The Hands & Feet Of The Grand Ole Opry: Meet The People Behind The Unbroken Circle

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Photo: Chris Hollo

The Grand Ole Opry is many things: a stage, a show, a symbol. It’s the longest-running live broadcast in the world, a cornerstone of country music tradition and a dream for generations of artists. But behind the lights and legacy are the people who bring it all to life, night after night, show after show.

In its 100th year, the Opry continues to evolve while staying rooted in the values that built it: consistency, creativity and care. It’s easy to be dazzled by the artists who stand in the circle, but just beyond the spotlight is a small, dedicated team that makes those moments happen.

From the first sip of lemonade backstage to the final note of the night, every detail is intentional. Every role matters. These are the hands and feet of the Grand Ole Opry—the people who plan the shows, book the talent, welcome the fans and make sure the coffee is hot, the dressing rooms are stocked and the transitions feel seamless. Some are onstage. Most are not. But each one helps keep the circle unbroken.

Dan Rogers. Photo: Chris Hollo

Dan Rogers – Senior Vice President & Executive Producer, Grand Ole Opry

As Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry, Dan Rogers oversees more than 200 performances each year, guiding the programming of the world’s longest-running live music show. With a core team of just six people, Rogers manages everything from artist bookings and show themes to run-of-show details, VIP guests and backstage logistics. It’s demanding work—but for Rogers, it’s deeply fulfilling.

“I want to be here,” he says. “This is where the magic happens.”

That mindset has shaped everything from nightly shows to the Opry’s ambitious 100th anniversary celebrations. Rogers points to the upcoming Royal Albert Hall performance as a defining milestone, helping push country music and the Opry’s influence further across the globe. Closer to home, he’s proud of the relationships his team builds with artists, members and guests alike. They hold weekly meetings to reflect on what worked, what could improve and how to keep the Opry experience meaningful.

Even amid evolution, Rogers prioritizes legacy. Saturday shows still open with a fiddle tune, just like they did a century ago. “The Opry always changes—and it always stays the same,” he says. That delicate balance is what drives him, night after night, to keep the music playing.

Gina Keltner

Gina Keltner – Associate Producer, Talent, Grand Ole Opry

After 25 years and more than 2,000 artist bookings annually, Gina Keltner still approaches each Grand Ole Opry lineup with care. As Associate Producer, Talent, she’s part matchmaker, part air traffic controller—pairing legends, stars and newcomers across the Opry’s 200+ annual shows while juggling artist schedules, routing and last-minute curveballs.

Raised in Missouri on classic country and Elvis, Keltner moved to Nashville with no job, just a dream. She found her way to the Opry by chance—dropping off a resume in person after a TV production role ended. “I’ve always seen that time as a bridge to where I was really meant to be,” she says.

Today, she builds each show like a recipe: something for everyone, whether it’s a grandmother or her grandchild. With a mental Rolodex of artists’ preferences and personal milestones, she tailors lineups and backstage moments alike. One artist might get champagne for a birthday. Another might receive a baby gift. “We want it to feel like home,” she says.

Personal highlights range from emergency fill-ins—like Martina McBride stepping in for Loretta Lynn one night when she was ill—to lifelong dreams, like booking Shaun Cassidy, her childhood idol. “That’s the beautiful part of my job,” she says. “Getting to make other people’s dreams come true while living mine.”

Nicole Judd

Nicole Judd – Associate Producer, Show Development, Grand Ole Opry

Nicole Judd didn’t just find her way into the Opry’s programming team—she helped build the role she now holds. After nearly two decades with the company in marketing, sponsorship, and brand strategy roles, she and Dan Rogers identified a growing need on the production side. As Associate Producer of Show Development, Judd now helps shape the structure and flow of nearly every Opry show, overseeing scripting, visual elements, tone and special moments from induction speeches to member gifts.

Judd also leads programming initiatives with partners like WSM Radio, SiriusXM or the Country Music Hall of Fame, and has played a key role in expanding the Opry’s footprint during its centennial year. Taking the show international for the first time—with a full production headed to London—is a particular point of pride for the lifelong Anglophile.

Working on up to seven shows a week with the team, Judd helps maintain the Opry’s tone across hundreds of artists and countless moving parts. “You have to understand what the Opry has been, and push it forward without ever letting it feel like an outdated relic,” she says. It’s a delicate balance—but one she’s committed to getting right.

“There’s just this FOMO,” she adds of the night-time commitments and long hours. “Like—what if something really cool happens tonight and I miss it?”

Jordan Pettit

Jordan Pettit – Vice President, Artist Relations, Grand Ole Opry

Before joining the Opry in 2018, Jordan Pettit spent more than a decade on the label side of the music industry, helping launch and support major artist careers. When the Opry came calling about a new artist relations role, Pettit saw an opportunity to bridge tradition with the future. Since then, he’s been focused on building deeper, earlier connections between the Opry and rising talent.

