Lauren Alaina, Matt Bomer, Terri Clark, Billy Gilman, Mickey Guyton & Kalie Shorr Also Join Lineup Along with Previously Announced Artists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Actor, musician, songwriter, writer, and Audio Up podcast pioneer, Dennis Quaid, and rising country artist Lewis Brice, join the talent lineup for the 2020 Concert for Love and Acceptance, set to take place as an online event June 30 amid the ongoing COVID19 crisis. The Academy of Country Music’s charitable arm ACM Lifting Lives®, CMT, GLAAD and country music star and philanthropist Ty Herndon announced Quaid and Brice to the lineup today, along with the additions of Lauren Alaina, Terri Clark, Billy Gilman, Kalie Shorr and Rita Wilson. Mickey Guyton will make a special appearance, as will actor, producer, and director Matt Bomer, who will introduce Wilson. As previously announced, two-time 2020 Grammy® winner Tanya Tucker will open the show. The event will be live streamed on YouTube, Facebook and at www.F4LA.org/concert, with additional appearances and performances to be announced.
ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC™. Through partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM Lifting Lives® funds music health programs while also serving members of the music community who face unexpected hardships through its Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund. With generous donations and the support of artists and fans, ACM Lifting Lives® has funded national music therapy programs serving various mental and physical health organizations. Some of the recipients have included patients at children’s hospitals and other healthcare facilities, recovering veterans, people with Williams syndrome, and individuals suffering with mental illness. For more information, please visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.
About Dennis Quaid:
Dennis Quaid is a renaissance man who is one of the busiest people in show business. Besides being an actor, musician, songwriter, writer, and podcast pioneer; he is also a jet pilot, amateur astronomer, fly-fisherman, philosopher, low handicap golfer, medical safety advocate and armchair historian. He has powered a NASCAR around an oval track, given speeches and appeared before congress on patient safety, played golf with 2 U.S. presidents, piloted a dogsled in the arctic, meditated on the shore of the Ganges River in India, team-roped on a quarter horse, pitched on the mound in Texas stadium, been a middle-weight boxer, and can change a diaper in 20 seconds. From the biggest, blockbuster movies, to being a hilarious and insightful talk-show guest and host, Dennis does it all. Dennis began to gain attention in the late 1970s for roles in such films as “Breaking Away” before gaining public and critical acclaim for his role in the 1983 release “The Right Stuff.” Other notable credits include “The Rookie,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Traffic,” “Vantage Point,” “Frequency,” “The Parent Trap,” and “Soul Surfer.” For his role in Todd Haynes’ “Far from Heaven” he won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. In 2010 he was nominated for numerous awards including a SAG Award®, an Emmy©, and a Golden Globe© for his portrayal of Bill Clinton in the TV Movie, “A Special Relationship.” Dennis recently wrapped up production on the Netflix holiday-themed multi-camera comedy series “Merry Happy Whatever” for which he also serves as a producer. Additionally, Dennis starred in the third season of Amazon’s “Goliath” opposite Billy Bob Thornton which premiered in 2019. Dennis’ recent big-screen credits include starring roles in Sony’s thriller “The Intruder,” Universal’s “A Dog’s Journey” and “A Dog’s Purpose” as well as Roadside Attraction’s faith-based film “I Can Only Imagine,” which was released to wide critical acclaim. On the small screen, Dennis starred in Crackle’s auctioneering drama “The Art of More” on which he also served as an executive producer as well as in the BAFTA award-nominated series “Fortitude.” Along with being an accomplished actor, Quaid is also a singer-songwriter with hundreds of thousands of miles under his belt as a touring musician who’s been playing music since his grandfather bought him his first guitar at a Texas Kmart. He continues to receive stellar reviews displaying equal ease with both originals and country standards with his all-star band, Dennis Quaid & The Sharks. Among Quaid’s musical heroes are Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Willie & Waylon, Johnny Cash, the Beatles, the Doors and James Brown. After years of playing clubs with his band, Quaid released his debut album, Out of the Box, in November 2018. He continues to perform to sold-out crowds when he’s not on set or recording his compelling, renowned Audio Up podcast, The Dennissance.
About Lewis Brice:
Lewis’s debut self-titled EP, produced by himself and his brother Lee Brice, was released via Pump House Music on July 14th, 2017 to glowing reviews, landing at No. 11 on the US iTunes Country chart. Since then, Lewis has been named one of Rolling Stone Country’s “New Country Artists You Need to Know” and Billboard’s “Country Artists to Watch in 2018”. Tracks from the EP were featured on SiriusXM The Highway, CMT Music, and Spotify’s New Boots & Wild Country playlists, and its lead single ‘Best Ex Ever’ reached the Top 40 of MusicRow’s Country Breakout radio chart. The next chapter of Lewis’s music was unveiled on November 23rd, 2018 as the first single from his forthcoming second collection of songs, titled ‘Blessed’, was introduced to the world by a special Thanksgiving acoustic performance premiere with his brother Lee Brice. With more new music on the horizon, 2020 promises to be the best year yet for Lewis Brice!
CMT is the leading authority on country music and lifestyle, offering a mix of original series, music events and specials. CMT is everywhere its fans are including two cable channels (CMT and the 24-hour music channel, CMT Music), radio (CMT Radio), digital (CMT.com) and social (CMT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube). CMT is a unit of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC) (“ViacomCBS”). For more information, please visit cmtpress.com.
Founded by Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning country music artist and philanthropist Ty Herndon, the Foundation for Love & Acceptance uses the power of music and media to support the country music community and raise vital funds to support LGBTQ youth and families. For more information, visit www.F4LA.org.
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.
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