Newly-appointed Grand Ole Opry Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers launched his career as an intern at the Grand Ole Opry in 1999, though according to one childhood photo, his acquaintance with the venerable 94-year-old institution runs at least as far back as Rogers’ kindergarten year.

“We took a tour of the Grand Ole Opry and I don’t know what I was thinking at that point, but I certainly wasn’t thinking about fast forwarding to today and this happening,” Rogers tells MusicRow.

Since beginning his professional career at the Opry, Rogers has rotated though a myriad of roles in marketing, communications, artist relations and production. He has become a regular fixture backstage at the Opry, earning the affectionate nickname “Opry Dan.”

In his new role, Rogers will oversee the show’s more than 200 annual performances. The promotion came in the wake of the news that Sally Williams was exiting to take on a new role at Live Nation as President of Nashville Music and Business Strategy.

“I feel like this opportunity has come to me at the perfect time in my Opry career. I’ve been learning for 20 years and I’ve been learning from different leaderships. No one is every fully prepared to take on any role, but the past two decades, it’s been more about a long steady education and work.” he says.

Rogers discussed his new role and what is ahead for the Grand Ole Opry.

MusicRow: Going forward, how do you see the Opry changing—and how do you see it staying the same?

That is a great question and almost a quote of a past Opry advertising slogan that was pitched. We never went with it, but I’ve never forgotten it. It was “The Grand Ole Opry, it always changes. The Grand Ole Opry, it never changes.” That’s my philosophy as well. You have to hold tight to some of the things that have made the Opry what it is over the course of 94 years. Then you always have to have an eye out to the future to attracting new fans who will become the folks who are tuning in or doing whatever it is…handheld device…to connect to the Opry.

In the past few years, we have seen more newcomers be inducted into the Opry—artists such as Dustin Lynch, Luke Combs and Kelsea Ballerini. Do you see that trend continuing?

The Opry membership has always been about the relationship the Opry artists have with the Opry, its fans and country music in general. And that, in my vote, will never change. Whether it’s Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, the Oak Ridge Boys who became members relatively recently or Charlie Daniels, who joined the Opry late in his career but is quick to say it is a career highlight. Relationships will always be at the core of Opry membership and speaking of teamwork, that is certainly not a decision made by one person. Our senior leadership will continue to be very active in those decisions. An even wider net of people will make those decisions, because that is part of what makes the Opry so special.

In 2025, the Opry will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Though that anniversary is still a few years away, what ideas and plans are already being looked at to celebrate?

Funny enough, I do have a 100th anniversary digital folder that I have asked folks to contribute to and have just been adding the occasional items.

From a license plate, to a really fun network TV project, to a way of honoring all of our Opry members, past and present. There will be no end to what we want to accomplish for that, because obviously that is a great opportunity. The Opry will likely be the only radio show that ever will be able to claim a 100th anniversary.

What does that anniversary mean you for personally?

It is an undeniable honor for me personally, but the most exciting part of that, and this job, is the great folks with whom I’ll work to make it happen. I can’t imagine what a monumental task and responsibility that will be. And so many folks that have been here with me for so long that will be on board. The Opry calls itself a family a lot and it feels that way when you walk into a meeting and sit across from [Director of Talent and Logistics] Gina Keltner, who has been here a long time with me. A lot of the tech services folks a lot of them have been here even longer than I have.

Looking over your two decades with the Opry, what have been some of your favorite memories?

Every time someone is surprised with an Opry member invitation. That never gets old. Songwriters say their favorite [song] is the one they just wrote, and my favorite Opry moments are the most recent. We just celebrated Jesse McReynolds’ 90th birthday with a chorus of mandolin that was unforgettable. It was amazing to see Carrie Underwood surprise the audience by not just welcoming Kelsea Ballerini into the Opry family, but then singing [Trisha Yearwood’s 1992 hit] “Walkaway Joe” with her.

I’ve timed my entrance into the Opry House just right a time or two just so I got to walk up the artist entrance alongside Loretta Lynn, who talked and laughed the entire way. All I could think of was, “If my mom back home could see me now,” because she’s such a Loretta Lynn fan. It’s also the Opry moments that will soon be. I can’t wait for Oct. 12th when Dolly Parton celebrates 50 years with us. All you have to say is “Dolly Parton, Grand Ole Opry” and you know it will be unforgettable.

We worked with Trisha Yearwood to celebrate her 20th Opry anniversary and we worked with her to craft moments onstage that would be unforgettable, like an appearance with Garth [Brooks] and a collaboration with Ricky Skaggs, who had invited her to join the Opry.

Then, we were able to surprise Trisha herself by having Emmylou Harris come out to introduce her. I think that rocked her world, for a split second, anyway. It was the perfect combination of working with an artist so they had their great onstage moment, but also working to surprise her with something that would only happen at the Opry as well.

Miranda Lambert Releases “Mess With My Head”

Miranda Lambert continues to fuel anticipation for her upcoming studio album, releasing her latest track “Mess with My Head” today on Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville.

“‘Mess with My Head’ is a departure from anything that I’ve done before,” said Lambert. “It has a real rock edge. Part of that comes from my co-writers, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, and the other part of that comes from spending time in New York City. Being there has put a new energy into my music and my writing.”

 

 

Temecula Road Releases New Song “Never Knew I Needed You”

Country trio Temecula Road released a brand new song, “Never Knew I Needed You,” today (August 9) on all digital platforms. The new track, written by the trio’s Dawson Anderson, along with Ben Goldsmith and Lindsay Rimes and produced by Andrew DeRoberts (Devin Dawson, Kip Moore, Eli Young Band, Jillian Jacqueline), is their second new song of the summer, a follow-up to “Fades” which hit No. 3 on Radio Disney Country’s Top 50 Chart.

