared Michael Cline | Mia Borders | Lori Rayne | Layna

Virginia Beach, VA @ Sandler Center

Roberta Lea | Julie Williams | Jett Holden | Whitney Monge | Tylar Bryant

Fort Collins, CO @ Lincoln Center

Garry Blackchild | Nicky Diamonds | Rachel Maxann | Ally Free | Nick Tabron

Detroit, MI @ Detroit Institute Of Arts

On Sale Soon

Jett Holden | Isaiah Cunningham | Nathan Graham | Christine Melody

Aspen, CO @ Wheeler Opera House

Tylar Bryant | Jett Holden | Julie Williams | Carmen Dianne | Nick Tabron

03/1-3/8/2024

Cayamo Journey Through Song Cruise

SOLD OUT Waiting List

Leon Timbo | The Kentucky Gentlemen

Wolf Trap, VA @ Barns at Wolf Trap

Sug Daniels | Grace Givertz | Tylar Bryant | Rachel Maxann | Roberta Lea

Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Tortuga Music Fest

Tylar Bryant | The Kentucky Gentlemen | Julie Williams | Roberta Lea

Studio Mama Supper Club

Black Opry Revue tours again

clock This article was published more than  2 years ago

Black artists have been sidelined in country music for decades. The Black Opry is here to change that.

‘the industry has survived so long by keeping us separated,’ says the founder of a tour that also functions as a resource for performers and fans. ‘well, now we have community.’.

Holly G, a writer and flight attendant from Virginia, has experienced a lot of surreal situations in the 10 months since she launched Black Opry , an organization and online community for Black country music artists and fans. But one particular moment stands out.

In December, the Black Opry hosted a show at Exit/In, a legendary club in Nashville. At the end of the night, singer-songwriter Allison Russell — who had just received three Grammy nominations in the Americana and American Roots categories — invited all of the singers in the room to join her, whether they performed or not. Suddenly, there were about 20 artists of color onstage, a celebratory scene Holly never thought she would witness in an overwhelmingly White genre that often glosses over its lack of diversity.

“The whole reason I started doing this was because I did not see people in country music — and that includes the fans, the executives and the artists — that looked myself,” Holly said in a recent interview. “It was one of those moments where it just felt historic, and like something important was happening.”

Holly started Black Opry from her bedroom last April, as an attempt to heal her relationship with the genre. She grew up loving country music, but in recent years, she increasingly felt that a lot of people in the industry probably didn’t share the same values she did. She wondered whether some singers would even want her to attend their concerts. With a few exceptions, country music has long sidelined Black artists, with labels and songwriting rooms filled with mostly White singer-songwriters. Last year, a study by musicologist Jada Watson found that over the past two decades, a mere 1.5 percent of singers with songs on country radio were Black or Indigenous artists of color.

So Holly created a website where she could write about artists of color and help boost their profiles and perhaps connect with other country music enthusiasts. Within two weeks, she was inundated with messages from singers and fans who wanted to participate and support the group, and quickly became a sounding board for aspiring Black artists eager for a community. She got so many requests for concerts that she had to hire a booking agent, which is how she put together the Black Opry Revue, a tour that will stop in Washington on Feb. 17 at City Winery.

The lineup for the D.C. show, a writers round-style event where the artists share the stories behind the songs, includes Jett Holden, a “powerhouse” voice; Tylar Bryant, a Texas native whom Holly recruited after seeing him on YouTube; Autumn Nicholas, who has been hosting songwriter events in Nashville; Roberta Lea, who was initially hesitant to sing country music but Holly said has “blossomed”; and Frankie Staton, founder of the Black Country Music Association in the 1990s.

“Even though everyone connected online, to see it in person really strikes you in a different way, and it kind of makes all of it real,” Holly said. “Every time we go to a show, it leaves me speechless because I just didn’t ever think I would see people like me making the music that I like.”

Although the events and early success of the Black Opry made Holly feel like a kid joyously running around a toy store — she still can’t believe some of her favorite singers have become her friends — there have been challenges. Plenty of people don’t like being reminded that country music has a race problem. Holly doesn’t use her last name in media interviews because of death threats she’s received for pointing out the racism — and those who turn a blind eye to it — that is still prevalent in the country music industry, even after some Nashville organizations pledged to improve diversity during the nationwide response to George Floyd’s death in police custody in 2020.

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The group formed text threads and Instagram group chats; members planned co-writing sessions and recorded songs together, in addition to performing shows across the country. Many bonded during AmericanaFest in Nashville last fall, where they got together in a rented house and joked that it felt as if they were on a sitcom, because every time someone knocked on the door, it was another singer wanting to join in the fun.

Holden, who had all but given up on a music career when the coronavirus pandemic hit, said that as a Black and gay man, he was often told by country music executives that he wasn’t “marketable.” Then Holly found him on Instagram and urged him not to quit, bringing him into the Black Opry fold.

“I didn’t know I needed it until I had it, and now I can’t imagine being without it,” he said. “It’s the most welcoming environment. We don’t care who you are or what you look like, what your sexuality or race is, it doesn’t matter. We’re there to all share music.”

So far he has been part of several Black Opry Revue lineups. “People try to pigeonhole Black artists in the genre to try to make it seem like we’re all the same, but we all have our own niches,” he said. “It’s a very diverse show.”

The website features profiles on artists who have seen mainstream success such as Darius Rucker, Jimmie Allen and Mickey Guyton, though mostly includes singers starting to make a breakthrough, including Breland, Brittney Spencer and Blanco Brown. The site also features Rissi Palmer, who released her debut country album in 2007 but left her label and Nashville when she found it soul-crushing to navigate the industry as a Black woman who was constantly under scrutiny.

Holly was first inspired to create the Black Opry when she discovered Palmer’s work as the radio host of Apple Music’s “Color Me Country,” which launched in fall 2020 and focuses on the Black, Indigenous and Latino roots of country music. In addition, Palmer gave out grants to other artists of color, all the while working on her own music career.

“It feels unfair to me that the artists don’t get to just make their art. They have to do all of this extra work to be seen as a dignified human being before anybody even gets to their art,” Holly said. “I don’t have any, like, musical art to share, so I feel like it’s less of a burden for me to do it. And it takes some of the burden off of them if I’m helping create that space.”

