The latest chapter in NPT’s Country Music: A Nashville Story is a short about The Black Opry, an alliance of country music performers aiming to expand representation and perspectives within the genre.
NPT producer Jerome Moore spoke to Holly G., the founder of Black Opry, along with Cowboy Calvin, and The Kentucky Gentlemen for this PBS for the Arts-funded project. Performances featured in the short were recorded in NPT’s studios this spring.
Though “Unapologetically Black Country” is new to Country Music: A Nashville Story, Black musicians are not new to country music. Black Americans have long influenced, inspired and improved country music in the United States. But despite this historical contribution to its very fiber, country music still presents as largely performed by white singers for a white audience base. While Black Opry would like for that to change, its members also just want to share their music. Explore more here.