“This song embodies that familiar saying of love finds you when you least expect it,” says the trio’s Dawson Anderson. “When writing it, we tried to capture that feeling of love hitting you out of nowhere.”

 

 

Crystal Gayle Releases “Ribbon Of Darkness” Today With Lyric Video, From Forthcoming New Album You Don’t Know Me

Grammy-award winning country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member Crystal Gayle released “Ribbon Of Darkness” digitally today (August 9), kicking off the pre-sale for her forthcoming album, You Don’t Know Me, available everywhere Sept. 6th from Southpaw Musical Productions/BFD/The Orchard.

“I am so excited that my new album You Don’t Know Me is finally coming out on September 6th,” said Gayle. “You can now listen to ‘Ribbon Of Darkness,’ one of my favorite tracks. ‘Ribbon Of Darkness’ was written by Gordon Lightfoot and was a hit for Marty Robbins and Connie Smith. It was the first song I ever sang on the Grand Ole Opry. I hope you like it!”

 

 

Kelsey Waldon Releases Second Single From White Noise/White Lines, Called “Sunday’s Children”

Kelsey Waldon released a new song from her upcoming album today (August 9). “Sunday’s Children” comes as the second single from White Noise/White Lines following the previously released “Anyhow.”

White Noise/White Lines will be released October 4th on John Prine’s Oh Boy Records.

 

 

Nashville Indie-Pop Duo, Doublecamp, Release New Song “Dreamers”

Nashville Indie-Pop duo, DOUBLECAMP, is released their new song “DREAMERS” today (August 9) across all digital music platforms. The new offering is the second commercial release for the duo comprised of Joe Neary and Jordan Burmeister, both of whom share writing credits for the song.

DOUBLECAMP made their debut with the May release of “Feel Like Me” and once again, for “DREAMERS,” the duo tapped local Nashville production collective Red Giraffe (Kelly FitzGerald, Paul Rogers, Jimmy Mansfield), to produce.

“‘Dreamers’ is all about the dreamlike feeling of falling for someone,” says Joe Neary. “From the start, the recording process was all about creating a sound that presented a landscape and another way to tell the story.”

 

“I’m a fan. That’s why I got into this. I’m a country music fan,” said Brooks & Dunn’s Kix Brooks on Thursday evening during a special event at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Like many successful country artists, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn count themselves both fans and students of country music and its history. This October, as the best-selling duo in country music history, Brooks & Dunn will receive one of country music’s highest honors, when they are inducted as the newest members into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

But that’s not the only Hall of Fame accolade that has Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn excited—Thursday evening the duo invited industry members to a preview of their new Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon, which opens today and runs through July 19, 2020.

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn took the stage in the Hall of Fame’s rotunda surrounded by the bronze plaques honoring current members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the same room that will soon house similar likenesses of Brooks & Dunn.

“I cannot believe the plaques on this wall, that these are our peers,” Brooks said. “When Ronnie and I go through our induction ceremony in October, just to be in this room, that’s pretty friggin’ special to me.”

“This induction was of course inevitable,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young, referencing sales successes of more than 6 million copies of their 1991 debut album Brand New Man, 20 No. 1 Billboard singles and 39 Top 10 singles. “They have done so with music that is excellent, invigorating and full of honky-tonk truth.”

“That’s an awful lot of stuff Kyle,” Brooks said. “The truths in there I think we can really identify with, I think brotherhood is one that probably rings very true with what we’ve been through and what we’ve managed to accomplish.”

Brooks also recalled how he and Dunn went from struggling solo artists to a duo act, courtesy of a meeting with label executive Tim DuBois.

“For a couple of guys who didn’t know each other from Adam…We’d both been around the block for a long time but we were also pretty broke and when anybody throws any kind of opportunity at you in the music business, you generally take it and try to make the best of it,” he said. “That was our first intention and that same week, we met and wrote our first two No. 1 records. When ‘Brand New Man’ became a No. 1 record, we knew we really screwed up,” he quipped, earned laughter from the crowd. “We have to do something now; we’re in business.”

That pairing has sold more than 30 million albums—more than any other duo in history, regardless of genre. The Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon exhibit includes dozens of the duo’s 46 accolades from the Grammys, ACMs, and CMAs, earned between 1992 and 2006.

Among the items in the exhibit are early solo albums and photos from both Ronnie and Kix, as well as early drafted lyrics to their hit “Red Dirt Road.” Also included are numerous guitars and stagewear, as well as racing suits emblazoned with the duo’s steer’s head logos, which Brooks & Dunn wore when they drove 5/8th-scale Legends race cars in the 1990s. The exhibit chronicles their careers through to present day, with the release of Reboot earlier this year, a project that found the duo collaborating with fellow country artists including Luke Combs, Midland, Ashley McBryde, and more.

“We just got to go take a peek at what the Hall of Fame has put together for us and it’s really mind-boggling to see that together in one place,” Brooks said. “Those awards he was talking about, those are great and nice, those are big pats on the backs, and those are fun times celebrating with people we owe so much to, almost everybody in this room…you look at those awards and sales, it’s all a byproduct of this amazing experience that we got to have, writing these songs and all the times we spent together with people in this business, all pulling together. That’s what this exhibit is about.”

Dunn was characteristically humble and brief with his remarks, calling the music industry a “big machine of support…It’s hard to stand up here and take a whole lot of credit for all of it.”