In early January, the Grand Ole Opry posted a photo of Morgan Wallen making a surprise appearance alongside his friend, the singer-songwriter Ernest. The two sang their new duet, “Flower Shops” prompting criticism from artists and fans who were disappointed and angry to see the Nashville institution participating in Wallen’s redemption tour after he was caught on video last year saying the n-word.

Holly publicly posted a letter that she sent to the Grand Ole Opry (“A stage that was once a dream destination for many Black artists has now cemented itself as one of the many Nashville stages on which we know we are not respected.”), which circulated on social media and included in a wave of news coverage about the incident. Part of the reason the story got so much attention, she theorized, is that Black performers in Nashville felt comfortable speaking out, leading to a backlash that was hard to ignore.

“The industry has survived so long by keeping us separated. Some of the Black artists that have been doing this for a very long time will tell you that when they started, [executives] would pit the Black artists against each other,” she said. “By creating that division, there was never community. Well, now we have community. And when you have community, your voice is a lot stronger. And when your voice is stronger, people hear you.”

An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of country music artist Tylar Bryant. This story has been corrected.

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Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream) Black Opry Revue

Millennium Stage

Black Opry is home for Black artists, fans and industry professionals working in country, Americana, blues, and folk music.

Online advance reservations for a given performance date will open on a rolling basis, opening every Wednesday two weeks out from the date.

Sat. Apr. 8, 2023

Upcoming Dates

Sat. Apr. 8, 2023 6p.m.

Event Information

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“Black Opry has grown beyond its blog origins to be a force of change and a leader in the movement to bring racial equity to country music ” — Rolling Stone

“The Black Opry has rapidly become a vital voice” — Billboard

Black Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since its conception. For just as long, we have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that. We invite you to discover, support and enjoy the Black artists that make magic in this space. One of the most valuable aspects of country music is its versatility and diversity in sound. Country, blues, folk, and Americana music often overlap or weave together- these artists explore all of those sounds and intersections. The Black Opry Revue showcases the diversity in sound and stories that Black artists offer to these genres.

The lineup includes Autumn Nicholas, Nikki Morgan, Leon Timbo, and Frankie Staton & Friends from the Black Country Music Association.

This collaboration set between The Black Opry and and The Black Country Music Association will follow the opening of an exhibit in the country music hall of fame that honors both organizations and we are really excited to celebrate that milestone with this special show!

Ticketing & Entry

For all Millennium Stage performances, a limited number of advance reservations are available on a first come, first served basis. Advance reservations do not guarantee a seat, and patrons are encouraged to arrive early.

For live Millennium Stage performances free tickets will also be available at the Hall of States Box Office on the day of the performance, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Seating is first come, first served. Standing room is available behind the seated area as space allows.

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All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.

All ticket are subject to change based on demand. Get them early to lock in on the best seats!

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The Black Opry Revue Tour

The langley federal credit union concert series.

• Date Feb 16 , 2024

Event Starts 8:00 PM

• Doors Open 7:00 PM
• Ticket Prices $25, $30, $35, $45
• Availability On Sale Now

Event Details

Black Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since its conception. For just as long, we have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that. We invite you to discover, support, and enjoy the Black artists that make magic in this space. One of the most valuable aspects of country music is its versatility and diversity in sound. Country, blues, folk, and Americana music often overlap or weave together - these artists explore all of those sounds and intersections. The Black Opry Revue showcases the diversity in sound and stories that Black artists offer to these genres. Julie Williams Website | Spotify | Youtube Tylar Bryant Website | Spotify | Youtube Jett Holden Spotify | Youtube Roberta Lea Website | Spotify | Youtube Whitney Mongé Website | Spotify | Youtube

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Black Opry presents

The black opry revue tour, with julie williams • tae lewis • tylar bryant • tracey blake, show starts, day of show.

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With graham hunt, brad williams, with jordan mackampa, 49 winchester, with zandi holup.

The Black Opry to Honor Alice Randall as it Celebrates its Three Year Anniversary

At City Winery Nashville on Thursday, April 25.

Peformers and special guests to be announced.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 23.

NASHVILLE, TN - (February 20, 2024) - The Change Agent·cy, Oh Boy Records, and Wrangler present The Black Opry Three Year Anniversary Celebration Honoring Alice Randall on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 23 at 12 p.m. CT and can be purchased at citywinery.com/nashville ; performers and special guests to be announced.

As part of its mission to uplift the Black country music community, the Black Opry is proud to honor author and songwriter Alice Randall and the release of her upcoming book “My Black Country” (April 9 by Simon & Schuster) and the accompanying album My Black Country The Songs of Alice Randall (April 12 through Oh Boy Records). The City Winery Nashville show will include performances of unreleased tracks from Randall’s catalog, as well as original music from Black Opry Revue performers to celebrate the past, present, and future of Black country music.

Black Opry Co-Founder Holly G reflects: “Over the past few years, we have been excited to discover so many Black artists who are making country music, but they’re not the only ones who need our recognition and support - it’s Black executives, fans, team members, and at the heart of it all, Black songwriters who are worth celebrating.”

Holly continues: “And what better way to commemorate the Black Opry’s third anniversary than to salute the one-and-only Alice Randall - a key figure in Black country music history and a woman who deserves to be honored and heard. We look forward to welcoming many of our Black Opry Revue touring members to the stage, along with special guests, in what promises to be a night of celebration and love.”

The Black Opry is a fast growing organization that seeks to create equity and opportunities for Black artists working in the country, Americana, folk, and roots music industries. Although this music has been made by, and loved by, Black people since its inception, they have been overlooked and excluded from participating in it. The Black Opry wants to change that by advocating for the evolution of country music, as well as other genres, to create a safe, welcoming space for Black artists, fans, and executives within the industry.

