2022

Yesterday, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrated the opening of their new collaborative exhibition: Rock Hall at the Ryman. Rock Hall at the Ryman, which is now open to the public today, is part of a multi-year partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and showcases the Ryman’s mark on rock & roll history. While the Ryman is known as the Mother Church of Country Music, Rock Hall at the Ryman honors the 100+ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees who have performed on the Ryman’s hallowed stage throughout its 130-year history. The exhibit surveys a selection of Inductees including James Brown, The Byrds, Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, Joan Jett and Dolly Parton in addition to country music icons like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Hank Williams, who were early practitioners of what would become rock & roll music. Housed in the Ryman’s newly transformed 5th Avenue vestibule, the exhibit features instruments, stage costumes and personal artifacts.   Some of the exhibit’s unique items include: Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” model Fender Stratocaster guitar played on the Journeyman tour in the early 1990s and then again in 1995. Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins’ outfit worn during performance to induct Rush at the 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Joan Jett’s red latex halter bra top worn onstage at Vans Warped Tour ’06. Elvis Presley’s full-length belted suede coat worn c. 1970. Earlier this year, the Ryman was designated as an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark and joined 11 other rock & roll institutions throughout the country including Austin City Limits and Whisky a Go Go, among others. Continuing the celebration of rock & roll, the Ryman will host a variety of shows featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Members U2’s Bono (Nov. 9), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Nov. 13), Smokey Robinson (Dec. 16), and a three-night residency with John Mellencamp (May 8-10, 2023), with more to be announced. Entry to Rock Hall at the Ryman is included in all daytime tour tickets at the Ryman, which also includes a souvenir photo on stage, Soul of Nashville immersive theater experience and other star-studded exhibits. More information about Rock Hall at the Ryman, daytime tours and upcoming shows can be found at www.ryman.com.

During his concert in Jacksonville, Florida last  night, country music superstar Luke Bryan announced he will donate proceeds from his upcoming Estero, Florida concert to the Florida Disaster Fund. Hurricane Ian pushed three of Luke’s “Raised Up Right Tour” dates to next weekend, Nov. 2 in Estero, Nov. 4 in West Palm Beach, and Nov. 5 in Tampa. Governor DeSantis joined Luke on stage for the pledge. To date, the fund has raised more than $50 million from corporate partners like Walmart, Publix, Home Depot, Amazon and more. The fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to provide financial assistance to communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with public, private, and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities. Donations to the Florida Disaster Fund are made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and are tax-deductible. These final three Florida shows will wrap the tour and will take Luke into preparations for the “56th Annual CMA Awards” where he will host with NFL superstar Peyton Manning. The show will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena 8:00-11:00 PM/EST on ABC.

