In the belly of WXPN’s radio station at 30th and Walnut streets, members of the Black Opry Residency huddle inside a recording studio around trailblazing country artist Rissi Palmer, who recalls the challenges of her early career as a Black woman in country music.
“Picture it: Nashville, 2007,” she starts.
Though she opens as if to regale with a Sophia Petrillo-esque tale of days gone by, her story is one that’s quite contemporary and all too relevant to the world Black Americana artists operate in. Palmer recalls a music video shoot gone horribly wrong under the guidance of a manager who, to put it lightly, neither understood her nor what it meant to be a Black country artist. The message to the residents: Be your authentic selves and don’t settle for a bad manager with a big name.
It’s one of many lessons imparted upon five Black Americana musicians selected from among a pool of 100 applicants to participate in the Black Opry Residency, hosted by WXPN, funded by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and produced in collaboration with Black Opry, a platform and touring revue founded by Holly G to amplify the voices and music of Black country artists. The Black Opry residents spent the week of March 19 learning from mentors like Amos Lee and Palmer, collaborating with one another through song shares, and will perform in a showcase at World Cafe Live on March 24.