Grand Ole Opry Archives

Morgan Wallen Gives Surprise Performance at Grand Ole Opry

January 8, 2022/in Blog, New Music /by Stephanie Wagner

Morgan Wallen surprised fans tonight (January 8th) at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry when he joined ERNEST on stage for an incredible rendition of their brand new song, “Flower Shops”. Watch the performance in the video below.

ERNEST and Morgan Wallen, longtime friends and label-mates, officially released the full version of “Flower Shops” on December 31st, 2021. The song immediately debuted at #1 on Apple Music Country, Spotify Country and iTunes overall. The two first teased the track back in August for fans on social media followed by several surprise performances during Wallen’s 2021 Fall tour. The song impacts country radio on January 24th and we predict that Wallen and ERNEST have a massive hit on their hands.

January 8th marks a special date not only for ERNEST who earns his Opry debut today, but also for Wallen who celebrates the one year anniversary of his 10 week-number one project Dangerous: The Double Album. Of the full collection of music for the project, ERNEST had a hand in co-writing eleven tracks.

ERNEST hits the road next week with Chris Lane on his 2022 ‘Fill Them Boots Tour’. Check out the full list of dates here. Morgan Wallen will hit the road beginning February 3rd on ‘The Dangerous Tour’. Get all the dates and details here.

ERNEST and Morgan Wallen’s new song “Flower Shops” is out now

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future ERNEST and Morgan Wallen releases.

To keep up with Morgan Wallen, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

To keep up with ERNEST, follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

“Flower Shops” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Everything You Need to Know About the Grand Ole Opry

August 5, 2019/in Blog /by Erica Zisman

Although Nashville is arguably the “place to be,” when it comes to country music, there is one place more synonymous to the genre than the city and that’s the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry is an iconic music venue in Nashville, where people from all around the world visit to experience an unmatched night of music by a mix of country legends and contemporary country singer-songwriters.

The one of a kind live show has been going strong since 1925 when a Nashville radio station broadcaster, George D. Hay, introduced a one-hour radio “barn dance” show. Currently, the Grand Ole Opry holds the record for the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. History and nearly 100 years later, many talented artists have graced the coveted stage as both guests and inductees.

Most recently, Chris Young, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, Mark Wills, Kelsea Ballerini, and Luke Combs have been invited into the Grand Ole Opry by the likes of artists such as Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Trace Atkins, Little Big Town, and more. Some other members include Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, and Trisha Yearwood. Currently, there are 68 standing members of the Opry. For a full list of all members, click here.

Photo by Chris Hollis for Grand Ole Opry

How Someone Becomes a Member of the Grand Ole Opry

Although many legendary and contemporary artists have the talent to become members, the process to be invited into the Opry is ultimately up to the show’s management; however, many factors are considered before someone is invited to join the Opry. It’s vital that an artist has both an influence on the country music genre, but also the support from the Opry itself.

The decision to invite an artist is one that is not made hastily. It involves considering the performers’ success in country music, including radio airplay, recorded music sales, touring success, industry recognition, career accomplishments, and staying power. Ultimately, an artist can be the hottest act right now but it’s most important to the Opry’s management that an artist continues to uphold the traditions and relationships that make the country music genre so special.

Performing often as a guest can also help an artist to obtain recognition and more notoriety from Opry’s management, and of course, increase their fanbase, as every generation attends the Opry performances.

Photo by Chris Hollis for Grand Ole Opry

How To Remain A Member of the Grand Ole Opry

In modern times, the first step to becoming a member is to receive a nomination by an existing member of the Opry. If an artist has received a coveted invitation to one of the most prestigious honors in country music then both the invitee and Opry’s management believe that the artist will stay true to the essence of the Opry, as well as, stay true to country music fans.

The Opry boasts on their website, “Opry membership requires a passion for country music’s fans, a connection to the music history, and it requires commitment.”

