Black Opry Third Anniversary Show To Honor Alice Randall

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The Change Agent·cy, Oh Boy Records and Wrangler will present The Black Opry Three Year Anniversary Celebration Honoring Alice Randall on April 25 at the City Winery in Nashville.

Throughout her career, Randall has been one of the few Black female writers on Nashville’s Music Row, and the first to pen a No. 1 hit with Trisha Yearwood’s “XXXs and OOOs.” Her songs have been recorded by multiple generations of country artists, from Yearwood to Glen Campbell, Mo Bandy and Marie Osmond.

As part of its mission to uplift the Black country music community, the Black Opry will honor author and songwriter Randall and the release of her upcoming book My Black Country—out April 9—and the accompanying album My Black Country The Songs of Alice Randall—out April 12 via Oh Boy Records—in this special celebration.

The 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. Tickets go on sale Feb. 23 and can be purchased at citywinery.com/nashville. Performers and special guests will be announced soon.

“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,” says Black Opry Co-Founder Holly G. “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.”

My Black Country The Songs of Alice Randall is an exploration of the history of Black contributions to the country, roots and folk genres, and a poignant reclamation of Randall’s own work depicting powerful Black narratives. Among the artists appearing on the album are Rhiannon Giddens, who interprets “The Ballad Of Sally Anne.”

Of the album, Randall shares, “Because all the singers of my songs had been white, because country has white-washed Black lives out of country space, most of my audience assumed the stars of my songs were all white. I wanted to rescue my Black characters. This album does that; it centers black female creativity, but it welcomes co-creators and allies from a myriad of identities. This is the good harvest: abundant love and beauty for all.”

Lorie Hollabaugh
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