Kelly Clarkson, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay and more join for Blake & Friends Wednesday Night
Ryman Hospitality Properties and Blake Shelton’s long awaited restaurant and bar Ole Red Nashville is officially open on famed Lower Broadway. The entertainment venue celebrated Wedneday, June 6th, with a full day of powerhouse programming with national television broadcasts and unforgettable performances from country’s biggest stars.
The grand opening celebrations began with Shelton co-hosting the fourth hour of NBC’s TODAY with Hoda Kotb. “This is happening! This is real! We’re really here!” exclaimed Shelton as he and Kotb took their seats on Ole Red Nashville’s stage.
As Kotb and Shelton reminisced on memories made together over their years of friendship, the artist broke out a guitar to serenade Kotb and the audience with a verse of the new establishment’s namesake song, “Ol’ Red.” The co-hosts chose to forgo their traditional glasses of wine for Ole Red Nashville’s signature cocktails, Tishomingo Sunset and Cumberland Punch.
The broadcast also featured appearances by Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett and Darius Rucker. Big Machine Label Group recording artists Sugarland took the stage as musical guests, and performed their new song “Babe.”
Later that evening, Shelton performed “Turnin’ Me On,” a song from his current album Texoma Shore from Ole Red Nashville’s rooftop bar, The Lookout, on the CMT Music Awards. Shelton won two awards at the ceremony including the night’s biggest award, Video of the Year for “I’ll Name The Dogs.”
After the awards the party returned to Ole Red where Shelton officially christened the venue’s stage with an exclusive “Blake Shelton and Friends” concert, where he opened the show with his hit song “Neon Light” and a cover of Hal Ketchum’s “Small Town Saturday Night,” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “Drivin’ My Life Away.” In traditional honky-tonk fashion, all of Shelton’s guests covered a high-energy song fans know and love. The all-star lineup included Trace Adkins, Lauren Alaina, Kelly Clarkson, Devin Dawson, Hunter Hayes, The Voice contestant Kyla Jade, Chris Janson, Jon Pardi, Raelynn, Michael Ray, Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay and Little Big Town. NASCAR driver Clint Boyer also made an appearance to sing John Anderson’s “Seminole Wind” on stage with Shelton.
Shelton closed the show with a collection of his hits mixed with 80’s and 90’s country classics, including George Strait, Conway Twitty and Rhett Akins. “I can’t believe this actually happened,” announced an ecstatic Shelton as he thanked the crowd.
