The Virginia Opry Presents: Keith Bryant

Thursday, October 22nd at 7PM

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s official Opry, The Virginia Opry, will showcase Nashville Recording Artist Keith Bryant who will perform “A Musical Salute To Dolly Parton” at the Historic Masonic Theatre on Thursday, October 22, at 7:00 p.m.

Bryant gained fame in the field of country music at 19 in 2000, by winning the “Best Vocalist Award” in the East Coast Country Music Championship. After winning the title, he formed Ironhorse, the band that toured up and down the Shenandoah Valley until Bryant launched his solo career in 2004.

Bryant, who resides in Rockbridge County, will perform “Ridin’ with the Legend,” the hit song about Dale Earnhardt, the NASCAR racing champion who died in 2001. His top hit, “Ridin’ with the Legend,” peaked at No. 47 on “Billboard Hot Country Songs,” while remaining 15 weeks on the charts.

Appalfolks of America Cloggers, a youth group that was formed in 2022, with 10 members, has grown to 35 and will open for Bryant. Formed by Amanda Patterson Burns, the dance instructor and owner of A-1 Studios in Covington on Main Street, Appalfolks of America Cloggers has won numerous awards for excellence in competitions in Virginia and North Carolina. Patterson, a certified clogging instructor, is a member of Appalfolks of America Association’s Board of Directors.

After a short intermission, Bryant will perform many of the songs from his four albums: “The Secret of Life,” 2000; “Welcome to Love,” 2002; “Ridin’ with the Legend,” 2004; and “Live It Slow,” 2007. Also, he will perform hits by such country music stars as Vince Gill and Chris Stapleton in addition to performing his “Special Musical Salute to Dolly Parton.”

“Ridin’ with the Legend” received nearly a year of radio airplay across the nation and resulted in Bryant securing Tandem Records as his sponsor. Based in San Diego, Tandem Records (later changed to Taang Records) provided him with the touring bus previously used by Diamond Rio along with an 18-wheeler to carry his equipment on tours for four years, ones during which he performed up and down the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington State before completing engagements from Nevada to Maine for four touring seasons. “Ridin’ with the Legend” continues to be played at NASCAR events.

Bryant will be returning to the Historic Masonic Theatre after his last performance, which was held on Feb. 10, 2024, when he entertained an enthusiastic audience with his mastery of both guitar and keyboard, switching from one to the other throughout his performance on The Virginia Opry.

M. Ray Allen, executive director and founder of The Virginia Opry that made its debut on Oct. 17, 1992, on stage at The Historic Masonic Theatre, remarked, “Keith is a longtime member of The Virginia Opry, and I am happy to showcase his talent, especially since COVID-19 restricted theatre usage in 2020, which forced Appalfolks to cancel our showcase show featuring Keith.”

Allen added, “Keith and I have collaborated on a follow-up song to “Ridin’ with the Legend,” and he will perform our special song that we hope will soon be recorded.”

Recording in Nashville on such labels as Lofton Creek Records, Bryant has a number of singles to his credit: “Drivers in Heaven,” 2001; “Welcome to Love,” 2002; “Somebody,”2005; “She Danced,” 2007; and “The Note,” 2011. He continues to share his music by performing one-man shows up and down the Shenandoah Valley and in Southwest Virginia.

He has performed on cruise ships, at NASCAR races, and in Major League Baseball parks such as the Baltimore Orioles’ park where he sang “The National Anthem.”

Allen concluded, “On behalf of Appalfolks of America Association that established The Virginia Opry on October 17, 1992, I thank our corporate sponsors of this show, Northwest Ace Hardware, Hunt Brothers Pizza, WKEY Radio Station’s 103.5 Big Country and Buckhorne Country Store and Campground.”

All tickets are subject to a $5 ticket fee.

Tickets are nonrefundable

Community event in Clifton Forge, Alleghany County, VA 24422.