Summer Dean's Dream Come True: a Date With the Grand Ole Opry

You might think the axiom “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” resonates with Summer Dean.

Dean would disagree.

“I don’t think I believe in things happening out of pure luck,” the acclaimed Fort Worth singer-songwriter said recently via email. “Sure, lucky opportunities come your way. But if you're not prepared or you haven't put in the time, effort and thoughtful intentions ahead of time, then the opportunities pass right by you.”

No one would ever accuse Dean of not putting in the time, effort and thought to bolster her career. One look at her calendar and it’s clear: The rising country star is relentlessly focused on hitting the road, honing her craft and getting her irresistible songs in front of as many folks as possible.

She simply will not be outworked.

Over the course of October alone, Dean, in support of her superb, Bruce Robison-produced 2023 album The Biggest Life, will crisscross the country, with dates scheduled in New Mexico and Louisiana, before she decamps to the East Coast for a run of dates taking her from the Carolinas all the way up to Toronto and back.

She will also appear around North Texas, with a stop at the Longhorn Ballroom on Oct. 4, on a bill with Gary P. Nunn.

But that work is fueled by ambition, whether abstractly (in dreams) or concretely (in miles logged, or tickets and records sold).

One date on her itinerary — Dec. 6 — looms larger than most, and it’s hard to not to think about this particular performance being the definition of preparation meeting opportunity.

That's the day Summer Dean makes her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. It’s a bucket list moment for any country artist, and a dream Dean has been striving toward since childhood.


“Like almost every country music artist, I can say, ‘This has been my dream since I was a little girl,’” Dean said. “I remember listing what I wanted to be when I grew up and it was — number one: Miss Texas, and number two: sing on the Grand Ole Opry. It’s been a goal on my vision board for years. The view of the iconic WSM mic stand from inside the wooden circle has been the home screen on my phone for more than five years.”

Now, Dean will step inside her dream and sing into that storied microphone. It’s a confirmation of what many inside (and outside) Texas already know to be true: Dean is one of the state’s most dynamic, consequential country artists, and this platform will provide even greater visibility for a phenomenal talent.

Dean — who immediately began crying tears of joy when her booking agent relayed the good news to her — said the goal of performing at the Opry was, for a long time, a bit of a running joke in her set.

“I’m sure the band was so tired of hearing of it that it almost became their personal career goals too,” Dean said. “I’ve been telling jokes about making it to the Opry on stage for a while. Once, at an acoustic songwriter set at the Sagebrush in Austin, a rep from my booking agency was in the audience. ... After hearing my Opry stage banter, [my agent Davis McLarty] told me after the show: ‘I’m gonna get you to the Opry. You just keep working this hard.’”

That was all Dean needed to hear. She maintained her focus, and her team set to the task at hand. If not an example of preparation meeting opportunity, then Dean’s ascension to the hallowed Opry House is certainly a case study in manifesting one’s dreams through thoughtful, focused work.

“I’ve gotten asked about career advice recently,” Dean said. “Goals are important, so you start there and work backwards. If you know what kind of artist you wanna be, and what kind of career you want to have, make decisions based on that. ... Be intentional and confident with your vision and go for it. I’m sincerely grateful to my team and booking agency for rallying with me. It fuels my confidence to keep going.

“On December 6, I will sing my heart out and do my best to make Fort Worth and Texas proud!”