SCOTT STAPP To Make Grand Ole Opry Debut

Grammy-winning songwriter, solo artist and CREED frontman Scott Stapp will perform at the Grand Ole Opry on October 23. It will be the rocker’s first time inside the circle and the first live performance of his first-ever duet, “If These Walls Could Talk” featuring rock queen Dorothy. The acoustic ballad delivers two Grammy-worthy vocal performances that escalate to soaring climax as they depict the experience of suffering in silence. It was written by Stapp with Kylie Sackley (Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Walker Hayes),Marti Frederiksen (AEROSMITH, Carrie Underwood, Ozzy Osbourne, Faith Hill) and Scott Stevens (HALESTORM, SHINEDOWN).Stapp’s songwriting has long exemplified Music City’s “three chords and the truth” ethos, baring it all to a multi-generational audience of rock, mainstream, and country fans with honest and authentic storytelling. From “Higher” to “Arms Wide Open”, “My Own Prison”, “One Last Breath”, “My Sacrifice” and “Weathered”, to solo singles “Purpose For Pain”, “Higher Power” and current hit “Black Butterfly”, Stapp has earned icon status with songs that continue to inspire stadium-wide singalongs.Scott recently spoke about Nashville, his home since 2016, telling music journalist Melonee Hurt of The Tennessean: “I was unaware until I got into the community how big it is and how supportive and protective they are of people who are sincere… When they know your heart, they’ve got your back.”On being invited to take the Opry stage, Stapp says: “I am humbled by this invitation and grateful for the Opry’s tradition of including outliers like me. The Nashville songwriting community has been an incredible source of inspiration and support through a life-changing era for me, so it is a distinct honor to step into the circle for the first time.”Stapp has had a transformative year with the chart-topping debut of his fourth solo album, “Higher Power” (released March 15 via Napalm Records) and the return of CREED, which “may be something this industry has never seen” (Pollstar). Their reunion tour quickly became “one of the hottest rock tickets of the year” (Billboard) and “one of the most anticipated tours of the summer” (USA Today),selling out amphitheaters and earning critical praise at each show. Due to fan demand, the tour was extended with an arena leg to include Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (November 8) and Madison Square Garden (November 29) to close out 2024.In March 2024, “Higher Power” debuted to raves for its lyrical potency and powerful delivery. The album broke at No. 23 on the Billboard Top Current Album Sales chart (all genres) and Luminate reported it at No. 2 (Current Hard Music Albums),No. 4 (Current Digital Albums),No. 5 (Record Label Independent Current Albums),and No. 3 (Current Rock Albums). “Higher Power” follows 2019’s “The Space Between The Shadows”, which debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. Current Rock Albums chart, the U.S. Current Hard Music Albums chart, and the U.K. Official Rock And Metal chart, among countless other top chart positions.Photo credit: Matt Akana