Craig Shelburne is a Nashville-based music journalist, author, and festival producer. He grew up in rural Nebraska, moved to Nashville in 1994, and spent 13 years at CMT where he launched the influential roots music blog CMT Edge. He's written for Rolling Stone, the Bluegrass Situation, MusicRow, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and many other outlets. Craig currently serves as festival producer for AmericanaFest, programming the nighttime showcases for the Americana Music Association. His first book, 100 Years of Grand Ole Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, the Fans, and the Home of Country Music, was published in April 2025. His next book, Killin' Time: My Life and Music—a memoir co-written with Clint Black—arrives May 19, 2026.

In This Episode:

Writing 100 years of Opry history in 18 months with historian Brenda Colladay

The decision to tell the real story—setbacks, bad calls, and all

Discovering the complete audio of James Brown's 1979 Opry performance

Growing up on TNN in Nebraska and moving to Nashville at 19

13 years at CMT and the launch of CMT Edge

The art of the seven-minute interview: asking questions artists actually want to answer

Programming AmericanaFest: 1,500 submissions, 200 slots, and the philosophy of fit

Writing Clint Black's memoir on the tour bus

Why no two Opry shows have ever been the same

Links

100 Years of Grand Ole Opry

Americana Music Association

The Bluegrass Situation