Itching to have a little fun
Shelton readies for opening of Old Red Tishomingo
TISHOMINGO — Back when he was an aspiring singer growing up in southern Oklahoma, Blake Shelton often looked forward to playing the tiny community of Reagan.
“In high school, we’d go down there. They had a little building that used to be the schoolhouse in Reagan, Oklahoma — literally, there’s nothing there but this place — and that’s one of the places that allowed me to come sit in with their band, and they had shows twice a month or whatever,” Shelton told The Oklahoman on Friday.
“For me, it’s as simple as this is my home. I grew up in Ada, which is basically just up the road here about 35 miles — at least, that’s what the sign says when you get north of town here — and I used to come down to Tishomingo to fish and hunt . ... It’s just always basically been home.”
The country music superstar and television personality stood Friday afternoon on his own stage inside Ole Red Tishomingo, a restaurant, music venue and retail space that will have its grand opening Saturday in Shelton’s adopted hometown.
“The only reason for me to do something like this in this town is to try to help out and try to attract some tourism and people from out of state — or from around the state even — to come here and have a good time, maybe hear some music and have a burger or a drink or something — and then walk out of these doors and go ‘Oh my gosh, there’s that over there, there’s this down here,’” Shelton said at a Friday news conference.
“The only thing that’s really in it for me is to have a place to anytime I feel like it I can come in here and pull up a stool and play some country music. ... I gotta have something like that, but it’s a bigger plan than that. I mean, this is literally all about this community, and I’m excited about it.”
Block party
Operated by Tennessee-based Ryman Hospitality Properties, which also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the 5,000-square-foot entertainment venue is named for Shelton’s hit song “Ol’ Red.” The grand opening will feature a free outdoor concert and block party Saturday night with performances by up-andcoming country singer RaeLynn and Grand Ole Opry members Jeannie Seely, John Conlee and Ronnie Milsap.
Shelton, also an Opry member, is set to cohost the event with 650 AM WSM’s Bill Cody. If the soft opening that started earlier this month is any indication, Shelton said his fans and the community already have embraced Ole Red Tishomingo.
“Part of me is thinking, ‘Man, if we can just keep that going like that, it’s a home run already,’ so I can’t imagine what’s around the corner once we get beyond Saturday,” Shelton said. “I want this place to be fun. I don’t want it to be anything other than just a good vibe and kind of a roadhouse feel. Just a good thing, that’s what I want. If I could contribute to that by sticking my head in here whenever I get a chance and playing some songs on the guitar, that’s exactly what I want to do.”
Ole Red Tishomingo General Manager Charles Haisler said the venue is currently offering live music Friday and Saturday nights, with plans to eventually expand the slate.
“Right now, we’re focusing mostly on local Oklahoma and North Texas talent,” said Haisler, an Allen native. “I grew just outside of Ada, Oklahoma, so I’m from this area, too. It’s very exciting for me to see something like this come into southern Oklahoma. ... I think it’s gonna bring people to this area and it’s up to us to make sure they have a good time.”
Economic opportunity
Haisler said the restaurant serves up “Southern comfort food with a splash of Nashville” like bison burgers, Nashville hot chicken and waffles and pan-fried meatloaf with brown gravy.
John Behling, chief marketing officer of Opry Entertainment Group, said it has been exciting to see how Shelton’s adopted hometown has embraced Shelton’s new venture, the first of a planned chain of Ole Reds. Ole Red Nashville, a 26,000-square-foot three-story venue with a rooftop restaurant, is due to open in spring.
“We employ a lot of people here, and the community has really done so much for us . ... It’s actually been very heartwarming for me that the community has opened up to us,” he said.
Ole Red Tishomingo is housed in two adjacent downtown buildings that once were the home of the Pistol Pink boutique, one of the businesses Shelton’s ex-wife and fellow music star Miranda Lambert opened that is credited with spurring economic development in the small Johnston County town.
“We’ve already seen a good impact on what this thing’s gonna do. It’s just awesome ... and there’s more coming. That’s what’s great,” said Charles Atteberry, who owns Johnston County Feed & Supply. “It’s just a free gift from Ryman and Blake, and the whole town, the whole community, they’re just elated. It gives you life, and it gives you breath. And it gives people hope,”
Atteberry took the stage with Shelton on Friday afternoon at Ole Red Tishomingo to accept an oversized check for $32,000 for J.C. Reaching Out, a Johnston County charity that provides financial assistance to family members of people battling cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. As part of the grand opening celebration, Shelton was to play a Friday night benefit concert inside Ole Red for the organization. Behling said tickets sold out in three minutes.
Although he said he couldn’t be sure when he would have the next opportunity, Shelton said the benefit show wouldn’t be the last time he played on stage at Ole Red Tishomingo, which he plans to be a place where he can grab his guitar and share his obsession with 1980s and ‘90s country music.
“Look, it could be all the time; it could like, ‘Man, I thought he was going to stop here and play? What the hell?’ because the one thing I’m not really in control of as much as I want to be is my schedule . ... But it’ll happen,” Shelton said.
“That’s my dream, that’s my vision, of somebody coming in here one day from wherever and stopping in to get a drink, and I happen to be sitting here playing my guitar singing some music.”