Hosted by Justin Peery, vocalist with Gentlemen South, “The Virginia Opry Radio Show” made its debut on WREL Big Dawg Country 100.3 FM on Tues., Oct. 4, at 5:00 p.m.
Peery, executive director of The Virginia Opry, serves as the radio host, and his Good Place Farms near Lexington, where his bed and breakfast has served as host to world famous celebrities and statesmen, and Lex Vegas Bistro with Celebrity Executive Chef Troy Shellar are two commercial sponsors of the hour-long show.
Other sponsors are Anything Construction LLC, Steve Amos, General Contractor and Rocktoberfest, Party Crasher Band with Bruce Allen and Jason Burke.
Peery remarked, “The first show was designed to introduce the new Virginia Opry Band.”
The Virginia Opry now has 12 bands and 60 members, and the new Virginia Opry Band will be able to perform as the house band whenever recording artists appear as guests on The Virginia Opry without bringing their bands with them.
Johnny King, music director for The Virginia Opry, is the band’s leader. He is a vocalist who plays lead guitar, slide guitar and acoustic guitar. King is founder of the Alleghany Highlands Blues Society.
Billy Berberette, bass guitarist and vocalist, and Stephen Peery, Justin’s brother who forms the other half of Gentlemen South as a vocalist and keyboardist, will be featured on keyboard and as a vocalist.
Randy “Stixx”Anders is the new Virginia Opry Band’s drummer.
During the first “The Virginia Opry Radio Show,” Justin interviewed each of the new Virginia Opry’s band members, and each shared with the audience his musical background and the events that led to becoming a member of the group.
“The Virginia Opry Radio Show” was Justin’s idea after he successfully served as executive director of The Virginia Opry’s largest show in its 30-year history.
The Virginia Opry’s show on April 30, at Lime Kiln Theater in Lexington opened with the “Star Spangled Banner” being sung by Gentlemen South before Justin introduced Ashley Cooke and her band.
More than 2,000 attended the concert on April 30, an outdoor event that featured both Cooke and Emily Rose and their bands opening for Chirs Lane and his band.
The second radio show featured Keith Bryant, a Nashville recording artist from Rockbridge County who founded Ironhorse and who has had two songs chart on “Billboard’s Hot County 50.”
During Justin’s interview with Bryant, Justin played several of Bryant’s hits, including “Ridin’ with the Legend,” a song that earned him a sponsor and West Coast tour. The song remains one of NASCAR’s favorites.
Justin recalled, “We talked about his success in country music, including “Ridin’ with the Legend” that led to landing him a national tour.”
Bryant became a member of The Virginia Opry prior to The Virginia Opry being designated as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s official Opry on March 31, 2020, when Governor Ralph S. Northam signed “Senate Bill 283,” the bill filed by Senator R. Creigh Deeds that passed the Virginia Senate 40-0 and the Virginia House of Delegates by a 93-6 vote.
The third radio show in the series scheduled to air each Tues. at 5:00 p.m. featured Nashville recording artist Glen Shelton.
Justin noted, “I did a telephone interview with Glen as he was on his way to Nashville to complete a recording project and kickoff his radio tour.”
Shelton has served as an emcee and vocalist with The Virginia Opry for several years, and Justin shared Shelton’s newest recording, “Writing You a Love Song.”
He also played Shelton’s duo with Jimmy Fortune, a 2012 recording of “I Am Alive,” and a solo by Shelton titled, “A Little Bit of You.”
Peery said, “We are currently in talks with several radio stations in Virginia about the path forward to syndicate “The Virginia Opry Radio Show.”
He has arranged for the new Virginia Opry Band to perform at 6:00 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 19, at the Hospitality United Group’s dinner to raise funds to benefit the victims of Hurricane Ian on the West Coast of Fla. The benefit will be held at The Advancement Foundation in Buena Vista.
“The Virginia Opry Radio Show” can be heard by visiting Spotify and by searching for it under the show’s name online, and a televised podcast is being planned in order to establish the show on a YouTube channel.
The Virginia Opry’s final two shows of the year are scheduled on Sat., Dec. 17, when Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters, will take the stage at The Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge and on Th., Dec. 22, when Charles Billingsley will perform at The Virginia Opry’s Resort Performance Home, The Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center.
Tickets for both shows are on sale, and patrons can go online at www.historicmasonictheatre.com, or Google The Virginia Opry.
In addition to Cooke, Rose and Lane who have performed as guests on The Virginia Opry, the late Dan Seals, the Darrel Webb Band, Charles Billingsley, The Farm Hands and The Freight Hoppers have made guest appearances.
The Virginia Opry made its debut on Oct. 17, 1992, at the Historic Stonewall Theatre (renamed The Historic Masonic Theatre) as a musical outreach program for Appalfolks of America Association that owned and operated the theatre at the time. Three of the original 10 members continue as members of The Virginia Opry.
On Feb. 17, 2017, the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution to honor The Virginia Opry for completing 25 consecutive years of performing country music shows.
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