The organization's signature program, The Black Opry Revue, is an ongoing tour of the U.S. that features an ever-changing lineup of unique Black artists. After the success of three stand-alone shows in late 2021, the tour launched in earnest in January of 2022. The Black Opry Revue predominantly features acoustic performances “in the round,” a Nashville tradition where artists are able to share their music and stories with the audience in an intimate but powerful way, which is made even more impactful with the inclusion of Black voices. The Revue has provided more than 150 artists an opportunity to play paid dates at over 120 venues and festivals including notable venues Dollywood, CMA Fest, Newport Folk Fest, Americana Fest, Willie Nelson's Luck Ranch, and The Troubadour.

"Black Opry has grown beyond its blog origins to be a force of change and a leader in the movement to bring racial equity to country music." - Rolling Stone

"The Black Opry has rapidly become a vital voice." - Billboard

"The country music establishment has a long history of ignoring the other instead of bracing those who might offer different perspectives and experiences. Thanks to Holly G, and the Black Opry Revue, these stories will not be ignored any longer." - Country Standard Time

ABOUT BLACK OPRY:

Black Opry, founded by Holly G, is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. The Black Opry Revue showcases the diversity in sound and stories that Black artists offer to these genres. Black Opry Revue is currently touring nationwide featuring different artists. A full list of tour dates can be found at BlackOpryRevue.com .

The Black Opry Three-Year Anniversary Celebration Honoring Alice Randall is sponsored by The Change Agent·cy , Oh Boy Records , and Wrangler . For more information on The Black Opry, visit BlackOpry.com .

ABOUT ALICE RANDALL:

Alice Randall is a New York Times best-selling novelist, award-winning songwriter, educator, and food activist. A graduate of Harvard University, she holds an honorary doctorate from Fisk University, is on the faculty at Vanderbilt University, and credits Detroit’s Ziggy Johnson School of the Theater with being the most influential educational institution in her life. She is widely recognized as being one of the most significant voices in 21st century African-American fiction.

Randall has presented across the nation: In auditoriums, libraries, museums, and ballrooms; in fields, in graveyards, and harborside. She once did a talk for a group of students as they marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In all those spaces she weaves history, literature, practical wisdom, and political passion into powerful exchanges with large and small audiences. She covers expected territory in unexpected ways and makes unexpected territory accessible.

Her most frequent topics include fiction, fiction writing, and literary theory; soul food cookbooks, Black foodways, and Black Cocktail culture; Black presence and influence in country music, country lyrics in American culture, and country music through a feminist lens. She is known for integrating cooking demonstrations, food tastings, and even pop-up hula-hooping sessions into her talks. Randall’s fiction has been or is currently being taught at a wide range of universities, including Fisk, Harvard, Iowa State, Penn State, Philander Smith, Princeton, Tuskegee, The University of Texas Austin, The University of Virginia, and Wesleyan.

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Black Opry Revue showcases Black country and folk singers

Philly songwriter Sug Daniels was joined on stage by Jett Holden, Roberta Lea, Tylar Bryant and Autumn Nicholas at City Winery Philadelphia.

Country music has never been as white as it’s pretended to be.

The banjo has roots in West Africa. Black harmonica player DeFord Bailey helped launch the Grand Ole Opry in the 1920s. Hank Williams was tutored by Alabama blues musician Rufus “Tee-Tot” Payne.

The late Charlie Pride and Darius Rucker are household names, but deserving Black artists from Stoney Edwards in the ‘70s to Rissi Palmer in the ‘00s have not been welcomed into the country establishment with open arms.

But many Black country and Americana acts are now making themselves impossible to ignore. Mickey Guyton’s star has been on the rise since her song “Black Like Me” became a hit following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. She sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at this month’s Super Bowl and will play the Roots Picnic in June.

Allison Russell’s Outside Child topped my Inquirer list of the best albums of 2021. Last week, it was announced that Milton, Del., country singer Jimmie Allen will join American Idol as a mentor.

And Jason Isbell’s landmark stand at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in October included opening sets by seven Black women, including powerhouse vocalist Brittney Spencer and blues woman Adia Victoria.

» READ MORE: Rising star Brittney Spencer, who plays two Philly shows Friday: ‘I’m a Black woman, and I love country music.”

All of which brings us to the Black Opry Revue, the concert tour promoted by impresario and advocate Holly G., a country fan from Virginia who founded Black Opry to create “a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music” in 2021 because she didn’t feel comfortable going to country concerts as solitary Black woman surrounded by a sea of white faces. She started the Black Opry website, she told Rolling Stone, as “attempt to heal my relationship with [country music] more than anything.”

During AmericanaFest last September, Holly G. cohosted a Black Opry house in Nashville where Black artists she discovered online could play music together. That has blossomed into the Black Opry Revue, which played City Winery Philadelphia last Wednesday and will play Arden Gild Hall in Delaware on Saturday .

At the Winery — where the venue still required proof of vaccination though the city has dropped that mandate for restaurant dining — the Revue featured Sug Daniels, Jett Holden, Roberta Lea, Tylar Bryant, and Autumn Nicholas, who were together on stage throughout what was often an emotionally devastating 2-hour, 15-minute show.

Holly G. introduced the quintet, saying the Black Opry Revue’s goal “is to diversify country music and change the way it looks and sounds.”

She expands on that on the Black Opry website: “Country music has been made and loved by Black people since its conception. For just as long, we have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that.”

Daniels, who lives in Philadelphia and first made her name with the Wilmington band Hoochi Coochi , played a ukulele, sitting to the left of her counterparts who have been touring together but whom she only met that afternoon. The camaraderie among the like-minded musicians was instant: “I feel like my cousins are coming to town,” she said.

The front porch “guitar pull” format of the show moved down the line for five rounds, each artist taking turns showcasing a song. (When the tour comes to the historic venue in Arden, where Lead Belly played in 1947, Daniels’ and Nicholas’ spots will be taken by Aaron Vance and Lizzie No. )

Of the five artists at City Winery, Bryant, who’s a native Texan, was the one whose style most closely aligned with contemporary commercial country, from his resonant voice to his trucker’s hat and a NASCAR reference in a song whose title was emblazoned on his jean jacket: “Stay Wild.”

Lea is a Nashville-based former schoolteacher and a robust singer whose music leans towards country-soul. “Ghetto Country Streets” was wistful and nostalgic. “Sweet Baby Ray” and “King Size” were the sexiest songs of the night. And a new song that turned on the line “If I’m too much of a woman for you, then you’re too little of a man” was a crowd-pleaser.

