To kick off its 8th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville, Tennessee (Oct. 31-Nov. 3), the Americana Music Association, in conjunction with Great American Country, has slated a free, family-friendly opening night party at the Tennessee State Museum. Set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and open to the public, it will feature a special musical salute to Country Music Hall of Famer and multiple Grammy-winner Porter Wagoner. Among the artists expected to perform in honor of the 80 year-old Wagonmaster are Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller.
“I can’t think of a better place to recognize Porter than the Tennessee State Museum’s breathtaking exhibit, “Sparkle and Twang,” Marty Stuart’s American Music Odyssey,” says Jed Hilly, the association’s executive director. “It’s a visual history lesson on the legacy of folk, country, rock, gospel and Americana music, of which Porter is such a big part.”
Some 1,000 artists, label executives, managers, agents, music publishers, performing rights society executives, music retailers, producers, promoters, allied professionals and music journalists are expected to converge on Nashville for three days of learning, networking and entertainment. Panel discussions focusing on various facets of the business (ranging from the state of American radio to artist management and recording agreements), educational forums on such topics as teaching history through music, a trade show, lunches and other daytime activities will take place at the Nashville Convention Center Thursday through Saturday. The evenings will be filled with artist showcases and parties at venues throughout Nashville. Lauderdale hosts the annual Americana Honors & Awards at the Historic Ryman Auditorium on Thursday evening, Nov. 1, featuring performances by The Avett Brothers, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, Emmylou Harris, Amy LaVere, Gurf Morlix, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby, among others. Harris will give the keynote interview on Friday, Nov. 2; Peter Cooper, senior music writer for the Tennessean, will pose questions.
Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association is a professional trade association dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in the industry. The annual Americana Music Conference and Americana Honors & Awards are an important part of that. For more information on the association, to see detailed conference schedules, or buy tickets and showcase wristbands, log-on to www.americanamusic.org.
