The 99-year-old Nashville country music institution the Grand Ole Opry is ready to broaden its horizons and embrace new musical styles going forward. Scott Stapp, the lead singer of hard rock band Creed, made his Opry debut on Wednesday (October 23), while celebrated jam band Leftover Salmon and Andrew Farriss of Australian rock band INXS are also scheduled for dates later this year. Dan Rogers, the Opry’s senior vp and executive producer, explains that his artist-relations team has emphasized booking “artists you might not normally expect to see at the Opry,” which includes Black musicians like Shaboozey, who have historically been missing from the Opry stage, and performers from outside the world of country, like Stapp. “It’s no secret we have opened our doors more broadly since the pandemic,” Rogers says. “We’re always working to be steadfast in our programming philosophy, which is [to] present the past, present and future of country music every time that big red curtain goes up.” (Billboard)