Daniels, who opens for John Oates & Guthrie Trapp at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville on March 16, focused on songs from her Franklin Street EP, that are open, inviting, and instantly hummable. She makes good use of the uke. A standout was “Heavy,” about taking the risk to suggest a relationship move out of the friend zone.

Heavy is also a word that applied to the thematic content of the evening, which turned up in intensity after Nicholas, whose tense, deeply personal songs bring Ani DiFranco to mind, sang “On a Sunday,” about coming to terms with her sexual identity while growing up in the church in North Carolina.

Holden followed with a song about coming out as queer to his Jehovah’s Witness family. The guitarist with a taste for gothic country and an arresting voice that’s raspy down low and haunting in its upper range was working at a call center in Tennessee and posting songs on YouTube when he was contacted by Holly G., whom he thanked for “doing a great job of traveling around and bringing Black artists together.”

Later Holden sang a stunner called “When I’m Gone,” about a friend’s suicide. In his turn, Bryant then sang “If You Need an Angel” about his brother’s suicide.

But the most impressive song of the night was Holden’s “Taxidermy,” which he recorded after receiving a $500 grant from Palmer, who is an advocate for Black country artists on her Color Me Country podcast.

The song calls out religious hypocrisy. “I’ll believe that my life matters to you, when the Bible’s not a tool you use to crucify,” the star of this night’s Black Opry Revue sang, while also critiquing social media virtue-signaling that, when not accompanied by antiracist action, can amount to reducing Black trauma to nothing more than “taxidermy on your Facebook wall.”

Black Opry Revue with Roberta Lea , Aaron Vance , Tylar Bryant , Jett Holden , and Lizzie No at Arden Gild Hall, 2126 The Highway, Arden., Delaware. ardenconcerts.com.

COPYRIGHT ©2020 SHELDON ARTS FOUNDATION

The Black Opry Revue

• Music + Concert
• Country + Folk

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Featuring Rachel Maxann, Grace Givertz, Nicky Diamonds, Tylar Bryant and Sug Daniels

Country music has been a part of Black culture since its inception. The Black Opry Revue explores the sounds and intersections that weave together country, blues, folk and Americana music, and showcases the diversity in the sound and stories that Black artists bring to these genres. The Sheldon invites audiences to discover, support and enjoy the artists that make magic in The Black Opry, which is a home for Black artists and fans of these treasured styles of music.

View NPR’s Live Sessions with The Black Opry Revue

All prices include a $1 per ticket historic preservation fee.

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Alice Randall to be celebrated at Black Opry's 3rd Anniversary event

Award-winning author, educator and songwriter alice randall will be celebrated by african-american singer-songwriter collective the black opry at their 3rd anniversary event on apr. 25, 2024..

On the precipice of launching a record label while continuing a nationwide barnstorming tour of songwriting rounds, the Nashville-based Black Opry has announced a third-anniversary celebration at Music City's City Winery venue honoring Alice Randall on April 25.

The groundbreaking Black country music industry creative's forthcoming memoir and accompanying album, "My Black Country" arrive two weeks before the Black Opry's event.

The Change Agent-cy, Oh Boy Records and Wrangler will support the festivities.

Tickets go on sale Feb. 23 at noon CT and can be purchased at citywinery.com/nashville .

Performers and special guests will be announced soon. They will play unreleased tracks from Randall's catalog and original music from Black Opry Revue performers to celebrate Black country music's past, present, and future.

Randall has a four-decade-long legacy as one of Nashville's ultimate multi-hyphenates: chart-topping country songwriter, legendary music publisher, award-winning author and Vanderbilt University's Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities.

Among many career highlights, alongside Matraca Berg, Randall was the first Black woman to write a No. 1 country single, Trisha Yearwood's 1994 hit "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)."

Black Opry Co-Founder Holly G promises the event will highlight the Americana, country, folk and roots artists the Black Opry has discovered and celebrate Black executives, fans, team members, and songwriters.

She cites that Randall is a "key figure in Black country music history and a woman who deserves to be honored and heard."

In the past three years, the Black Opry Revue has provided more than 150 artists an opportunity to play paid dates at over 120 venues and festivals, including notable venues Dollywood, CMA Fest, Newport Folk Fest, Americana Fest, Willie Nelson's Luck Ranch and Los Angeles' famed Troubadour venue.

For more information on The Black Opry, visit blackopry.com .

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20 Surprising Famous Guests of the Grand Ole Opry

From barn dance musicians to bluegrass virtuosos to modern country megastars, many of the world’s greatest performers have stepped foot on the grand ole opry stage, but what many people don’t realize is that a number of well-known faces beyond the country music community have made opry debuts of their own..

By Bayley Renovich

U.S. Presidents

1.  Numerous U.S. presidents have paid visits to the Opry, each leaving a lasting mark on the show’s history. President Richard Nixon was the first to do so in 1974 during the grand opening of the Grand Ole Opry House. He played “Happy Birthday” for his wife and “God Bless America” for the audience on the piano, making him the only president to actually perform on the show. President Nixon was joined on stage by Roy Acuff, who was not only a master of the fiddle but also the yo-yo. Acuff gave Nixon a quick yo-yo lesson, but the president had some trouble learning the ropes. Nixon quipped, “I will stay here and try to learn how to use the yo-yo; you go up and be president, Roy.”

2.  In 1980, President Jimmy Carter held a town hall-style meeting at the Grand Ole Opry House when running for re-election. A longtime politician with Georgia roots, he opened his speech by saying, “It is really good to be back down home. You probably think I came down here to campaign for president, but I really came down here to hear Bill Monroe and his band.” He recalled how he had long dreamed of standing on the Grand Ole Opry stage — he just never would’ve thought that being able to do so would first require becoming commander in chief.

3. President Ronald Reagan was next to visit on Sept. 13, 1984. He stopped by the Opry to help celebrate Acuff’s 81st birthday. There, he campaigned for his second term as president and praised the life and lyrics of Mr. Acuff.

