Grand Ole Opry Reveals the Opry NextStage Class of 2023 Featuring Eight Rising Artists

GRAND OLE OPRY REVEALS OPRY NEXTSTAGE CLASS OF 2023

Featuring Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, ERNEST, Chapel Hart, Corey Kent,
Kameron Marlowe, Megan Moroney & Ian Munsick 

"Opry NextStage Live" Concert to Officially Introduce the Class of 2023 on May 10 in
The Colony, Texas Preceding the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards
in Neighboring Frisco, Texas

Tickets Available for Pre-Sale Starting This Thursday
with General On-Sale Friday HERE

The Grand Ole Opry revealed the newest lineup of artists in its Opry NextStage program, which spotlights country music’s rising talent on the Opry stage and across Opry Entertainment Group platforms. The Opry NextStage Class of 2023 features eight acts: Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, ERNEST, Chapel Hart, Corey Kent, Kameron Marlowe, Megan Moroney and Ian Munsick.
 
The Opry will officially introduce the new NextStage class with an "Opry NextStage Live" concert at Lava Cantina on May 10 at 2:30 p.m. in The Colony, Texas, preceding the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11 in neighboring Frisco, Texas. Tickets will be available through an exclusive pre-sale this Thursday, April 13 at 10 a.m. CT. General public on-sale will begin Friday, April 14 at 10 a.m. CT HERE.
 
"Opry NextStage is a testament to the Grand Ole Opry’s longstanding reputation as a trusted curator in Country music and its commitment to nurturing and showcasing exceptional new talent, as it has done for almost a century” said Jordan Pettit, director of artist relations & programming strategy of Opry Entertainment Group. “This year's new artist class, much like previous classes, showcases exceptional creativity across various musical styles, and we are excited to carry on the Opry tradition by introducing this exciting group of rising artists to fans.”
 
For the remainder of the year, the new NextStage artists will receive dedicated support through featured original content, Opry performances and support across select Opry Entertainment platforms, including the Opry, WSM Radio and Circle Network.
 
Since 2019, the NextStage program has introduced new talent to the country music fan base and featured artists such as Riley Green, Parker McCollum, Tenille Townes and Lainey Wilson, who all went on to earn ACM New Male and New Female Artist of the Year trophies the year following their NextStage inclusion. Other NextStage alumni include Priscilla Block, BRELAND, Callista Clark, Travis Denning, Tegan Marie, Niko Moon, Restless Road, Jameson Rodgers, Elvie Shane, Nate Smith, Morgan Wade, Hailey Whitters and Yola.
 
About Opry NextStage
Developed by Opry Entertainment Group and the Grand Ole Opry, Opry NextStage invests in the discovery of new artists with featured original content, an Opry performance and support across the brand’s platforms to help tell their stories and expand their audiences. For nearly a century, the Grand Ole Opry has created opportunities for artists throughout the Country music spectrum to make strong connections with fans and fellow artists – on its stages and across its channels – from terrestrial radio to network television to the digital universe and to Circle Network. The Opry has helped launch the careers of countless artists, including Roy Acuff, Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe and Dolly Parton, to name a few. Award-winning group Little Big Town made its very first public appearance as a group on the Opry stage in 1999, and Carrie Underwood cemented a place in Country music with her first Opry appearance less than two weeks after having been named American Idol in 2005. Audiences around the world look to the Opry to showcase the very best in Country music, and it was with this tradition that Opry NextStage was created. 
 
About the Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn. The Opry can be heard at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM, with Saturday night shows seen on the Circle Network. For more information, visit opry.com.

Darius Rucker To Release "Ol' Church Hymn" Feat. Chapel Hart on Fri., Sept. 30

DARIUS RUCKER TO RELEASE “OL’ CHURCH HYMN” FEATURING CHAPEL HART ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 30

Newest Single Follows Three-Time GRAMMY Winner and Golden Buzzer Trio’s Duet Performance of “Something To Talk About” During NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” Finale; Watch HERE

Pre-Order / Pre-Save “Ol’ Church Hymn” HERE

Multi-Platinum star Darius Rucker continues to unveil new music as he puts the finishing touches on a forthcoming album, with “Ol’ Church Hymn” featuring rising trio Chapel Hart set for release Friday, Sept. 30. The song comes on the heels of another collaboration from Rucker and the trio, who joined forces for a performance of Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About” during last week’s “America’s Got Talent” season finale on NBC. Watch the electrifying performance HERE and pre-order / pre-save “Ol’ Church Hymn” HERE.

Written by Rucker together with Ben Hayslip, Josh Miller and Greylan James, the gospel-inspired love song features Rucker’s rich baritone vocals, praised by Billboard as “one of the most distinctive voices of country’s modern era,” joined by the three-part harmony of Chapel Hart to profess a born-again love in the joyful chorus:

You soothe my soul like an ol’ church hymn
Found in a book in the back of a pew
Born again love I’m a new person
Hand in the air hallelujah
Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen
You soothe my soul like an ol’ church hymn

“Like so many people, I was blown away when I saw Chapel Hart’s original response to ‘Jolene,’” notes Rucker. “I was recording ‘Ol’ Church Hymn’ at the time and instantly had this vision of it becoming a duet once I heard their voices. I’m so thankful they said yes to singing on it with me, and I can’t wait to see the huge career they’re going to have.”

“He really took a chance on us… He saw some of our stuff online and he was like ‘I love what you ladies are doing. I have an idea and I want to hear you guys on this song,’” Chapel Hart’s Devynn Hart shared recently.

The new duet will be featured on Rucker’s forthcoming album – his first solo project since 2017’s critically acclaimed When Was the Last Time. Fans can also see Rucker perform live as he brings the inaugural Riverfront Revival festival to his hometown of Charleston, S.C. on October 8 and 9, with Brothers Osborne, SUSTO, Jimmie Allen, Charley Crockett and more joining him on the lineup. Limited tickets remain available for purchase at RiverfrontRevival.com.

For more information on upcoming shows and new music, visit DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

About Darius Rucker
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Diamond-certified debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the Top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, including RIAA Platinum-certified Learn to Live and True Believers, plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012 and in 2014 he won his third career GRAMMY Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his 9x Platinum version of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” one of the Top 5 best-selling Country songs of all time. He co-hosted the 54th annual CMA Awards in 2020 and topped the charts at Country radio once again with “Beers And Sunshine” in 2021. New songs “My Masterpiece” and “Same Beer Different Problem” are available everywhere now as Rucker puts the finishing touches on a forthcoming album, with “Ol’ Church Hymn” featuring Chapel Hart set for release September 30.

As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $3 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. In addition, Rucker has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker is also an avid sports fan, with his NFL x Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics apparel line available at NFLshop.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency.

About Chapel Hart
Lights, cameras, microphones, a prayer & HERE THEY GO! Danica and Devynn Hart, along with their cousin Trea Swindle, make up Chapel Hart and have proven they are truly a force to be reckoned with. These ladies have found a way to gift wrap their Mississippi roots & Louisiana spunk and share it with listeners around the world.

In 2021 Chapel Hart was inducted into CMT’s Next Women of Country, the institution that has been known to help up and coming female country artists such as Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBride, & Gabby Barrett... to name a few. This Mississippi trio’s music has reached fans around the globe earning them the title of “International Group of the Year” as well as “International Song of the Year” for the single “You Can Have Him Jolene” in Scotland. They were also nominated in multiple categories by the British CMAs including “Group of the Year” and “Album of the Year” for their sophomore release “The Girls Are Back In Town.”

For more information, visit ChapelHart.com and follow on social media @ChapelHartBand.