In his first year, he helped launch My Opry Intro, a Tuesday-night backstage experience that welcomes new artists and gives them a behind-the-scenes look before their official debut. Lainey Wilson was among the early guests—eventually becoming the first Opry NextStage artist to be inducted as a member. That initiative, which spotlights breakout acts through live shows and yearlong promotion, has become one of Pettit’s proudest accomplishments. Since its 2019 debut, Opry NextStage artists have earned nine ACM New Artist awards and notched more than 30 No. 1 hits.

For Pettit, engaging younger artists is about returning to the Opry’s roots. “We wanted to support artists as they were still building,” he says. “That’s what makes the Opry special, seeing legends and newcomers on the same show.”

And when those newcomers step into the circle for the first time, Pettit’s reminded why it matters. “Watching someone make their Opry debut—that’s still my favorite part of the job.”

Kelly Sutton

Kelly Sutton – Grand Ole Opry Announcer & Host

With more than two decades in Nashville television and radio, Kelly Sutton was already a well-known voice in country music media. But in 2022, she stepped into a new role as the Grand Ole Opry’s first full-time female announcer—a moment she describes as the highlight of her career.

Her path to the circle was paved with years of country coverage, from hosting morning TV alongside Ralph Emery to interviewing artists on radio and red carpets. When WSM invited her to join its morning team in 2021, the conversation soon turned to the Opry. She shadowed longtime announcer Charlie Mattos, and just a few months later, took the mic herself for the first time. “It felt like everything I’d done in my career led to that moment,” she says.

Now, Sutton brings a vibrant energy to the Opry’s nightly shows—prepping with artist research, coordinating backstage transitions and delivering shoutouts that connect directly with the crowd. “It’s such a meaningful way to connect with the audience,” she says. “Someone might go home and remember that forever.”

Anchored by a deep love for country music and its community, Sutton’s presence is both warm and electric. “The Opry’s been around 100 years,” she says, “but no two nights are the same. That’s magical.”

Stacy Thompson

Stacy Thompson – Senior Manager, Tours & VIP Services, Grand Ole Opry

Stacy Thompson started at the Opry as a part-time tour guide while finishing her music business degree at MTSU. 14 years later, she now oversees the ambassador and tour guide teams, ensuring thousands of guests each year feel not just informed, but deeply connected to the Grand Ole Opry.

“We’re not expecting guests to remember all the facts,” she says. “We want them to remember how they felt.”

Her teams welcome guests at the door, give backstage tours and manage VIP experiences, often turning casual visits into lifelong memories. Whether it’s coordinating a birthday shoutout or encouraging someone to sing in the circle, Thompson believes the personal touches make the difference. She recalls a recent 91-year-old guest whose family surprised her with a visit. “She cried all the way to the stage,” Thompson says. “That had been her dream for decades.”

Over the years, she’s witnessed unforgettable backstage moments too—like Loretta Lynn slipping quietly into the wings in a ballgown, or Dolly Parton stepping into the hallway to greet fans. But for Thompson, it’s never just about celebrity. It’s about helping every guest feel like they belong.

Diana McBride, a.k.a. “Lemonade”

Lemonade – Backstage Hospitality, Grand Ole Opry

Officially, her name is Diana McBride, but at the Grand Ole Opry, everyone knows her as Lemonade—a nickname gifted by Opry member Mike Snider and cemented when her boss overheard it and ordered a name tag to match. The name stuck, and so did she.

What began as a part-time gig to fill time after the loss of her father has turned into more than a decade of backstage service. “I thought I’d stay six months,” she says, laughing. “It’s been 11 years.”

Lemonade handles all the little things that make the Opry feel like home: prepping dressing rooms, setting up the green room, making fresh tea and lemonade and getting the popcorn just right. She knows who likes what and when—and jumps into action when an artist forgets a shoe, needs a baby held during rehearsal or just needs a calm place to land.

“My job is to make everyone feel welcome,” she says. “To treat them like family.”

For artists, that warmth is unforgettable. Some joke they come for the lemonade as much as the music. And for Lemonade, those connections run deep.

The Opry has always been a show—but it’s also a living, breathing community. It’s built on talent and tradition, but sustained by the people who show up early, stay late and care deeply about the experience unfolding night after night.

From the backstage green room to the announcer’s mic, from artist invitations to birthday shoutouts in the pews, it’s these quiet contributions that make the Opry feel personal and even sacred.

As the Grand Ole Opry celebrates 100 years, the legacy continues to grow. But what remains unchanged is the heartbeat behind the curtain—the hands and feet that carry its stories forward.

They’re not just supporting cast. They’re the reason the show goes on.

LB Cantrell
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