4. Reagan’s successor, President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush were big fans of the Opry. The couple showed their love for country music by enjoying multiple visits to the Opry while serving in office. Their passion for the show is immortalized in a letter written by the president on Air Force Two stationery, in which he thanked Minnie Pearl for the hospitality she showed them during one of their famed visits.

5. President George W. Bush was the most recent president to visit. Just one day after giving his fifth State of the Union address, President Bush gave a speech at the Opry. At this gathering, the president was greeted on stage by Opry group Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers.

6. During an extended stay in Nashville, music legend and former member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney, made his first appearance at the Opry. On June 16, 1974, McCartney and his wife, Linda, watched the third annual Grand Masters Fiddling Contest from the audience. Afterward, they spent time backstage with Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner. It was the final show that Parton and Wagoner were billed together as a duet before Parton pursued a solo career. McCartney returned to the Opry again just 12 days later, where he was introduced to the audience by Roy Acuff. He did not perform, but he did mingle backstage with various artists, including Chet Atkins.

7. In 1979, soul singer James Brown made his legendary Opry debut. He was invited to perform on stage by Porter Wagoner when in Nashville finishing up his song “It’s Too Funky in Here.” While on stage, he performed a medley of songs including “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Georgia On My Mind,” “Tennessee Waltz,” and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” A lifelong country music fan, Brown later said that performing on the Opry was a career highlight.

8. Singer, songwriter, and producer Pharrell Williams was recently invited on stage as the special guest of Opry group Little Big Town. He joined the band on stage on June 7, 2016 to help them sing “C’mon,” a track off their album  Wanderlust . The album was produced by Williams and features other collaborations with Justin Timberlake and Chad Hugo of N.E.R.D.

9. The 1980 biopic film  Coal Miner’s Daughter  tells the story of Opry member Loretta Lynn’s rise to fame. The film’s Academy Award-winning actress, Sissy Spacek, would later be introduced on the Grand Ole Opry stage by none other than Loretta Lynn herself. 

10. In 2007, famed actor Kevin Costner formed a country-rock band, Kevin Costner & Modern West. It was after the release of the band’s fourth studio album that they made their Opry debut. There, they performed the title song off of their album  Famous for Killing Each Other . The band has performed at the Opry several times since their debut.

11. It wasn’t a complete shock when comedian and musician Jack Black made his Opry debut. After all, he grew up with bluegrass roots and had a father-in-law, Charlie Haden, who was a famed jazz bassist. Black and Haden performed on the Opry stage on Feb. 28, 2009. Alongside them were bluegrass stars Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Andy Hall, Jim Mills, and Bryan Sutton.

12. On Sept. 1, 2009, Golden Globe-winning actor Kevin Bacon and his Emmy-winning brother Michael Bacon made their Grand Ole Opry debut as The Bacon Brothers. They performed on stage with The Bellamy Brothers, singing “Guilty of the Crime.” The duo has recorded a number of albums and continue to tour together.

13. At the age of 17, a young Steve Martin paid homage to his roots when he began playing the banjo. It wasn’t until 1976 when the actor and comedian decided to incorporate the instrument into his standup routine on an episode of  Saturday Night Live  that many people saw his musical talents. It was only fitting when in 2009, Martin made his Opry debut playing songs from his album  The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo . He was joined onstage by Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and John McEuen.

TV Personalities

14. Many talk show hosts and radio personalities have stopped by the Opry. In 1976, future news anchor Anderson Cooper, then just a child, visited the Grand Ole Opry. He attended the show with his well-known parents, author Wyatt Cooper and designer Gloria Vanderbilt, and his brother Carter. He mingled with Minnie Pearl and other Opry stars, collecting autographs backstage.

15.  Good Morning America  anchor Robin Roberts has visited on two occasions, serving as a guest announcer for Opry Goes Pink, a special show that helps raise funds in the fight against breast cancer.

16. Bob Schieffer of CBS attended the Opry in 2008 while in town for a presidential debate. He performed “Alcohol” alongside Brad Paisley.

17. Charles Osgood, former host of  CBS Sunday Morning , made his Opry debut in 2010 as a guest announcer. Osgood performed “You Are My Sunshine” on the piano in honor of the Opry’s 85th birthday.

18. At each of the Grand Ole Opry’s birthday celebrations, a giant cake is rolled out on stage, but a milestone like 85 years called for an extra special cake made by Chef Duff Goldman, best known for his Food Network show,  Ace of Cakes . His 4-feet-tall cake was an edible replica of the Opry’s iconic microphone stand and circle flanked by two guitars. After the big on-stage reveal, Goldman and his sous chef, Geof Manthorne, played on stage with Opry member Charley Pride.

Other Surprising Guests

19. While in Nashville for an art exhibit and reception at the Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, artists Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth received an invitation from Dorothy Ritter — a Western movie actress, widow of Opry member Tex Ritter, and unofficial backstage host — to be guests of the show. On Jan. 29, 1977, they caught the show and later met many of the Opry members backstage.

20. 2010 marked 85 years for both the Grand Ole Opry and the Harlem Globetrotters, so it only made sense for both to celebrate together. Charlie Daniels was joined on stage by three members of the exhibition basketball team. During Daniels' performance of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” player Scooter Christensen demonstrated his ball-handling wizardry by spinning a basketball on the tip of Daniels’ fiddle bow.

Go Backstage The Grand Ole Opry House's Friends and Neighbors dressing room is dedicated to show's many notable visitors. See it, along with other unique dressing rooms, on a backstage tour.

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Sawyer Brown + Shenandoah Team for 2024 Tour Dates

T wo of the biggest country acts from the ’80s and ’90s are teaming for a string of tour dates in 2024. Sawyer Brown are hitting the road in 2024 for their 40th Anniversary Tour, and they’re bringing along fellow hitmakers Shenandoah .

Sawyer Brown’s 40th Anniversary Tour is set to launch on Thursday (April 18) in Big Spring, Texas. The tour runs through Nov. 2, when it wraps up in Canada.

Shenandoah will join Sawyer Brown for 12 dates in Canada at the end of the tour, running from Oct. 17-Nov. 2.

READ MORE: See All of the Country Music Tours Launching in 2024

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Swayer Brown winning Star Search , which launched the band’s career. The group went on to place a long string of hits in the ’80s and ’90s that includes “Step That Step,” “The Walk,” “Some Girls Do,” “Thank God for You,” “Treat Her Right” and more.