Artists who accept an invitation into the Opry are expected to “pay their dues” by performing at a select number of shows per year, and if they are unable to comply they could end up forfeiting their membership. Members are able to play at any show or host any show that they want. Back in the 1960s, artists committed to play 26 shows in a year; however, it is believed that 12 shows is now the magic number in the 21st century. Ultimately, Opry membership is for life but only if the members uphold the standards that the Opry set forth for them.

Photo by Chris Hollis for Grand Ole Opry

For most inductees, the Opry marks an accomplishment of a lifetime for them, something they have been dreaming about since they were kids. Stepping into that circle for the first time as an official member is a monumental feat for country music musicians. We’re excited to see who is invited to join the Grand Ole Opry next!

To keep up with the latest, follow the Grand Ole Opry on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. To check out the performers and buy tickets to the show, head to opry.com.

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New Opry Video Series “The Write Stuff” Dives Into Songwriting Stories

April 9, 2019/in Blog /by Rebekah Milsted

We’ve all heard and probably have been caught belting out the Grammy-nominated song Girl Crush” by Little Big Town but now Opry Entertainment is focusing on the writing of the song in its latest video series “The Write Stuff”. The first episode features songwriters Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, and Hillary Lindsey.

It all started when co-writer Mckenna was going through her list of titles when she came across “Girl Crush.” She mentioned the title to Rose and when she asked what the song was about, McKenna wasn’t entirely sure. When they mentioned the title to Lindsey, she sat on the couch with her old Gibson guitar started playing the tune and sang the first four lines, just like that. And the rest is history.

The trio, known as “The Love Junkies,” didn’t have a lot of time that day, so they didn’t look back once the lyrics were finished. However, they say if they did have time to go back and make edits, they probably would have changed the lyric “I want to taste her lips,”. That specific line was the main reason why fans had initially misinterpreted the real meaning behind the song, not realizing the story was about a woman who was jealous of her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend.

The first episode of “The Write Stuff” (below) starts out with a clip from Little Big Town performing the song in the famed circle of the Grand Ole Opry and flawlessly goes back and forth from the songwriters sitting talking about the song and singing it, to the performance and back again.

McKenna admitted during the interview that they weren’t that confident that someone would want to cut the song, “We didn’t even know if it made sense. It made sense to us because we were all there when it happened, but we didn’t know if someone else coming in for the first time would get it right away.” Little Big Town did and released the song on December 14, 2014. The song debuted at #48 on Billboard’s Hot Country and would reach #1, where it stayed for 13 consecutive weeks.

Be sure to check out the episode of “The Write Stuff” and be on the lookout for future episodes which will include songs from Lee Brice, Hunter Hayes, and RaeLynn.

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
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Opry City Stage Closes It’s Doors…

September 27, 2018/in Blog /by Stephanie Wagner

It is with great sadness that we share the announcement that Opry City Stage, New York City’s first 4-level country music honky tonk, has shut it’s doors.

Opry City Stage, the first spin-off of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, opened a few short months ago in December 2017. Upon entering the magnificent venue, guests were immediately transported to a place that seemed far outside of the New York City norm. Greeted by cowboy hat wearing staff and immediately having the opportunity to shop the venue’s general store, guests could head upstairs to the full service 2-floor restaurant which featured live music, dining and a bar, or continue to the 4th floor, “The Studio” where private and intimate events were held.

Although New York is statistically one of the largest markets for country music and what we believe is very underserved, it seems that the Times Square venue was just not completely prepared for the fast paced reality of New York City.

It was announced today that the parent company, Ryman Hospitality Properties, is temporarily suspending operations at the New York City location as the company evaluates the venue’s market positioning, concept and operating strategy.

Colin Reed, chairman and chief executive officer of Ryman Hospitality Properties issued the following statement:

“As we have shared over the past several months, our Opry City Stage venue has taken longer to ramp up its operations than we initially anticipated and has unfortunately underperformed our revenue expectations this year. We have decided that suspending operations at Opry City Stage while we evaluate the venue’s ground floor experience and operations is the appropriate course of action.

