As the Grand Ole Opry approaches its 100thu anniversary, vp/executive producer Dan Rogers will take on expanded duties in his new role as senior vp/executive producer of the esteemed institution.
The 26-year Opry veteran will continue to oversee all aspects of the more than 225 performances at the Opry each year. “I really take it as a pat on the back for what our whole team has been able to achieve and what we're in the middle of,” says the confident executive. Advertising sign of his promotion, which is effective immediately “But there's still so much I want to be a part of with the Opry before it's time for me to let someone else take over.”
When Rogers took over as vp/executive producer in 2019, he couldn't have imagined the challenges ahead. “The COVID pandemic hit seven or eight months after I was in this position. I was really thankful I wasn't new to the Opry when that hit,” says Rogers, who started at the Opry as an intern in 1998 and held positions in artist relations, communications, marketing, production and touring.
“We just assumed the flood of 2010 would be the most devastating thing and the most challenging moment in our career,” Rogers says, referring to the historic flood that devastated Nashville as the Cumberland River rose above its banks and filled the Grand Ole Opry House with 10 feet of water. “But it was really the uncertainty and just the grief of COVID that made it so difficult for us.”
However, the Grand Ole Opry went on and artists played 29 Saturday nights without a live audience during the COVID pandemic, never missing a show. Fans around the world continued to enjoy the nearly 100-year-old show as they tuned into Opry Live broadcast and live streaming.
Under Rogers' leadership, the Opry welcomes a wide range of performers — both newcomers and established superstars, as well as out-of-state acts. For example, “American Pie” singer Don McLean made his Opry debut on March 9.
“Mr. Rogers, or Opry Dan as we still lovingly call him, is so effective simply because he absolutely loves the Opry and everyone associated with it. It's his passion, and it shows,” says Jeannie Seely, a 58-year-old member of the Opry, who had Rogers' first assignment as a boarder when he was assigned to take her and her dog, Shadpoke, to the reception center. greet fans. “Dan is the perfect choice for this important position. He understands the breadth of the Opry. He has a pulse on what's happening in the music industry today and how it relates to the Opry. At the same time, because of his lifelong love of this institution, he knows the history and the legendary artists that created it. The mix of the two delivers a performance that can only be found at the Grand Ole Opry. The future of this country music treasure is safe in his hands.”
Trisha Yearwood, who celebrated her 25th birthdayu anniversary as a member of the Opry on March 13, he agrees. “Dan has always understood the family that is the Opry, and he does it all with a smile. He even brings homemade apple pie backstage! I am so happy to see him grow in our Opry family.”
Since Rogers took the helm as executive producer in 2019, 15 artists have been inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry, and T. Graham Brown and Scotty McCreery will be inducted this spring. Last year set a record for Opry debuts, as 131 artists appeared on the famous stage for the first time. In the last two years, there have been more than 200 debuts. “If you had me pick a favorite debut, it would probably be Leslie Jordan, because that man brought so much love to this Opry House when he walked in,” Rogers recalled of the late actor/singer. “He had so much respect for this place and was determined to have the night of his life from the moment he walked in.”
During his tenure, the Xenia, Ill., native executive produced Dolly Parton's 50u Special Anniversary Event, Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Great Country Music and Christmas at the Opry, that all aired on NBC; as well as the Opry's 5,000th night show on October 30, 2022 and 50u anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry House, held the weekend of March 16th.
“We went into the night and I said to our programming staff, 'One thing we have to try to accomplish tonight is that all of us have to take time to enjoy the show and have fun and tell these artists that we love them because that's what it looks like. monumental show,” he says of the 50th anniversary of the Opry House's move to its current building in 1974. “I loved standing on the side of the stage and people-watching from Bill Anderson, who was here and served the Opry more than any member in history, to the relatively new members of the Opry who all enjoy being here and feel at home.”
Rogers' duties include the role of executive producer of the weekly Opry Live broadcast and live streaming. He will add new executive producer roles on upcoming international and domestic shows, especially those related to the Grand Ole Opry's 100u year in the air in 2025.
There's palpable excitement in Rogers' voice when he talks about celebrating the Opry's 100th anniversary. “Our goal would be to do up to 240 Opry shows next year, the network specials and some monumental shows, probably out of Nashville,” he says. “We take the Opry to some unexpected places, in addition to having a show almost every time a Nashvillian wants to come see us or someone comes from all over the world. If you spend two nights in Nashville, [we’re] We'll definitely be hosting the Grand Ole Opry for you on at least one of those nights.”
Although the Grand Ole Opry's actual centennial is in November 2025, the celebrations will begin much earlier. “We're going to start celebrating this season next year and pretty much continue as long as people will let us,” Rogers says with a laugh. “There are so many artists we want to showcase and partners we want to work with, it's really going to take several months to accomplish everything we want to accomplish, but we also want to give people plenty of opportunities to come see us if you're a traveler spring or summer or autumn or winter or what have you.”
Rogers says there are plans for special exhibits and specific tours to celebrate the Opry's 100th anniversary, which he expects will draw more than 250,000 visitors. “You'll also know it's a really, really special year when you're either walking on a tour or as a walking artist on a show night,” he says.
There are also plans for performances to honor deceased Grand Ole Opry legends such as Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl.
Rogers recruits a staff that includes the associate producers of the Opry's programming and artist relations team Nicole Judd and Gina Keltneras well as director of artist relations strategy and programming Jordan Pettit.
After all these years, Rogers says he still gets a thrill out of the show nights. “My favorite thing is walking to the side of the stage and seeing the curtain go up and seeing 4,400 people out there and knowing for some of them it's a bucket list moment,” he says. “There's probably some little kid from southern Illinois who never dreamed they'd be where I am, and there's probably a lot of Trisha Yearwoods and Lainey Wilsons and John Pardis out there, just taking it all in and thinking, 'I'm going.' to be on that stage someday.”