Sawyer Brown will release a new album titled Desperado Troubadours on March 8. Blake Shelton produced the new project.

Shenandoah also enjoyed a string of hits in the late ’80s and ’90s, including “The Church on Cumberland Road,” “Two Dozen Roses,” “Next to You, Next to Me,” “If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)” and more. The group released a new song, “Revival,” in 2023, as well as a new recording of “Two Dozen Roses” featuring Luke Combs .

See below for a list of tour dates for Sawyer Brown and Shenandoah in 2024.

Sawyer Brown 2024 40th Anniversary Tour Dates With Shenandoah:

April 18 — Big Spring, Texas @Tate’s Place Benefit

April 19 — San Antonio, Texas @Stable Hall

April 27 — East Grand Forks, Minn. @East Grand Forks Civic Center

May 1 — Orange Park, Fla. @Thrasher-Horne Center

May 3 — Lagrange, Ga. @Sweetland Amphitheatre

May 4 — Weirsdale, Fla. @Orange Blossom Opry

May 11 — Nevada, Iowa @Nevada Pizza Pie-Looza

May 18 — New Zion, S.C. @Palmetto Pickle Music Festival

May 24 — Van Buren, Mo. @Hellbenders on the Current

May 25 — Denham Springs, La. @Cajun Country Jam 2024

May 31 — Batesville, Miss. @Batesville Civic Center

June 1 — Greers Ferry, Ark. @Greers Ferry City Park

June 6 — Nashville, Tenn. @CMA Fest

June 7 — Henderson, Tenn. @Williams Auditorium

June 8 — Franklin, Ohio @JD Legends

June 14 — Winthrop, Iowa @Winthrop Days

June 15 — Cumberland, Mary. @Wing-Off and Music Festival

June 20 — South Greenfield, Mo. @Baker-Spain Party in the Pasture

June 22 — Grand Junction, Colo. @Country Jam

June 26 — Cadott, Wisc. @Country Fest Cadott

June 28 — Cresco, Iowa @Howard County Fairgrounds

June 29 — Redwood Falls, Minn. @Vicki’s Camp N Country Jam

July 3 — Quarryville, Pa. @Country Freedom Fest

July 5 — Hays, Kans. @Wild West Festival

July 6 — Rich Hill, Mo. @Rich Hill July 4th Festival

July 11 — Anderson, Ind. @Paramount Theatre

July 12 — Fisher, Ill. @Fisher Community Fair

July 13 — Columbus, Neb. @Platte County Fair

July 20 — Brooklyn, Mich. @Faster Horses Festival

July 24 — Pinot, N.D. @North Dakota State Fairgrounds

July 26 — Owensville, Mo. @Gasconade County Fair

July 27 — Mendon, Ill. @Adams County Fair

Aug. 1 — Wabash, Ind. @Honeywell Center

Aug. 2 — Trenton, Mo. @Black Silo Winery

Aug. 3 — Corvallis, Ore. @Benton County Fair & Rodeo

Aug. 7 — North Omak, Wash. @Omak Stampede Arena

Aug. 8 — Grants Pass, Ore. @Josephine County Fairgrounds

Aug. 9 — John Day, Ore. @Grant County Fairgrounds

Aug. 14 — Aberdeen, S.D. @Brown County Fairgrounds

Aug. 30 — Tulsa, Okla. @Skyline Event Center

Sept. 5 — Puyallup, Wash. @Washington State Fair

Sept. 8 — Grass Valley, Calif. @The Center for the Arts

Sept. 13 — Helena, Mon. @Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds

Oct. 17 — Edmonton, AB, CAN. @Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium^

Oct. 18 — Red Deer, AB, CAN. @Peavey Mart Centrium^

Oct. 19 — Saskatoon, SK, CAN. @Sasktel Centre^

Oct. 21 — Prince George, BC, CAN. @CN Centre^

Oct. 22 — Kelowna, BC, CAN. @Prospera Place^

Oct. 24 — Calgary, AB, CAN. @Winsport Event Centre^

Oct. 25 — Lethbridge, AB, CAN. @Enmax Centre^

Oct. 26 — Moose Jaw, SK, CAN. @Moose Jaw Events Centre^

Oct. 27 — Brandon, MB, CAN. @Keystone Centre^

Oct. 30 — Peterborough, ON, CAN. @Peterborough Memorial Centre^

Nov. 1 — Windsor, ON, CAN. @The Colosseum^

Nov. 2 — Kitchener, ON, CAN. @Centre in the Square^

^With Shenandoah

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Music Reviews

Beyoncé's 'cowboy carter' is a portrait of the artist getting joyously weird.

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter has ignited discourse about the place of Black musicians in country music. But it's also evidence of its creator's desire to break genre walls by following her most eccentric impulses. Mason Poole/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter has ignited discourse about the place of Black musicians in country music. But it's also evidence of its creator's desire to break genre walls by following her most eccentric impulses.

This essay first appeared in the NPR Music newsletter. Sign up for early access to articles like this one, Tiny Desk exclusives, listening recommendations and more.

After two months of anticipation, Cowboy Carter has been out in the world for nearly a fortnight, and the discourse is thick as sawdust on a honky-tonk floor. Beyoncé's spangled opus, as lengthy and florid as a Sergio Leone classic — it really could have been called The Good, the Bey and the Ugly -- has generated more think pieces than any pop phenomenon since her friendly rival Taylor's Eras tour.

I've kept track of the coverage of Cowboy Carter and it's, well, something. Actually it's everything, ranging from paeans to (not too many) pans . Not weighing in hasn't been an option for most music writers, who have spilled tons of ink documenting the album's backstory, tracing its references, and examining its work of legacy building. What could I add to the discourse? Well, this: Whether it's considered a champion's walk, an overlong stumble, a powerful political gesture or a highly personal cri de couer — one thing Cowboy Carter is, undeniably even if no one has said it, is weird. And that's a wonderful thing.

Music Features

10 takeaways from beyoncé's new album, 'cowboy carter'.

Album Review

On 'cowboy carter,' beyoncé's country is as broad as the public she serves.