I would like to thank both our New York City-based employees as well as the artists who have performed at Opry City Stage for bringing an authentic slice of Southern culture to life in Times Square. We look forward to sharing more details in the months ahead.”

Message shared on oprycitystage.com

Disheartened to hear the news, our team at NYCountry Swag sends our best to the Opry City Stage family and hopes that we can see a re-grand opening in the forthcoming months. Hopefully it’s not a good-bye, just a see ya later!

While we wait for more news, we are taking a look back on some of our favorite memories from Opry City Stage…

NYCountry Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner & Managing Editor, Christina Bosch

NYCS Founder, Stephanie Wagner & Managing Editor, Christina Bosch

The History – Back in October 2017, Stephanie & Christina of NYCountry Swag took a trip down to Nashville where the Opry team treated us to a special tour of the incredible venue and it’s rich history. Sharing the story of the Grand Ole Opry, exploring the memorabilia and catching the live show helped us to capture a better idea of what to expect in New York City. When it came time to check out the NYC location, we were amazed at how much thought and detail went into everything from the design of the space to the menu, truly bringing an authentic taste of Nashville to New York. Check out more from our Nashville trip here.

Bluebird Cafe Songwriters Night Opry City Stage

Photo Credit: Jim Belmont

The Bluebird Cafe Songwriters Series – Over the past few months, every other Friday night, guests could head to Opry City Stage for a special Bluebird Cafe Songwriters Series Night. The Bluebird Cafe is an iconic Nashville staple and bringing that to the New York City venue was an important factor in truly capturing the Nashville experience. Guests had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of writers and stories behind some of their favorite songs, something very unique for New York where fans are generally subjected to the heavily produced shows and almost never treated to a stripped down show. Read more about the special songwriter style show here.

Photo Credit: Nash FM 94.7 via Facebook Page

Carrie Underwood’s Album Release Party – Reigning Queen of country, Carrie Underwood, celebrated the release of her record-breaking 7th studio album, Cry Pretty with fans at Opry City Stage. The eventful day included an intimate performance by Underwood, a Q+A with NASH FM 94.7 DJ Katie Neal, and an unforgettable experience for many country fans. The lunchtime party was simply just a taste of ‘what could have been’ for Opry City Stage. Check out more from the exclusive show here.

Photo Credit: Opry City Stage via Instagram

Front & Center: Brett Young & Carly Pearce – Getting some live action in the heart of Times Square, country music artists Brett Young and Carly Pearce each performed a set for a special double episode taping of the PBS Special, “Front & Center”. NYCountry Swag was fortunately heavily involved in promoting the sold out show which gathered 360+ fans for the Monday night taping. Check out our recap of the event here.

The Country Round-Up LIVE! – Back in March/April, the NYCountry Swag team worked with Opry City Stage’s production team to bring our Weekly Round-Up E-Newsletter to life in this special episode which highlights country music happenings, events and a special glimpse into Opry City Stage. Check it out in the video above.

Live Swag Sessions – Over the past year, NYCountry Swag has hosted over twenty Live Swag Sessions from different locations in New York City. With this, we invite some of our favorite country artists to join us for a Facebook/Instagram LIVE performance where the entertainer performs two acoustic songs and then chats with our hosts. Working with Opry City Stage, we coordinated Live Swag Sessions with Aaron Watson and Ashley Campbell.

Nash NEXT Competition at Opry City Stage

The Local Talent – In it’s short time, Opry City Stage quickly became a great connection for local country music talent. Hosting live shows every day from early in the morning to late at night, whenever a country music fix was needed, New Yorkers could always count on heading to Opry City Stage. Local favorites like Lauren Davidson, Jessica Rose, Bobby McGrath and more had the opportunity to connect with fans and share their music with the country music community in New York City and beyond.

