How Blake Shelton became an Ole Red business mogul: Exclusive

A crowd huddled around the windows at Ole Red on Broadway, peering through the glass as a purple light poured over country music star Blake Shelton.

“Honey, look, that’s Blake,” one woman said.

Television screens mounted along the exterior showed the performance and, although his voice didn’t cut through the bass and bands coalescing on Broadway, a sea of cellphones pointed toward the “God’s Country” singer.

Inside his honky-tonk, Shelton was performing his new song, “Let Him In Anyway,” a grief- and faith-stricken plea to God to let a non-believer, lost soul into heaven anyway.

“The reaction that I’m getting to that song is absolutely blowing me away,” he told The Tennessean before his performance. “I’ve only performed this once before tonight and I saw a lot of people crying, like ugly crying, because it’s one of those songs that hasn’t ever been said before in such an honest, brutally honest way.”

As smoke surrounded the singer, Shelton quickly pivoted back to the crowd.

“That’s enough sad songs.”

Opening an Ole Red location in Indianapolis

Less than 12 hours earlier, Shelton gathered on an Indianapolis stage for a press conference, flanked by Pacers Sports and Entertainment CEO Mel Raines and Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman Colin Reed.

“Some of the bigger moments of not just my career, but my life, have been here,” he said. “So I always feel at home when I’m here. And I love the people, and I just love the vibe and the atmosphere in this place.”

The announcement confirmed Ole Red will open a seventh location in the city’s rapidly expanding Fieldhouse District, just steps from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which hosts more than 2 million visitors and over 500 events each year. It sits at the center of roughly $3 billion in tourism-related infrastructure investments.

The 37,000-square-foot, multi-level venture joins existing Ole Red outposts in Nashville (on Broadway and in the airport); Las Vegas; Orlando; Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Shelton’s hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

Indianapolis city leaders touted the addition of Ole Red signals another step in Indianapolis’ evolution.

“What I love about coming here is every time I come here, there’s something new and exciting happening,” Governor Mike Braun said. “I think it symbolizes the entrepreneurialism of the city and the state.”

Mayor Joe Hogsett framed the project opening in 2027 as part of a broader transformation downtown.

“Our city is currently undergoing an unprecedented level of growth, especially right here in the urban core,” Hogsett said. “The future is bright, and it starts with announcements like the one we are celebrating today.”

Shelton’s connection to Indianapolis extends back more than two decades ago, when he performed at a local radio station showcase to test out his first hit “Austin.” He returned to sing “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 and serve as Grand Marshal for the Indianapolis 500 in 2022.

As part of immersing himself in Indy culture, he met WNBA superstars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, both of whom he called “awesome.”

Building a brand legacy on Broadway in Nashville

More than 60,000 customers, sometimes up to 100,000, pass through the doors of Ole Red in Nashville each month, a steady stream that has carried the Lower Broadway venue since it opened in 2018.

Operated by Opry Entertainment Group, a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties, the bar was built as more than a namesake venue inspired by Shelton’s song. It has become a destination, carving out its own lane in a landscape where nearly every corner features a country star’s name on a bar. Another branch of the Ole Red brand opened in Las Vegas in 2024.

Brand marketing manager Lindsey Barber credits the success to three things: operating as a full-service restaurant, functioning as a true live music venue and Shelton’s consistent presence.

She recalled a recent trip where Shelton was doing a shoot at the Las Vegas branch and made it to the bar to open the doors and shake hands with fans.

The 6-foot-5 singer joked that he’s become the go-to contact for friends and family hoping to stop by — from last-minute dinners to bachelorette parties and large group reservations.

“I’m not a business guy,” he said. “I just love country music and fun and hopefully people pick up on that and then it bleeds out into these places. People associate me with this bar and it really makes me proud because every time I walk in here there’s new talent. Like I’m sitting here right now watching the Mobile Homeboys and I’m blown away by these guys.”

Plus, there’s another unexpected perk to ownership.

“I’ve got seven concert venues that I could never get kicked out of,” he joked. “That’s a pretty good position to be in.”

Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.