Organizers for the Fourth Annual Dottie West Birthday Bash presented Music Health Alliance with a check for $30,000 raised through ticket sales, sponsorships and live auction items. The star-studded event, presented by Gus Arrendale and Springer Mountain Farms was hosted by Grammy Award winner and Grand Ole Opry Legend Jeannie Seely and took place at the famous 3rd & Lindsley music venue in front of a sold out crowd on October 11, 2022.“I am very honored to be the presenter for this incredible event in Nashville raising funds to benefit musicians and the music industry as well as honor Dottie West and other deserving artists,” reflected Springer Mountain Farms CEO -Gus Arrendale. “The opportunity to bring awareness to the needs of others through music has always been close to my heart.”“Musicians have always been special to me and I feel like they don’t always get recognized for their efforts. When hard times hit, sometimes these are the folks who get hit the hardest since many of them are young with young families. We appreciate Music Health Alliance allowing us to partner with them, doing all we can to provide the resources needed to assist everyone, but especially this vitally important part of our business,” shared event host Jeannie Seely.“We are so honored and thankful to once again be the charity partner for such a fabulous event honoring an icon in our industry. Through the generosity of those who attended and participated in the event, Music Health Alliance will be able to provide more than $900,000 in life-saving healthcare advocacy and resources to those who are facing healthcare challenges in the music industry. Thank you for helping us to heal the music,“ said Tatum Allsep, MHA Founder and CEO.The star-studded fourth annual event included performances by 55-year member of the Grand Ole Opry, Jeannie Seely along with honoree  Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie McCoy, Americana Music Association Duo/Group of the Year award winner, The War & Treaty, Grammy-award winning recording artist Linda Davis and Lang Scott, Grand Ole Opry members Rhonda Vincent, Mandy Barnett, Don Schlitz and Vince Gill. Also included on the talented lineup was John Schneider, Dallas Wayne, Tim Atwood, Kenna West, Tess Frizzell, Bobby Tomberlin and Jason Coleman. The house band, who all donated their talents, included Dug Grieves (lead guitar), Kenny Sears (fiddle), Steve Hinson (Steel), Mark Beckett (Drums) and Matt McKenzie (Bass).Always popular at the event was the live auction by Melissa Luman Phillips who was accompanied by Sam Stephens. The auction not only helped raised additional funds, but provided entertainment with items donated by Charlie McCoy, Chris Young, Stacy Britton, the Grand Ole Opry, Gruhn Guitars, Tess Frizzell, Donnie Reed and more. A special thanks and gratitude to George Shinn for his generous contribution, Jack Teeler for sponsorship of the Hatch Print commemorative posters, O’Charley’s for the backstage greenroom meal and all the volunteers who donated their talent, time and efforts.

Americana singer/songwriter Jessica Willis Fisher has set several personal appearances surrounding the release her hauntingly beautiful and brave personal memoir, Unspeakable: Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice tomorrow, November 1, 2022 through W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Using the written word as her witness statement, Jessica Willis Fisher gives a lacerating portrait of a girl finding her voice after years of being silenced in an elegant, harrowing story of the manipulation and codependency that defines abusive family relationships. Unspeakable is now available for pre-order HERE and Jessica will give her first televised interview tomorrow (Nov. 1) on Tamron Hall, along with a performance of her autobiographical song, “My History,” from her recently released album, Brand New Day. Check local listings for showtimes HERE. An autographed hardcover edition of Unspeakable is currently available from Premiere Collectibles and Jessica will be signing live from on Instagram tomorrow, November 1, at 1pm EST. Join the virtual event HERE. BookTrib praises, “I was not expecting the depth at which Fisher would share her world, nor how gracefully she would navigate it for us…Unspeakable is a book that should be read, by girls and women who may think that they will forever be defined by the things that happen to them.” Growing up the eldest daughter in a large, highly controlled, fundamentalist Christian household, Jessica was groomed to write songs and perform with her family’s touring group, The Willis Clan.  Jessica was expected to conform to her father’s disturbing and chaotic teachings, but she survived his mental, physical, and sexual abuse.  Her family shot to fame after an appearance on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and soon after had their own reality show on TLC – “The Willis Family”– for two seasons. The world loved this beautiful family of 12 kids; young and vivacious, the Willis’s presented themselves to be extraordinary and happy. But the older and wiser Jessica got, the more she had to face that what was going on behind closed doors would forever be escalating.  Publisher’s Weekly declares, “In this wrenching debut memoir, singer-songwriter Fisher recounts the “mental, emotional, spiritual” as well as brutal physical and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, Toby Willis […] It’s a painful story, but it’s bravely told, for herself and “other little invisible girls and boys.”  Beautifully written and monumental in its bravery, Unspeakable captures the beauty and ugliness of a young woman finding her way—filled with longing, fear, confusion, secrecy, but most importantly, hope for the future. Unspeakable follows the release of Jessica’s critically-acclaimed debut solo album, Brand New Day, earlier this year. The dynamic project finds her discovering that there is indeed a way forward through music. An emotional centerpiece of the album, “My History” was the first song Jessica wrote after taking a multi-year hiatus from creating, following her escape from the unhealthy environment of her upbringing. Brand New Day musically represents her new start at life and helped her reclaim her voice through music. She’ll perform music from Brand New Day on the Grand Ole Opry this Saturday, November 5.