NASHVILLE, Tenn. – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today announced that country music icon Tanya Tucker will take the stage for a very special performance at the GLAAD + Ty Herndon Concert for Love and Acceptance, set for June 7 at the Wildhorse Saloon during CMA Fest in Nashville. GLAAD and Herndon also today announced performances by Billy Dean, Cale Dodds, Parson James, Temecula Road, and Thompson Square. Previous announced special guests and performers include Terri Clark, Cam, Shelly Fairchild, Cassadee Pope, Michael Ray, Calum Scott, and Brandon Stansell. Anita Cochran will perform and serve as musical director for the show.
CMT will return as the event’s media sponsor and will amplify the event and line-up across its radio and social platforms. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: glaad.org/nashville.
“I am thrilled to welcome my wonderful and dear friend Tanya Tucker to the show. All her kids call me ‘Uncle Ty,’” said Herndon. “I have known Tanya’s heart for many years. She is truly one of the most talented, kind and generous souls on the planet. She is adored by all of us in country music, and we’ll all be watching to learn a little something about how it’s done.”
Tanya Tucker is a global superstar, who has been amassing hits since she burst onto the country music scene at the age of 13 with “Delta Dawn.” Since then, she has racked up a slew of awards including two CMAs, two ACMs, three CMT awards and ten GRAMMY® nominations. The Academy of Country Music also honored Tanya with the Cliffie Stone Icon Award during the 10th Annual ACM Honors™. All-inclusive sales of Tanya’s singles, albums, hits collections and digital downloads have topped 25 million records worldwide. Her catalog of hit singles spans five decades and includes “Blood Red and Going Down”, “Strong Enough to Bend”, “Down To My Last Teardrop,” and “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane.”
“My first ‘forty-five’ growing up in South Carolina was Tanya Tucker’s ‘Delta Dawn,’ so I have been a fan for a long time,” said Zeke Stokes, GLAAD’s Vice President of Programs and Executive Producer of the 2018 Concert for Love & Acceptance. “I’m so excited that we have reached a time when the country music community is standing up for love and acceptance for LGBTQ people, and young children everywhere who feel different can know that we’re all on their side.”
The inaugural Concert for Love and Acceptance was held in 2015 to kick off GLAAD’s Southern Stories Tour and the second iteration was held in 2017. The event has been supported by artists like Reba McEntire, and Dan + Shay, with a lineup of performances that has included Chris Carmack, Crystal Gayle, Billy Gilman, Dana Goldberg, Kree Harrison, Mickey Guyton, Levi Hummon, Runaway June, Ryan Kinder, Meghan Lindsey, Street Corner Symphony, and Trent Harmon. GLAAD’s Southern Stories initiative tells the stories of LGBTQ people and their allies in the South to create a cultural shift towards LGBTQ acceptance and understanding in the region.
In recent years, country music has become a more affirming environment for the LGBTQ community with chart toppers like Luke Bryan’s “Most People are Good” following in the footsteps of Garth Brooks, Kasey Musgraves, and The Dixie Chicks sharing inclusive messages through their lyrics. In January 2017, CMT host Cody Alan came out publicly in People magazine with the help of GLAAD and received an outpouring of support and love from the country music community and his fans. Stars like Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, and Dierks Bentley all voiced their support on social media. Ty Herndon, a Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning artist with album sales of more than 4 million, was the first major male country music star to come out, when he shared his story with the world in 2014.
The 2018 Concert for Love and Acceptance corporate partners include presenting partners CMT, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka and community partners Nissan and The Weissmann Group.
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ABOUT TANYA TUCKER:
In 1974, Rolling Stone ran a cover story on Tanya Tucker with the headline that said “You’re Gonna Hear From Me.” Truer words have never been spoken. The country music icon’s sultry voice and vivacious stage presence makes her one of the most admired and respected female vocalists in the country music genre. Tanya’s reign includes 23 Top 40 albums and a string of 56 Top 40 singles, 10 of which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. Along the way, she has provided some of the biggest country music hits of each decade, including, “Delta Dawn,” “Soon,” “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane,” “It’s a Little Too Late,” “Trouble” and “Texas (When I Die),” just to name a few. Tucker is also the recipient of numerous awards, including two CMAs, two ACMs and three CMT awards. In August 2016, the Academy of Country Music honored Tucker with the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award during the 10th Annual ACM Honors™. All-inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections and digital downloads have topped 25 million records worldwide. For more information, visit tanyatucker.com.
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