JD Shelburne made his long-awaited Grand Ole Opry debut last month, fulfilling a dream he held for a long, long time. For Shelburne, stepping into the circle was in many ways a full-circle moment for Shelburne, who dreamt about that moment for years.

“It was a long time coming for me,” Shelburne tells Everything Nash. “I’ve been in this town for 17 years, grinding every weekend, playing shows, just building a brand and fans. And really, without a record label, doing it all on my own, building my own ship. I’ve just done it for so long. That’s really the only way I know how to do it. And I’ve had situations where I’m like, ‘How do I get to the Opry?’ I’ve opened for tons of stars. I’ve recorded with The Oak Ridge Boys and become friends with other Opry members. And I would always gently nudge them like, ‘Hey, if there’s ever an opportunity where I can play the Opry stage, I sure appreciate you throwing my name in the hat.”

Shelburne also sent emails out to the General Manager, Dan Rogers, who encouraged Shelburne to “keep hustling.” Fortunately, Shelburne never gave up, but he admits it was a big relief when he finally received the long-awaited invitation, via email.

“I always remained positive. And then a Friday afternoon … I got an email,” the Kentucky native recalls with a laugh. “Basically, it said, ‘This may take you by surprise …’ Opened up the email, and it said, ‘Opry debut.’ And it was a moment that I’ve never felt that happiness go instant, just like that, in my life. I mean, I went instantly from cleaning my garage out, getting my trailer ready for the next gig, to like, ‘Oh my God. I’m playing the Grand Ole Opry in three weeks.'”

 

@everythingnash @jdshelburne talks about his long-awaited, and well-deserved, @Grand Ole Opry debut. #opry #countrymusic ♬ original sound – EverythingNash

 

The feeling of walking out on the Grand Ole Opry stage is forever etched in Shelburne’s mind.

“I forgot to thank my wife and my son. … It takes your breath away,” Shelburne recalls. “Finally, I get to walk in the circle. Your heart, your adrenaline, is beating so fast, you just kind of forget your name for a minute. But it’s funny. So when I took my guitar out there, I put a little cheat sheet, with the lyrics of the verses of each song, so I wouldn’t forget the lyrics. And sure enough, I didn’t have to look down at them. It was muscle memory. So it was good. It was fun. I hope we get to do it many more times.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by JD Shelburne (@jdshelburne)

Getting to the Grand Ole Opry took a lot of talent, but it also took a lot of hard work. Shelburne has been steadily releasing music, growing his fan base, and pursuing his dreams of having a career in country music.

“I started at the very bottom, and built this from my back porch in college. where no one knew I even played music, and I couldn’t hardly even get a gig,” Shelburne says. “And to go from there to the Grand Ole Opry, it’s just mind-blowing. But I have worked really hard. I’ve driven a million miles. I’ve played over 3000 shows. I could write a book one day, if I could find out a way to go through the chronological order of the stories I’ve got and the people I’ve met that’s helped along the way. It’s been a fun journey.”

Shelburne recently released “Summertime All Year.” Find all of Shelburne’s music and upcoming shows at JDShelburne.com.

Photo Credit: Kevin Bell