Not that Beyoncé herself would ever admit to her own eccentricity. She's declared herself a diligent student of the genre she sought to revise, and many of the touchstones on this massive grab bag of ballads and bangers check the boxes of cultural intervention. She features Dolly and Willie; shows us her boots, brand-name jeans and whiskey bottle; includes a murder ballad and her perspective on that ultimate country emblem, the American flag. (She sees it as red: blood, Alabama clay, indigenous people.)

Her inclusion of the undersung Black Grand Ole Opry pioneer Linda Martell as a collaborator nods to efforts to rectify historical omissions that have been going on in and around Nashville for years — shoutout to the Black Opry crew, to artist and radio host Rissi Palmer and to Martell's granddaughter, who continues to crowd-fund a documentary that Beyoncé really should just finance.

New roots: Black musicians and advocates are forging coalitions outside the system

Best Music Of 2021

How black women reclaimed country and americana music in 2021.

But the way she assembles these hardly unique elements is startling. Sidestepping either a conventional foray into country's traditional sounds or a risk-averse pop approach that would just use those elements as window-dressing, she and her dozens of collaborators assemble a cosmic omnibus of reference points while drilling down on her long-standing obsessions. While it's correct to call this album an epic and a strong political statement, it's an idiosyncratic one, more akin to Jim Jarmusch's off-kilter visions of American heritage — especially Mystery Train -- than, say, Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon .

It may seem off to identify eccentricity in a project that includes radio-ready Miley Cyrus and Post Malone collabs, and which was quickly endorsed by none other than the Vice President. Yet the first thing I thought of when I sat down to listen to Cowboy Carter was an album from 1967 that's beloved by many rock cognoscenti for its very peculiarness. Van Dyke Parks 's Song Cycle was the first solo album by the noted composer, arranger and producer. It is a shambling, sunnily psychedelic portrait of California living from the perspective of a transplanted white East Coaster with Southern roots. (Parks was born in Mississippi but grew up in Princeton singing in a boys' choir.)

Rich with strings and gorgeous melodies and rife with punnily poetical lines like, "Nowadays a Yankee dread not take his time to wend to sea" in a song about Parks's own experience trying to make it within the L.A. music biz hustle, no less, Song Cycle features Parks's birdlike warble, and by birdlike, I don't mean Beyoncé's operatic forays on new songs like "DAUGHTER" or "FLAMENCO," but Tweety Bird or the Peanuts ' Woodstock. Parks made the unfinished psychedelic masterpiece Smile with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and later worked with 21st-century visionaries Joanna Newsom and Gaby Moreno, among others. But Song Cycle is his strange baby. Though it's a rich work that offers real insight into the melting late 1960s American West Coast dream, Song Cycle is not for everyone. Parks experimented joyfully with song structure, sound effects and lyricism, painting a floating world that requires time and sympathy to comprehend.

Cowboy Carter sounds absolutely nothing like Song Cycle , yet I thought about the latter as I sunk into the non-linear, fragmentary experience of listening to it. I appreciate how Beyoncé sticks to her guns throughout, just as Parks maintained his whimsicality and dreaminess. Stacked harmonies do here what strings do on Song Cycle , lending grandeur to the opening "American Requiem" and tenderness to the ballads "MY ROSE" and "FLAMENCO" (the latter pairs them artfully with Andalusian hand-claps); yet those vocals also set a kind of Broadway stage for the songs, rendering them winsomely surreal. The album's employment of banjo and pedal steel signify country, sure, but they're used in unusual ways, as Parks uses accordion and balalaika. The distortions are highly individualistic, nothing like what current country sounds like. (Exception: that Post Malone duet, "LEVII'S JEANS.") Same with the roots references. The interlude "OH LOUISIANA" speeds up a Chuck Berry vocal to turn that rock and roll founder into helium. On the tour de force Tina Turner tribute "YA YA," Beyoncé begins with a spoken exchange with her background singers that calls back to her campy turn in Austin Powers in Goldmember as well as to Southern rap's most glorious weirdo breakthrough, Outkast's "Hey Ya!" Sure, this is historical work, but it's hardly textbook.

These tracks stand alongside others in a sprawl of concepts, tempos and tones until Cowboy Carter turns into a full-on megamix, its final four tracks returning to the dance party of Renaissance , abruptly concluded with a literal showstopper, the Broadway-ready "AMEN." The album is immersive, but it's a jerky, bucking rodeo ride, not a narrative that lends itself to easy absorption. And through it all Beyoncé bends country and blues tropes — those two genres are inseparable, something Cowboy Carter acknowledges — to the themes she can never abandon: the perils of attempted monogamy, the joy and terror involved in mothering and her own determination to be great, an ambition that she views as a responsibility more than a privilege.

Concept albums can be relatively straightforward, like Willie Nelson's classic Red Headed Stranger , but often they do come out ornate and leaky as their makers dump all of their ideas within the frame. Beyoncé nods sonically to a few that came after Song Cycle . At certain points, Sly and the Family Stone's murky funk on There's a Riot Goin' On comes to mind. Michael Jackson never made a full-on concept album, but that tarnished legend requires mention because Beyoncé's massive ambition rivals his more than anyone's. (Maybe Madonna's; she did make a concept record, Erotica . Or that soundtrack-maker Prince's.)

More recent touchstones include the high-concept forays of Janelle Monaé, whose " Tightrope " seems as much a touchstone for "YA YA" as does Tina Turner's shimmy, and the efforts of two of her collaborators on Cowboy Carter . Raphael Saadiq, who co-produced several tracks, released a similarly massive and emotionally affecting concept album , Jimmy Lee , in 2019. And the Virginia-born multihyphenate Shaboozie, a visionary character whom Beyoncé has apparently recognized as a kindred soul, paid tribute to the landscapes and culture of his native state on his own 2022 disquisition on the same themes as Cowboy Carter . Its title? Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die .

Beyoncé is getting played on country radio. Could her success help other Black women?

