NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (March 22, 2024) – Opry Entertainment Group announced it has promoted Dan Rogers to Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry from his current position as Vice President and Executive Producer.
Rogers will continue to oversee all programming aspects of the iconic Opry’s more than 200 performances annually and executive producer responsibilities for the Opry’s weekly Opry Live broadcast and live stream.
Rogers will add new executive producer roles on additional upcoming domestic and international broadcasts, many related to the Opry’s 100th milestone next year. Rogers spoke to Deborah Evans Price at Billboard about his role. Read it HERE.
“We are thrilled to recognize Dan’s incredible impact on the Grand Ole Opry.
Under his leadership, the Opry had a record-breaking number of artist debuts, with more diverse representation than ever before.
Dan’s distinct vision for the Opry and the relationships he has built with Opry members and across the industry will be important as we approach the Opry’s 100th celebration in 2025.”
Patrick Moore, CEO of Opry Entertainment Group
Rogers began with the company as an intern in 1998 and has been a near-constant presence with the show since, having held roles in marketing, communications, tours, artist relations and production.
After being named Vice President & Executive Producer in 2019, Rogers led the Opry through COVID-19, one of the most uncertain times in the entertainment industry, and ensured the music kept playing and the Circle remained unbroken.
Opry shows without a live audience during the time were streamed to millions of fans globally and performances from the period by Luke Combs, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, and more were captured on the album Unbroken: Empty Stage, Full Circle.
Since then, under Rogers’ continued leadership, the Opry has expanded its worldwide reach and strengthened relationships with a growing roster of Opry members, industry leaders and rising newcomers.
The world-famous show hosted a record-breaking 131 Opry debuts from a broad range of artists in 2023, exceeding the record set just one year prior.
Rogers also helps oversee Opry NextStage, a program invested in the discovery of new artists and introducing them to the Opry family.
Additionally, 15 new members have been added to the Opry’s roster since Rogers was tapped for his executive producer role.
The number of shows on the Opry’s calendar has grown to well over 200 under Rogers’ leadership, including the addition of its Opry Country Christmas series, which will mark its fourth run this holiday season.
Among milestone shows Rogers has executive produced include Dolly Parton’s 50th Opry anniversary special, Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Great Country Music, and Christmas at the Opry (all NBC broadcasts), as well as the Opry’s 5,000th Saturday night broadcast Sat., Oct. 30, 2022 and last Saturday’s 50th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry House.
The Xenia, Illinois native has also become a well-respected community and industry leader, serving as President of the Opry Trust Fund and on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville while working with the Opry team on shows and projects benefiting Susan G Komen, CreatiVets, the Red Cross, and NAMI Tennessee, among others.
A member of the CMA Board of Directors, he was recognized in 2023 with the prestigious CMA Irving Waugh Award of Excellence for his impact in broadening and improving country music’s influence on a national and international level.
Rogers is joined on the Opry’s Programming and Artist Relations team by Associate Producers Gina Keltner and Nicole Judd as well as Artist Relations and Programming Strategy Director Jordan Pettit and additional members Jaclyn Batchelor, Anna Lemme, Audrey McGrady, Laura Leigh Robertson, Brooke Stuart and Jenn Tressler. Rogers and his team are continuing to refine the vision for the Opry’s future as it nears its 100th year in 2025. He heads the Opry’s 100th efforts along with Opry Entertainment CMO Laura Hollingsworth.
“My entire journey at the Opry has been in partnership with fellow staff members, treasured Opry members and guest artists, the country music industry, and other partners who revere the Opry’s past and are passionately excited about paving a road toward its future together,”
“I’m thrilled to continue our work in this new role, especially on the eve of the Opry’s 100th year when country music is making such a sustained and marked impact globally. Let’s roll.”
DAN ROGERS
ABOUT THE GRAND OLE OPRY
The Grand Ole Opry is the home of country music where artists and fans gather, in person and virtually, to celebrate and be part of country’s past, present and future.
Founded in Nashville in 1925 and today the longest-running live broadcast show in the world, the Opry strengthens its roots by constantly evolving.
The Opry’s members are country’s most emblematic artists, and the show regularly showcases country music’s top new talent.
The Opry welcomes legions of fans to visit the Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee – Music City, USA – to experience one of the 3-5 live shows it hosts per week; take a backstage tour; listen to live broadcasts on opry.com and wsmonline.com, SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse, or its flagship home WSM Radio; and watch Opry Live on Saturday nights and Opry content all week long on Circle Country.
The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP) and part of a strategic investment with Atairos and NBCUniversal.
ABOUT OPRY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
Rooted in the unparalleled country music history of the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Entertainment Group produces multi-platform entertainment experiences through its growing portfolio of entertainment venues.
This includes the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, the iconic Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Blake Shelton-inspired Ole Red brand and the Wildhorse Saloon which will be reimagined as Category 10, the Luke Combs-inspired entertainment experience coming summer 2024.
Through concerts, tours, music-inspired restaurants, digital content, and its WSM Radio and Circle Country platforms, Opry Entertainment Group connects millions of music fans to the artists they love through experiences they’ll never forget. Opry Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP)
