Nolan Taylor Makes His Grand Ole Opry Debut

Nolan Taylor made his Grand Ole Opry debut last Saturday and Nashville.com had the pleasure of being there to see it. Though he only played two songs, those brief moments on stage were enough to leave a considerable impression on us and the rest of the packed Opry house. He said this was dream he thought he’d never achieve and had no words for what it was like to stand in that famous Opry circle.

The first song he played, “Tear Drop” is the thoughtfully written focus track from his new five song EP “Life and Love.” The second song he played was an emotional and powerful song written about his mother called “68.” It’s easy to tell when a crowd is focused and engaged because they did not make a sound during his performance. A video of this song went viral with 2.6 million YouTube views on the Radio WV YouTube Channel (watch above.)

The singer/songwriter grew up in Blanchester, OH with his dad and older brother. His father managed plants and factories, yet money was scarce and the winters were brutal. His mom battled addiction and mental struggles, eventually estranging her from her boys.

“We’re small-town poor people,” Taylor has said. “My brother and my dad are my best friends. We spent much of our life together hopping around from place to place, getting jobs where we could and just surviving. The music is honest. I simply want listeners to feel what I’m feeling.”

Every once in a while when you see a new artist for the first time and you just know immediately this is someone real who you will see again in the future because the raw talent is so obvious … this was one of those times.
–Jerry Holthouse