Riley Green, Tegan Marie, Sally Williams, Tenille Townes & Travis Denning.
Photos By Chris Hollo/2018 Copyright Grand Ole Opry
On Tuesday, January 8th, the Opry unveiled their first ever class and new yearlong initiative supporting new country artists, NextStage, featuring 4 artists on the rise that have debuted at their iconic institution: Tegan Marie, Travis Denning, Tenille Townes, and Riley Green.
“This is an exciting night and we are thrilled to welcome these four rising stars in country music,” said Sally Williams, General Manager, Grand Ole Opry / Sr. Vice President, Programming & Artist Relations, Opry Entertainment. “The Opry is 93 years old and it is all of our responsibility to make sure it is still amazing for the next 93 years. You all are going to be part of that!”
Following the red carpet where each excitedly spoke about what the Opry means to them, being grateful for the Opry’s support, and what was currently going on with their careers, all of the artists picked for the class of 2019 were presented with a plaque by the Opry VP/general manager Sally Williams and WSM’s Bill Cody. Each was preceeded by a video of their Opry debut as they were individually announced to the stage followed by a full band, 30-minute set on the stage of the beautiful, new venue, Ole Red, in downtown Nashville in front of an enthusiastic standing room only crowd.
“I learn something new every time I perform there and love doing things the audience doesn’t expect,” said Tegan. “I can’t wait to see what’s ahead.”
Travis said, “I look forward to creating moments each and every time I play the Opry. I want to learn all the stories and soak up the Opry history.”
“It means so much to have the Opry family support me,” remarked Tenille.
Riley said, “I’m honored to have the Opry team put their hands around my career. Some of my all-time favorite country music memories are watching past Opry moments and performances and now I get to be a part of that.”
This inaugural class of Opry NextStage artists represents four diverse performers who are making incredible music at the forefront of their careers. Throughout the year, Opry Entertainment will work closely with the artist teams to amplify their initiatives using assets from across the company’s brands, venues and channels.
Opportunities for Opry NextStage artists include but are not limited to:
- Performances on the Grand Ole Opry at the Grand Ole Opry House and Ryman Auditorium Performances at Ole Red locations in Nashville and Gatlinburg, TN.
- Short form documentary video series produced by Opry Entertainment’s award-winning content team.
- Customized digital activations utilizing Opry web and social assets including Opry.com, OleRed.com, WSMOnline.com as well as Opry Entertainment’s millions of combined social followers.
- Other opportunities include outdoor advertising, special event performances, 650 WSM-AM /wsmonline.com podcasts and radio specials.
For more information about Opry NextStage and its first class, visit opry.com/nextstage.
Since its inception, the Opry has helped launch the careers of countless artists, including Roy Acuff, Patsy Cline, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, and Dolly Parton, to name just a few. Award-winning group Little Big Town made its very first public appearance as a group on the Opry stage in 1999. Josh Turner turned heads on his way to chart success with his Opry debut performance of “Long Black Train” at Ryman Auditorium in 2001. And Carrie Underwood cemented a place in country music with her first Opry appearance less than two weeks after having been named American Idol in 2005. Chris Janson performed his career launching hit “Buy Me A Boat” on the Opry stage the day it was first heard on radio and available digitally for listeners. All four artists have since become Opry members.
About NextStage:
For over nine decades, the Grand Ole Opry has created opportunities for artists throughout the country music spectrum to make strong connections with fans and fellow artists – on its stages and across its channels – from terrestrial radio to network television to the digital universe. Audiences throughout the world look to the Opry to showcase the very best in country music.
About The Grand Ole Opry
What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925 is today a live entertainment phenomenon. Dedicated to honoring country music’s rich history and dynamic present, the Grand Ole Opry showcases a mix of country legends and the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. The Opry – an American icon and Nashville, Tennessee’s number-one attraction – is world-famous for creating one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences for audiences of all ages.
It’s been called the “home of American music” and “country’s most famous stage.” Every year, hundreds of thousands of people make pilgrimages across town or around the world to the Grand Ole Opry to see the show live. Millions more tune in to Opry broadcasts via a mobile app, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Nashville’s 650 AM WSM, and the Opry website and WSM 650 AM website.
From Philadelphia to Fiji, everyone knows the Grand Ole Opry is “the show that made country music famous.” How it earned that reputation is quite a tale.
It began on the night of Nov. 28, 1925, when an announcer on Nashville radio station WSM introduced fiddle player Uncle Jimmy Thompson as the first performer on a new show called “The WSM Barn Dance.” Now, more than 80 years later, the show Hay started is still going strong. Along the way, it has launched countless country music careers and led the way for Nashville to become Music City.
Early Opry performers such as Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb, and Bill Monroe became musical foundations for the Opry during its years in residence at the historic Ryman Auditorium, later welcoming to the stage artists who would become entertainment icons in their own right including Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Bill Anderson.
The Opry said goodbye to the Ryman Auditorium on Friday, March 15, 1974 to take up residence at the newly built Grand Ole Opry House. The next night, President Richard Nixon joined Roy Acuff on stage at the Grand Ole Opry House. Still, they could keep in touch with the traditions of the Ryman because a six-foot circle of hardwood was taken from the Ryman and placed center stage at the Opry House.
Today the magic continues. Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Alison Krauss, and Carrie Underwood are among the stars who are part of the Opry family. Thousands of people make pilgrimages every year to see and hear them, while millions tune in to enjoy the Opry via 650 AM WSM, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, syndicated radio, or opry.com.
About Opry Entertainment
Opry Entertainment®, a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP), is a producer of multi-media entertainment experiences with primary interests in location-based entertainment and television and stage production. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, its core business segments include the world-famous Grand Ole Opry®, the historic Ryman Auditorium®, Ole Red and legendary radio station 650 AM-WSM.
About Ole Red
Ole Red is a lifestyle and entertainment brand inspired by Blake Shelton’s clever, irreverent third-chart hit, “Ol’ Red.” You can currently find Ole Red entertainment venues and products in two locations in the United States, the flagship multi-story bar, restaurant and entertainment venue in the heart of downtown Nashville’s famed Lower Broadway, the very first location in Blake’s hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma. The Company has announced additional locations in Gatlinburg, Tennessee (2019) and Orlando, Florida (2020). Ole Red is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. as part of its Opry Entertainment division. For additional information about Ole Red, visit us online at olered.com.
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