Industry Ink: Grand Ole Opry, Kelly White, Mitchell Tenpenny, Gibson Gives, More
Grand Ole Opry Unveils Opry 100 Tapestry
Manuel Cuevas and Marty Stuart. Photo: Chris Hollo
The Grand Ole Opry, with the help of Opry member Marty Stuart, unveiled a specially designed Opry 100 tapestry designed by master tailor Manuel Cuevas in honor of the Opry 100 celebration. The artwork was placed at the artist entrance of the Opry House.
Additionally, the Opry commissioned Manuel to design custom scarves featuring the signature look of the new tapestry to be given to each Opry member throughout the Opry 100 year. The first scarf was presented to Stuart on stage on behalf of the Opry by his wife and fellow Opry member Connie Smith.
Prescription Songs Promotes Kelly White
Kelly White.
Prescription Songs has promoted Kelly White to A&R Coordinator. The Atlanta native and Belmont University alumna is based out of the Nashville office and will continue working alongside a diverse roster of artists, songwriters and producers across Atlanta, LA and Nashville, including Big Boss Vette, Ryder Johnson, Trent Dabbs, Sean Small, Lauren LaRue and Kelly Sheehan.
“Kelly joined us with an incredible drive that has only grown since becoming a part of our team,” says Chris Martignago, Prescription Songs’ VP of A&R. “Her taste in music represents the diverse music our team strives to support and I’m excited for that to continue on another level with her new role.”
White adds, “I’m incredibly grateful to the team at Prescription Songs for their support and belief in me. It’s an honor to grow within a company that not only champions creativity and collaboration but also embraces such a diverse range of talent. I feel lucky every day to work alongside such hardworking, talented creatives—both on our team and across our roster—and I’m excited for all that’s ahead.”
Mitchell Tenpenny At Key West Songwriters Festival
Columbia Nashville/Riser House’s Mitchell Tenpenny attended a sunset cruise with Sony Music Nashville promotion staff and country radio personnel at the recent songwriter festival in Key West.
Gibson Gives And FirstBank Amphitheater Raise Over $49,000 For Music Education
Pictured (L-R): Alex Tinker (Project Manager, Gibson Gives), Demetra Kopulos (VIP Program Director, FirstBank Amphitheater), Jason Golden (Superintendent of Schools, Williamson County), Nancy McEachern and Rick McEachern (Owners, FirstBank Amphitheater), Erica Krusen (Global Executive Director, Gibson Gives) and Mark Kinzer (Director of Fine Arts, Williamson County). Photo: Josh Beech.
Gibson Gives partnered with FirstBank Amphitheater to raise money for Williamson County Public Schools’ music education initiatives. Through their partnership this year, these organizations brought their selection of 15 hand-signed guitars to the Strumming With The Stars Gibson Gives and Julien’s Auction, which raised over $49,000 this spring. To date, the Gibson Gives and FirstBank Amphitheater Music Education Program has raised over $169,000 for Williamson County Public Schools.
“The Gibson Gives program helps Williamson County Schools give more complete music instruction to all our students,” says Jason Golden, Superintendent of Williamson County Schools. “We’ve focused Gibson donations on those larger instruments that can be prohibitively expensive for families, such as tubas, baritones and bass clarinets. Thanks to Gibson Gives, students can now choose to learn any instrument they set their hearts on.”
EVA Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary
Photo: Cass Riley
EVA, the entertainment tech company that connects performers with corporate and private events, just celebrated its 10th anniversary with “EVAlution Fest,” a high-energy, genre-spanning mini-festival held at Eastside Bowl in East Nashville.
EVA co-founders Channing Moreland and Makenzie Stokel kicked off the evening by reflecting on the company’s journey before The Moga Family Band, The Broadway Rapper, Kayley Bishop, Carly Moffa, Kate Cosentino, Alexis Saski, Goodness Gracious Creative and more took the stage.
The celebration follows a breakout year for EVA, which saw its revenue double, an expansion to New York City and the closing of a $2 million oversubscribed funding round. Looking ahead, EVA plans to continue expanding into new markets and categories of talent, all while championing opportunities for independent entertainers across the country.
Tennessee Entertainment Commission and Levitt Foundation Announce Partnership; Launch Levitt AMP Music Series Grants In Tennessee
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) Commissioner Mark Ezell and Levitt Foundation leadership announced a joint partnership and launch of grant applications for the Levitt AMP Music Series beginning May 1. Through the partnership, both the state and the foundation will be awarding matching grants of up to $40,000 per year over the next three years, 2026-2028. The funding will go toward supporting approximately 180 free outdoor concerts in small or mid-sized cities across Tennessee.
Although this its first partnership with a specific state, the Levitt Foundation has provided funding to more than 50 communities across the U.S. through its Levitt AMP grant program, which activates underused outdoor public spaces in cities and towns nationwide, creating community gathering destinations and ensuring access to the arts by offering free concert series with high-caliber artists across an array of music genres.
To learn more about the Levitt AMP Music Series Grants, see eligibility criteria and access the application, visit levitt.org/partners-tn.
