CLIFTON FORGE, VA (VR) — The Commonwealth of Virginia’s official Opry, The Virginia Opry, completed its 30th performance season after Charles Billingsley, the headliner for “The Virginia Opry’s 30th Anniversary Show,” was inducted into The Virginia Opry on Thurs., Dec. 22.
A sellout crowd gathered at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center to attend the second dinner theatre in The Virginia Opry’s 30-year history as Glen Shelton opened for Billingsley.
Shelton, a Nashville recording artist, performed his set following an opening song by Gentlemen South, and Billingsley, a nationally prominent recording artist and musician, followed to complete the last show of the year for The Virginia Opry.
The sellout crowd gave The Virginia Opry a standing ovation, the 6th standing ovation The Virginia Opry enjoyed during its 30th performance season.
The performance season got underway in Feb. at The Historic Masonic Theatre when Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters performed “Be My Valentine at The Virginia Opry.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group was inducted into The Virginia Opry along with emcee, Alfred “Mustard” Dearing, Sr. prior to the performance.
In March, The Virginia Opry staged “Patsy Meets Elvis at The Virginia Opry” at The Historic Masonic Theatre where Michael Hoover and Denise Glass, both members of The Virginia Opry, along with Doug Lester Band matched the Drifters by receiving a standing ovation.
In April at Lime Kiln Theater in Lexington, The Virginia Opry drew more than 2,000 to the performance headlined by Nashville recording artist Chris Lane and his band.
Leading up to Lane’s performance, The Virginia Opry’s members, Keith Bryant, James Tamelcoff, Justin Peery, Stephen Peery and Jana Allen, participated in the show that also featured Ashley Cooke and her band and Lily-Rose and her band.
The four bands that performed set a record for the most bands to perform on one show produced by The Virginia Opry. The Virginia Opry received a $200,000 sponsorship for the concert that honored VMI’s 2022, graduating class of cadets.
No performances were held in May, but in June, Brian Buchanan and his band from Staunton and Gentlemen South from Rockbridge County along with Johnny King and Friends from the Alleghany Highlands performed a benefit that raised $3,500 for fallen officer Caleb Ogilvie’s widow.
The show was sponsored by the Covington Recreation Department and Appalfolks of America Association (AAA), The Virginia Opry’s founding nonprofit organization based in Clifton Forge.
The next sellout show for The Virginia Opry came on Aug. 12, at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center where the audience gave Michael Hoover and Denise Glass, who performed “Patsy Meets Elvis at The Virginia Opry,” three standing ovations.
Keith Bryant and Glen Shelton were scheduled to perform at the Jackson River Sports Complex River Rock Amphitheatre in Oct., but Hurricane Ian brought so much rain to the Alleghany Highlands that the show was moved indoors to A-1 Dance Studios where the smallest audience of the season attended the benefit for Tunnel 2 Towers Foundation. Only $100 was raised.
On Sat., Dec. 17, Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters returned to perform “White Christmas at the Virginia Opry” at The Historic Masonic Theatre, five days prior to The Virginia Opry’s final show of the season.
Justin Peery, the executive director of The Virginia Opry who is also a vocalist and musician with Gentlemen South, established “The Virginia Opry Radio Show,” a show that airs on WREL’s Big Dawg Country 100.3 on Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Peery serves as the show’s host, and AAA is in the process of launching its Virginia Opry YouTube Channel, having purchased the necessary cameras and equipment.
WKEY’s Big Country 103.5 is the radio home of The Virginia Opry which made its debut on Oct. 17, 1992, on stage at the Historic Stonewall Theatre (renamed The Historic Masonic Theatre after AAA donated the theatre to the Town of Clifton Forge in 2003.
The Town Council of Clifton Forge voted 5-0 earlier in the year to designate the Town of Clifton Forge as the Home of the Virginia Opry.
Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center has designated its facility as the Resort Home of The Virginia Opry.
The Virginia House of Delegates passed a resolution on Feb. 17, 2017, honoring The Virginia Opry for completing 25 consecutive years of producing country music shows.
On March 31, 2020, Governor Ralph S. Northam signed “Senate Bill 283” to designate The Virginia Opry as the official Opry of The Commonwealth of Virginia.