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NYCountry Swag looks forward to continuing to serve the New York country music community by bringing you the latest in country music news, reviews and events. Make sure you are subscribed to our Weekly Round-Up for upcoming announcements, ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests and more. Subscribe Below:

Reba McEntire Inducts Dustin Lynch into Grand Ole Opry

September 20, 2018/in Blog /by Molly Holmberg

Photo Courtesy of Grand Ole Opry, LLC / Chris Hollo, Photographer

Tuesday night (Sept. 18), platinum-selling Broken Bow Records star Dustin Lynch stepped into the famed wooden circle of the Grand Ole Opry for what would be the night he was inducted into the family. After singing a few of his hit songs, iconic entertainer and Opry member Reba McEntire surprised the singer onstage to induct him as the Grand Ole Opry’s newest member.

Back in August, Trace Adkins surprised Lynch with the exclusive invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. McEntire welcoming Lynch as an official member came as a complete surprise to the “Good Girl” singer. Clearly shocked and emotional, Lynch thanked his friends, family, bandmates and everyone who plays a part in his career. He later shared, “I wouldn’t have wanted to be inducted by anyone else … Reba’s the top of my list. She could have been anywhere in the world today and chose to be here. That means so much to me.”

Dustin Lynch & Reba McEntire, Opry Induction

Photo Courtesy of Grand Ole Opry, LLC / Chris Hollo, Photographer

Lynch made his Opry debut back on March 2, 2012, singing his breakthrough hit “Cowboys and Angels” from his self-titled debut album. The track later went platinum-certified. Since then, Lynch has racked up five more platinum or gold #1 singles (“Where It’s At,” “Hell of a Night,” “Mind Reader,” “Seein’ Red” and “Small Town Boy”) and three Top 5 Country albums (Dustin Lynch, Where It’s At and Current Mood).

Aside from the Opry induction and the surprise of Reba McEntire, even more good news was in store for Lynch on his special night. Backstage, BBR Music Group Executive Vice President Jon Loba stepped up to surprise the star with a special commemorative plaque certifying over 1 billion digital streams throughout the course of his career.

Meanwhile, Lynch’s energetic current single “Good Girl” is making its way up the Country radio charts, and its action-packed video is live now. Up next for Lynch is a high-profile performance at the all-genre iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, NV, on Saturday (Sept. 22), and he’ll team up with Cole Swindell and special guest Lauren Alaina for the “Reason To Drink… Another Tour” beginning October 4 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

For tour dates and more information visit DustinLynchMusic.com.

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Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
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The Enchanting Magic of The Grand Ole Opry

October 24, 2017/in Blog, NYCountry Swag Takes Nashville /by Christina Bosch

We are sure that you have heard the name Grand Ole Opry before but few people understand the sheer magnitude of what it feels like to stand in that building surrounded by the rich Nashville history of country music. The Opry began as a simple radio broadcast back in 1925 and still to this day is broadcast on live radio. Among a few other venues throughout the early years, the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville was the home of the show until 1974 when it moved to its newly built Grand Ole Opry House.

Earlier this month, the New York Country Swag team was treated to an incredible VIP backstage tour of the Opry. Walking through those hallowed halls, you feel the presence of all of the artists who have stepped into the circle, laughed backstage and made their mark on country music. We were taken through the special entrance where all of the artists enter for the evening, past the wall of names of all of the current members and their mailboxes where fans can write letters and have it reach the artist directly.

Each dressing room is unique, with the decor emulating the reason for the room. One room that is particularly special is the “Into the Circle” which is set aside for artists to prepare for their debut Opry performance. The walls are lined with photographs of the Opry’s most memorable moments including Garth Brooks, Little Jimmy Dickens, Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis hugging and much more.

Making your way to the side of the stage you can look out on the packed house each night, listening to their favorite artists who are standing in the same wooden circle that has stood the test of time.

On that particular night, artists Maddie & Tae, Chris Janson, Brooks and Dunn and Keith Urban were among a few of the artists to take the stage. Highlights of the night included Brooks and Dunn performing together at the Opry for the first time in many years to sing “Believe”, “Red Dirt Road” and “My Maria”. Closing out the night, Keith Urban performed with just his guitar, putting a different spin on his hits including “Wasted Time” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color”. Inviting Chris Janson to the stage, to duet on John Michael Montgomery’s 1995 No. 1 hit, “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” the performance was definitely one to remember.

