A musician who grew up in Blanchester is set to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nolan Taylor told the News Journal he’s thrilled to be taking the legendary country music stage on Saturday evening.

“It’s incredibly exciting,” said Taylor.

One aspect he’s excited about is getting to perform on the same night as one of his favorites — Steve Earle.

“He’s amazing,” said Taylor, hoping he’ll get a chance to meet him.

Taylor went on to describe the audition process he participated in to be a part of this monumental show.

“I got a call to come in and perform for (Opry personnel) and performed two songs for them,” said Taylor, who wasn’t sure what their position was with the show. “I don’t know if that’s how it’s done for others or how it’s usually done. But later on, I got the call from my manager saying I got on the show.”

On his website (nolantaylormusic.com), Taylor notes that he found “solace in music” as a kid. He discovered The Grateful Dead and continued to study music as he grew up — primarily the classic MTV Unplugged concerts. He left the Blanchester area by age 16. Other songwriters such as Joe Purdy and Zac McFadden left an imprint on Nolan. He initially received a banjo from his uncle, diving into bluegrass. Even though he primarily focused on wrestling, working out, football, and basketball, he finally picked up a left-handed guitar in high school. During 2016, he cut his teeth at countless open mic nights.

When he graduated high school, he played various gigs around West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky, according to the website.

He finally got massive attention after a video of Nolan performing his song “68” went viral and reached 2.6 million viewers. The video was posted on the Radio WV Youtube Channel. The song, “68,” will be one of two songs he’ll perform at the Grand Ole Opry, Taylor told the News Journal.

Taylor is incredibly thankful for everyone who has helped him get to this point in his life — his managerial team, his fans, his friends, and his family.

The Grand Ole Opry show at 7 p.m. on Saturday can be viewed on Circle TV, according to its website – opry.com

Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574