The This Is Nashville team is closing out 2022 by revisiting our best episodes. We’ll be back on the air with a new episode on January 4. Until then, happy listening and happy holidays!
This episode originally aired on April 18.
In a time of racial reckoning, the Black Opry has resurfaced and re-centered a longstanding conversation about diversity — or lack thereof — in country music. It has also grown to include The Black Opry Revue, a touring musical showcase.
Black Opry founder Holly G. joins the show to discuss the organization as it celebrates its first anniversary. In conversation with Holly G. is singer-songwriter Frankie Staton, who led one of the Black Opry’s forebears – the Black Country Music Association – in the 1990s.
Also in this episode, you’ll hear from artists of color about how they navigate the changes within in the country music industry.
Guests:
- Holly G, founder of the Black Opry
- Derek Campbell, The Kentucky Gentlemen
- Frankie Staton, singer, songwriter and former director of the Black Country Music Association
- Amanda Marie Martinez, country music historian
- Benn Park, founder of Shoes Off Booking Agency
Music played in this episode:
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM