On this day, January 5, 2017, something big was about to drop in Nashville. Blake Shelton walked onto the stage of the Ryman Auditorium.
Not to perform any song.
He announced that he was about to drop 26,000 square feet of country right onto the middle of Broadway. It was the birth of the Ole Red empire.
This was the moment the “celebrity bar” gold rush officially kicked off in Nashville. Blake Shelton stood at the front of the line, and he did not blink.
Blake Shelton – Ole Red Nashville Opening
If you watch the faces in the crowd during that first opening, you see pure shock.
One viewer mentioned that it felt like a theme park for people who love the smell of sawdust and freedom. Another fan said that seeing Blake walk through the doors made the whole city feel like a small town again.
The glitz of the grand opening is great. But the real grit comes from a story about a jailbreak. It leads us straight to a stage where the lights are low and the story is everything.
Blake Shelton – Ol’ Red (Live At Wildhorse Saloon)
The drums kick in and suddenly you are not in a fancy restaurant anymore. You are in a Georgia prison camp. See how Blake tells the story of a prisoner and a dog with a nose that never misses. One fan commented that this song is the reason they know who Blake is today. It is the exact reason why thousands of people flock to his bar every single day.
Blake Shelton has a way of staying a country boy even when he is the biggest boss in the room. His journey from a 2002 hit song to a Broadway landmark is a masterclass in staying true to yourself.
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