- The historic Grand Ole Opry country-music venue was criticized for allowing
Morgan Wallen onstage. - Wallen drew backlash last year for using a racial slur but has since enjoyed commercial success.
The Grand Ole Opry, the country venue in Nashville, was criticized after allowing Morgan Wallen, a singer who was caught on tape last year using a racial slur, to perform on Saturday night.
Wallen's appearance sparked criticism on social media — from people including the singer-songwriter Jason Isbell — directed toward the Grand Ole Opry, which describes itself as "the show that made
Holly G, the founder of Black Opry, a platform for Black country musicians and artists, said in a letter to the show's talent organizers that Wallen's attendance was confusing and "a slap in the face" to people of color.
"You should know that our community is extremely disappointed, though many are not surprised," Holly wrote. "A stage that was once a dream destination for many Black artists has now cemented itself as one of the many Nashville stages on which we know we are not respected."
She mentioned a tweet from the Grand Ole Opry from last June that said: "Racism is real. It is unacceptable. And it has no place at The Grand Ole Opry."
"This clear and direct statement is completely undermined by your decision to debut Wallen who recently described the rightful criticism of his actions as 'noise,'" Holly wrote.
Wallen first performed at the venue in 2017. His performance on Saturday was part of the Grand Ole Opry debut of another country-music artist, ERNEST.
Last February, Wallen was filmed using the N-word on a night out. He won three country-music awards at the Billboard Awards in May despite being barred from the show.
While his recording agency, Big Loud Records, initially suspended his contract and several radio stations took his songs off their playlists, Wallen's latest album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," was a top seller last year, with 3.2 million units sold, the music-data firm MRC Data reported.
His contract and radio spots were reinstated after several months.
Wallen apologized last year for using the racial slur — though he drew some criticism earlier this month after appearing to describe the backlash as "noise" in an Instagram post.
Holly, who asked that her last name not be used, told Insider that she'd previously been "fixated" on one day booking Black country artists at the Grand Ole Opry through her platform. But with its decision to host Wallen, Holly no longer has any interest in taking her brand there, she said.
Through Black Opry she's worked with about 200 musicians and artists for shows in more than 15 cities. Holly said she launched the platform last April because she felt that Black fans and artists weren't accepted in the country-music scene.
"It feels like we don't matter, which is not a new feeling concerning country music, but it doesn't stop the sting every time something else proves it," she said.
Holly said she met with talent coordinators for the Grand Ole Opry and was told that the program was deliberately selective about who it allows onstage. "It's a very careful choice. It's not like it's a karaoke bar and anybody drops in," she said.
"They knew there were all these Black artists who wanted a space there and had a lot of respect for their institution," she added. "They've basically chosen the direction that they want to grow in."
The Grand Ole Opry did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.