Jun 1, 2023
For close to a century, the Grand Ole Opry has been at the heart of
country music. Despite country music’s roots in African American
culture and traditional African instruments, Black musicians only
represent 1% of the Grand Ole Opry…but the Black Opry is changing
that. In this episode, we sit down with Holly G, the founder of the
Black Opry, and East Tennessee’s own Kelle Jolly to learn more
about their experiences (good and bad), inspirations, and hopes for
the future of the industry.
Pass the Mic: Creating a Stage for Change provides an opportunity
for artists from marginalized and underserved communities to share
their art with others. Through concerts/performances, visual art
displays, discussions and panels focusing on important issues, and
educational opportunities, artists have the chance to engage with
the community. The Tennessee Theatre is proud to provide a space
for audiences and artists to better understand one another.
This podcast is brought to you by the Historic Tennessee Theatre,
produced by Becky Hancock and Cecilia Wright, and engineered and
edited by Ben McLaughlin. Music composition, sound design, and
additional production assistance is provided by William Wright.
This project is being supported in part by The Tennessee Arts
Commission. Graphics by Danica Thompkins.