When I associate Cowboy Carter with these equally adventurous and strange concept albums and the outsiders who made them, I don't mean to reduce the impact of her work or her centrality as an era-defining artist. Instead, I'm trying to free this fun and unfettered music from the burden of predefined significance. Beyoncé has, by her own will as well as her fans's needs, become what Doreen St. Felix calls an "übermatriarch," not only a biological mother but the nurturing, burdened mother of all of her faithful — and of Black America, a role she inherited and claimed from the equally eccentric and more reluctantly ennobled Aretha Franklin. The seriousness of her responsibilities has earned her a lot: millions nearing billions of dollars, a place among heads of state and a fan base that strikes fear in the hearts of naysayers. But for an artist, such success ultimately confines. Only a few have been able to remain playful and light-footed as their public images have hardened into marble.

Two such artists, as it happens, are ones Beyoncé directly takes on in Cowboy Carter : The Beatles, whose members never stopped releasing humorous and even nonsense songs alongside their wedding-and-funeral ballads and politicized anthems; and Dolly Parton, the most agile pop star of all, who's crossed into nearly every category that's interested her with her own birdlike laugh and dimpled smile. Dolly herself has deep and strange predilections: her many songs about dead children, for example, or her way of turning sexuality cartoonish not only as comic relief, but as a weapon. It's her oddball side as well as her musical genius that's allowed her to slip through so many doors.

Beyoncé did not create Cowboy Carter to honor white artists like Parton, but she made a wise decision by invoking her as a partner and a patron saint. In the spoken interlude that precedes Beyoncé's rewrite of her classic "Jolene," Parton refers to Beyoncé's famous line about a white woman's allure for her Black husband, "Becky with the good hair," as "that hussy with the good hair." She drawls out the insult, though, as if she's in the middle of a Hee Haw skit: huzzzzy . It's a goofy, enjoyably destabilizing moment — an eccentric gesture that reminds us that as serious as music can be, it's most powerful when its subversions are also fun.

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The Black Keys Announce Fall 2024 Tour Dates

By Matthew Strauss

On Friday, April 5, the Black Keys will release their new album, Ohio Players . That same day, tickets go on sale for their newly announced International Players Tour. The tour will find Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney performing across North America in the autumn. See the band’s tour schedule, including spring shows in the United Kingdom and Europe, below.

The Black Keys have previewed their follow-up to 2022’s Dropout Boogie with “ Beautiful People (Stay High) ,” “ I Forgot to Be Your Lover ,” and “ This Is Nowhere .” The band recently premiered This Is a Film About the Black Keys at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival .

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Black Keys:

04-27 Manchester, England - Co-op Live 04-30 Cardiff, Wales - Utilita Arena Cardiff 05-03 Dublin, Ireland - 3Arena 05-05 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome 05-07 London, England - O2 Academy Brixton 05-08 London, England - O2 Academy Brixton 05-09 London, England - O2 Academy Brixton 05-12 Paris, France - Zénith Paris 05-13 Paris, France - Zénith Paris 07-06 Chicago, IL - NASCAR Chicago Street Race 09-17 Tusla, OK - BOK Center * 09-18 Austin, TX - Moody Center * 09-20 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 09-21 Houston, TX - Toyota Center * 09-24 Denver, CO - Ball Arena 09-26 Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center * 09-27 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum * 09-28 Palm Desert, CA - Acrisure Arena * 09-29 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre * 10-02 Portland, OR - Moda Center 10-03 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena 10-10 Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena * 10-11 Toronto, Ontario - Scotiabank Arena * 10-12 Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse * 10-13 Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena * 10-16 Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center * 10-18 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena * 10-19 Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena * 10-21 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center * 10-23 Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center 10-24 Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena * 10-26 Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse * 10-27 Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center * 10-30 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden * 11-01 Boston, MA - TD Garden 11-02 Baltimore, MD - CFG Bank Arena * 11-03 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena 11-07 Chicago, IL - United Center * 11-09 Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum * 11-10 Minneapolis, MN - Target Center 11-12 Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena *

* with The Head and the Heart

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By Jazz Monroe

By Nina Corcoran

Jelly Roll Debuts Unreleased Song “Liar” At The Grand Ole Opry

What better place to test out a new song than the Grand Ole Opry?

Jelly Roll stepped into the historic circle on Tuesday night, and as he always does, he brought the energy. The Nashville native had the world famous home of country music on the edge of their seats, and treated them to a flurry of his greatest hits.

After an energetic introduction, Jelly Roll walked out on stage and got the crowd fired up. There were clearly a lot of Jelly Roll fans out in the audience as he played “Son of a Sinner,” “Need A Favor,” and closed with an emotional and grateful rendition of “Save Me.”

And right in the middle of his set, the rapper-turned-country-artist decided to surprise those in attendance with a performance of an unreleased song. As he pointed out, it was the first time he had played a new, never-heard-before song since he made his Opry debut. Before the song kicked in, he conversed with the Opry audience, asking:

“I feel like this is a safe place to play a new song, is that okay with y’all? We might not ever release this song.

We’re just gonna play it for y’all and see if it works.”

Jelly Roll and the Grand Ole Opry band then got into a passionate performance of a song that one could assume would be titled “Liar” if it is ever released. And it should be released… immediately, because it just might be some of Jelly Roll’s best work yet.

From the very first note, Jelly commanded the attention of every single person in the room, and had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he worked through the rhythmic pre-chorus of the track:

“Saying drink another whiskey, Pop another pill, Money makes you happy, Heaven isn’t real. You won’t find nobody to love because your heart’s too broke. Now I know, you ain’t nothing but a liar, Yeah I walk right out that fire, Yeah you try to keep me down, Try to put me underground,  I know we’re going higher.”

Once he got to the chorus, it was almost as if the Grand Ole Opry crowd had somehow gotten the lyrics in advance. They might not have been singing along, but Jelly Roll somehow made an unfamiliar song a fan favorite as he continued the fiery track (there were flames coming up behind him on the back screens of the stage):

“I can hear you in my head, in my head when I’m dreaming. You try to be my friend, but you’re blowing smoke. Oh but now I ain’t scared of telling you where you can go, Girl I know, you’re nothing but a liar.”

For now, all we have to play over and over again is the video below. But I’ve got to imagine that the positive response to this song will lead Jelly Roll to get a studio version of “Liar” put out sooner rather than later.

Check it out:

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