In case you missed it...
Jelly Roll has been announced as the host for this year's Opry NextStage Live From Texas show on May 15th. The show takes place a day before the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16th. Jelly is returning as host, and recognizes the importance of the event. "Opry NextStage is important because I think it’s creating a culture around younger artists, introducing them to the Opry the right way, and then bringing them up to that next stage. It’s showing them the way and getting that Opry love that we all look for in the industry. There’s no more special of a co-sign in Country music than the Grand Ole Opry.” Taking the stage this year are newcomers Anne Wilson, Chase Matthew, Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Madeline Edwards, and Wyatt Flores, along with other special guests. The showcase takes place at the Lava Cantina on May 15 at 2:30 pm CT in The Colony, Texas. The general public on-sale to see the show in person begins Friday, March 22 at 10 am CT via Eventbrite. Since the event began in 2019, some eventual big names got some of their first exposure at NextStage: Riley Green, Parker McCollum, Tenille Townes, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, Breland, Travis Denning, Niko Moon, Jameson Rodgers, Elvie Shane, Nate Smith and Hailey Whitters have all gotten a boost from the prestigious event.
Hailey Whitters is just starting to make a name for herself with country music fans; Stephen Wilson Jr. is known in Nashville but not so much outside of Music City. Together, though, they both show why they will be forces to be reckoned with in the next few years. The two duetted on Wilson Jr.'s "American Gothic" on CMT's Studio Sessions; the song originally appeared on his 2023 EP "Bon Aqua." With Whitters joining in, the song takes on added dimensions and is bound to get more than a few sets of ears perking up. See Stephen Wilson Jr. and Hailey Whitters perform "American Gothic" on CMT's "Studio Sessions" below...