New Yorkers are going to get the opportunity to experience the Grand Ole Opry right here at home with the opening of Opry City Stage in Times Square. The first home away from home, this authentic venue will have four levels of music and southern hospitality allowing fans from all over the world a chance to experience a real country music show. Be sure to follow along to find out more information on the opening and events here and on their social media (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.)

For more on our ‘New York Country Swag Takes Nashville’ experience, click here.

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NYCS First Impression: Chris Young ‘Losing Sleep’

October 23, 2017/in Blog, First Impression /by Christina Bosch

If Chris Young knows how to do anything very well, it’s release albums chock full of smooth country songs. His voice is unmistakable and as far as his latest, Losing Sleep goes, it is everything fans love about the singer. While he doesn’t take major risks sonically, it is not necessarily a bad thing, balancing sexy love songs, heartbreak and finding new love.

Lending his baritone, twangy voice to a more pop-production, especially in the first single “Losing Sleep”, many of the tracks are primed for radio. He knows the sweet spot in his voice and with his song choices. For the first time on his sixth studio album, Young is a co-writer as well as a co-producer on each of the 10 songs.

The newest member of the Grand Ole Opry, who was inducted earlier this week, shines on “Radio and the Rain”, “Trouble Looking” and “Where I Go to Drink” which each showcase their own dynamic stories. Other highlights include “Holiday”, a simple love song and “Blacked Out” with his melancholy, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley references.

Losing Sleep is an easy listen and each track offers a different point of view or story. It is emotional without being sappy and the love songs are honest and raw. Grab your copy on iTunes now. Young announced he will be headlining the Losing Sleep Tour in 2018, bringing along Kane Brown and LANCO to open each show.

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Opry Circle in the City with Michael Ray and Morgan Evans

September 11, 2017/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Christina Bosch

With a fall chill in the air, Thursday night at the Southwest Porch in Bryant Park was the perfect setting for some acoustic country music. Circle in the City presented by Southwest and NASH FM 94.7 is a free show available to all those in New York City who want to experience a taste of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

First up to stand in the Opry’s signature microphone was rising star, Morgan Evans who was introduced by NASH FM 94.7 DJ, Katie Neal. Evans, who just released his first single in the U.S, hails from Austraila. He stood in the mini wooden circle to sing three songs including “Kiss Somebody”. A highlight from the country crooner included a song called “Everything Changes”. Before singing Evans’ explained how quickly life can change, going from living in Austraila to moving to Nashville, meeting the love of his life and getting engaged. For all those who don’t know, Evans is engaged to country superstar Kelsea Ballerini.

Not only was the Southwest Porch filled with country fans, but the surrounding areas of Bryant Park had people holding up their phones to take videos and were singing along to the radio hits. Next to stand in the wooden circle was Florida native, Michael Ray. Ray, who gratefully thanked Southwest and Nash FM for the opportunity to perform in NYC, sang songs including “Real Men Love Jesus”, his latest single “Get To You” and even a cover of Keith Whitley’s, “Don’t Close Your Eyes”.

“To be here representing the Grand Ole Opry is an unbelievable thing,” he said as he acknowledged the radio team here in New York, as well as everyone that works behind the scenes in the music industry. To close out the night, Ray sang his first number one single, “Kiss You in the Morning” and even gave the fans a chance to sing along.

Missed the show? Check Out the Facebook live video from the Grand Ole Opry’s Page of Morgan Evans’ set here and Michael Ray, here.

If you weren’t able to make this event, don’t miss Ryan Kinder this Friday, September 15th. For more information, visit Click Here, plus check out our throwback to #CircleThrowdown from last year’s event with RaeLynn.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!
+ Shop the Store for your favorite Country Swag & Tag us to be featured. #nycountryswag

Join the Weekly Round-Up for upcoming event reminders, ticket giveaways and more!

– Team NYCountry Swag

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