LEWISBURGÂ (WVDN)- Carnegie Hall presents Black Opry Revue in the Hamilton Auditorium on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m., as its Mainstage Series continues in 2023. Black Opry Revue is the touring company of the Black Opry, a collective supporting and promoting Black country, folk, blues and Americana musicians. Guests are invited to come early for the Mainstage Lounge preshow reception from 6:30-7:15 p.m. in the boardroom at Carnegie Hall.
The lineup for the Carnegie Hall performance includes Justin Reid, Lauren Napier, Whitney Monge and Roberta Lea.
The Black Opry was started in 2021 by Holly G., a writer and flight attendant from Virginia. She was inspired to create a website dedicated to Black country music singers in response to a study done by a musicologist which found that fewer than 1% of artists played on country radio in the preceding 20 years were artists of color. She began contacting various Black country artists through social media platforms to help raise awareness of their music. Holly G. has stated that she was inspired by Color Me Country, a podcast hosted by Black country singer Rissi Palmer which also discusses country music artists of color.
The intent of the Black Opry is to allow Black country music artists to tour and perform. The Black Opry lists Black artists in the genre through its website and through national tours under the name Black Opry Revue.
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