Press Release – NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 18, 2016 — In an intimate, guitar-pull format, Grammy winner Chris Stapleton and legendary musician James Taylor will join Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill to perform at All for the Hall Los Angeles, a fundraiser for the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, Tuesday, Sept. 27, at The Novo by Microsoft. The event unites country music’s most accomplished artists and its most generous supporters.
A limited number of VIP tables are on sale now and available for purchase at $5,000 and $10,000 levels. Event proceeds will support the Museum’s education programs. Details to reserve a table are available below.
Attendees will have the rare opportunity to witness award-winning, critically acclaimed artists partake in a southern tradition known as the guitar pull, in which a small group of artists takes turns presenting their songs while the other artists look on or add harmony and instrumentation. Some of the most legendary guitar pull sessions were hosted by Johnny and June Carter Cash. All for the Hall Los Angeles participants will decide what to sing in the spur-of-the-moment, no-set-list show, as they casually swap songs and stories during this one-of-a kind event.
All for the Hall founder Gill returns each year to perform at the benefit event. This year, he will be in the company of singer-songwriter Stapleton, whose breakthrough success in 2015 with his debut album, Traveller, earned him numerous awards including two Grammys and CMA Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year, as well as two Grammys; and iconic singer-songwriter Taylor, a multiple-Grammy-winning artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member who has sold more than 100 million albums, worldwide. Past All for the Hall participants include Jason Aldean, Gregg Allman, Zac Brown, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Patty Griffin, Levon Helm, Chris Isaak, Kris Kristofferson, Pat Monahan, Brad Paisley, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Dwight Yoakam and more.
In an innovative partnership, the museum will join forces with fellow nonprofit Education Through Music-Los Angeles, a foundation that promotes the integration of music into the curricula of disadvantaged schools. The two institutions will provide the Museum’s Words & Music educational experience for students at Dorris Place Elementary in Los Angeles. Later, the students will take the stage as the opening act at All for the Hall Los Angeles to debut an original song written for the evening. Through the Museum’s flagship education program, Words & Music, the students will write a song under the direction of Grammy-winning songwriter Liz Rose, co-writer of dozens of songs with Taylor Swift, among others.
The Museum’s All for the Hall campaign began in 2005; it addresses the Museum’s need for long-term financial security. In its ninth year, between New York City and Los Angeles— two cities rich with music history— the annual fundraising event provides a safety net for the institution and its work. This year’s proceeds will support the Museum’s educational programs, which teach audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music.
VIP tables and tickets are available now, and patrons have the option of purchasing a full table of 10 seats for $10,000 or a half table of five seats for $5,000. A full list of VIP ticket levels and benefits can be found at www.countrymusichalloffame.org/afthla. To purchase tickets or for more information, patrons may contact Rachel Shapiro at 615-416-2069 or rshapiro@countrymusichalloffame.org.
All for the Hall Los Angeles is produced by CAA’s Rod Essig, Vector Management’s Ken Levitan, Gary Overton, and BMI’s Jody Williams. The event is made possible by the generosity of AEG Live, The Novo by Microsoft, and official travel partner Southwest. All table purchases are a tax deductible charitable contribution to support the preservation of country music. Tables will be reserved on a first come–first served basis.
About the Performers:
One of the most popular singers in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won the Country Music Association’s Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy. Gill has won 18 CMA Awards, including Song of the Year four times – making him the most-awarded artist in that category. Gill also has won 20 Grammy Awards. A wide-ranging songwriter, his compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. He is a member of the critically acclaimed The Time Jumpers and has made guest appearances on more than 500 albums. Gill’s latest album is Down to My Last Bad Habit. Gill serves as president of the Museum’s Board of Officers and Trustees.
Chris Stapleton boldly introduced himself to the public in 2015 with his breakthrough debut album, Traveller. Released in May on Mercury Records Nashville, Traveller initially debuted at # 2 on the Billboard Country Albums chart with more than 27,000 albums sold, making it one of the best-selling first weeks by a debut country artist in 2015. It is also currently the top selling country album of 2016 and second best across all genres (surpassed only by Adele). The album continues to receive critical praise and has landed Stapleton appearances on national TV shows. Following a historic turn on the CMA Awards—where Stapleton became the first artist to win Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the same awards—Traveller became the first album to re-enter the Billboard 200 album chart at # 1, where it stayed for two weeks.
Stapleton’s success continued this year at the Grammy Awards, where he took Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance (“Traveller”). Most recently, Stapleton won six awards at the 51st Annual ACM Awards—Album of the Year (for Traveller as both artist and producer), Song of the Year (for “Nobody to Blame” as both artist and songwriter), Male Vocalist of the Year and New Male Vocalist of the Year. With six wins, Stapleton tied the record for most ACM Awards in a single year (only Garth Brooks and Faith Hill have won six in the same year). Co-produced with Dave Cobb, Traveller comprises songs written throughout Stapleton’s 15-year career and evokes his childhood when country, blues, rock and R&B swirled together to create a distinctive sound that still resonates with modern fans.
James Taylor has touched people for more than 40 years with his warm baritone voice and distinctive guitar-playing. Over the course of his celebrated songwriting and performing career, Taylor has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide of album classics, ranging from Sweet Baby James in 1970 to October Road in 2002. In 2015 Taylor released Before This World, his first new studio album in thirteen years, and it became his first ever #1 album on the Billboard charts. He has won multiple Grammys and is a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2012, Taylor was awarded the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government, and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. In November 2015, Taylor received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Taylor is in the middle of a five-month, 50-city North American tour, which includes sold-out performances at Tanglewood, Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.
