Skip to content

Top Navigation

PEOPLE.com PEOPLE.com
  • News
    • Coronavirus
    • Crime
    • Human Interest
    • Politics
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Country
    • Awards
    • Sports
    • Theater
    • Books
  • Coronavirus
  • Royals
  • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Parents
    • Home
    • Real Estate
    • Pets
    • Food
    • Shopping
    • Tech
  • PeopleTV
  • Shopping
    • Coupons

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
Login
Logout
Subscribe

Explore PEOPLE.com

PEOPLE.com PEOPLE.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Every Tiara Worn at a Royal Wedding

      From Princess Beatrice to Meghan Markle Read More Next
    • Engineer Creates App To Translate Your Cat

      Find out what your cat is trying to tell you with a new cat app Read More Next
    • The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana

      Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old Read More Next
  • News

    News

    See All News

    Sean Connery's Cause of Death Revealed Weeks After He Dies at Age 90

    Sean Connery died on Oct. 31 at age 90
    • Coronavirus
    • Crime
    • Human Interest
    • Politics
  • Entertainment

    Entertainment

    See All Entertainment

    Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now?

    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Country
    • Awards
    • Sports
    • Theater
    • Books
  • Coronavirus
  • Royals
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    See All Lifestyle

    Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype

    • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Parents
    • Home
    • Real Estate
    • Pets
    • Food
    • Shopping
    • Tech
  • PeopleTV
  • Shopping

    Shopping

    • Coupons

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

People is on Community!
Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more.
Text: 212-479-1704
  1. People.com
  2. Country
  3. Go Behind-the-Scenes at Blanco Brown's Grand Ole Opry Debut: 'It Felt Unreal'

Go Behind-the-Scenes at Blanco Brown's Grand Ole Opry Debut: 'It Felt Unreal'

The rising country artist, who went to No. 1 earlier this year with "The Git Up" made his debut at the Ryman Auditorium Tuesday evening
By Darlene Aderoju
November 23, 2019 08:15 PM
Skip gallery slides
FB Tweet

1 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stepping onto the stage for the first time

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

For Brown, Tuesday night's debut is the most special performance of his career.

"It felt unreal and it still hasn’t kicked in. Just next level — I really don’t have the words to describe the feeling but the room energy was amazing," he tells PEOPLE. "I saw the people smiling and waiting to clap, and then they clapped.”

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The calm before the storm  

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The singer wants fans to learn something from his music. "The premise of it all was to make it a body of work that has lessons within the messages,” he says. “You can listen to the songs and not notice you’re listening to a lesson until you get to the end. I wanted to make music that you can just enjoy. But at the end of it all, it has depth and meaning. I’m just bringing joy to people and being a light.”

2 of 10

3 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Making his Opry debut

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The rising country star, who topped the chart with his hit song "The Git Up" over the summer, shares the heartwarming story behind the track.

"I titled the song 'The Git Up' in dedication to my grandmother. She used to slap the Vaseline on our faces, in a loving manner, and say, 'Git up.' That meant finding purpose in your day. You had to make sure you were up and adequate, up and out. If you hear the song, even if you’re not standing and even if you can’t stand, it still lifts your spirit."

3 of 10

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Captivating the crowd

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The star, who has been on the rise all year, has big plans for 2020.

"I’ll continue doing what I’ve been doing throughout of my life, and that’s doing things full of purpose and continuously making music that people can share with anyone, without discrepancies," he says. "Music with a meaning, music with a story."

4 of 10

Advertisement

5 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Country crooning

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The rising star is inspired by hip-hop and rap music as well as country when he creates the unique sound which he dubs "trailer trap."

"Collaborating the two worlds is just natural to me. I grew up listening to Johnny Cash and OutKast, everything from Project Pat to Three 6 Mafia. It’s something that I think chose me," he explains. "I get to implement the two things that I love the most into one sound. I'm just able to make music freely that I love."

5 of 10

6 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Enjoying the moment

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

Brown is motivated by his love for music. "Chase purpose, not money," he says. "To me, it used to be about the dollar, making money, making that make sense but it never made sense when you look at the overall picture. I just find so much fulfillment in knowing that I’m supposed to be doing what I’m doing and not worrying about the charts, but worrying about the hearts. I say chase hearts, not charts."

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Meeting Charley Pride backstage

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

For Brown, performing at Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium was a dream come true. He met one of his inspirations Tuesday night, country music legend Charley Pride.

"He told me one of his most memorable moments, out of all his great memorable moments, is being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame," Brown tells PEOPLE. "He remembers being on the road back in the day and how things have changed. He’s seen the worst.”

7 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Parking pass to go

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The singer reveals who he would like to make music with.

"In a perfect world, I would have loved to collaborate with Johnny Cash," he says. "Outside of Johnny Cash and all the other greats — from Aretha Franklin to Don Cook and Donny Hathaway — I would want to collaborate with anyone that has meaning throughout their music. Someone who isn’t just trying to make one song to appease the world, but someone who stands for the music they create."

8 of 10

Advertisement

9 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The story behind the song 

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The singer tells PEOPLE how he created his hit song, "The Git Up."

"I got a lap steel from one of my friends and I came up with a nice loop, then I added beat boxing and anything I could find to it," he says. "I made a track and I was like, ‘This is so full of joy, this is so happy’ so I wanted the words to complement it. I started writing the lyrics and I was doing the dance at the same time, making sure it all worked together, and it did. So that’s how 'The Git Up' was born."

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

On next steps

Credit: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The country singer teamed up with Parmalee for his next work, a single titled "Just the Way." Of the new song, he says "it’ll be out sooner than later. I know it’s gonna be uplifting and healing to the world. The song has a message and I love what it stands for."

10 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Darlene Aderoju

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 10 Stepping onto the stage for the first time
2 of 10 The calm before the storm  
3 of 10 Making his Opry debut
4 of 10 Captivating the crowd
5 of 10 Country crooning
6 of 10 Enjoying the moment
7 of 10 Meeting Charley Pride backstage
8 of 10 Parking pass to go
9 of 10 The story behind the song 
10 of 10 On next steps

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

PEOPLE.com

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing
  • Sitemap
  • Student Offer this link opens in a new tab

Connect

People is on Community!
Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more.
Text: 212-479-1704
Newsletter Sign Up
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
© Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab. People is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab Manage Push Notificationsthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab

Manage Push Notifications

If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: Google Chrome and Android, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://people.com

View image

Go Behind-the-Scenes at Blanco Brown's Grand Ole Opry Debut: 'It Felt Unreal'
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.