‘Inside Track’ mid-month music roundup

Sneak peek at April’s Inside Track on Music Row

By Preshias Harris

Lots of news about Country artists and songwriters, record labels, upcoming albums, singles and tracks, and all of it will be in the April 2022 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, the longest-running country music column in the USA, published by Nashville Music Guide.  Scroll down for a sneak peek at some of the news items already scheduled for the April column – and check out the March 2022 column, posted here at Nashville Music Guide, with my thanks to Amanda and her crew at NMG for always making the column look SO good!

Opry to celebrate life of Merle Haggard April 6

Merle Haggard in 21971. Photo: Wikipedia

The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate one of country music’s most influential artists, Merle Haggard, on the anniversary of both his birth and his death, Wednesday, April 6. Haggard was born on April 6, 1937 and passed away April 6, 2016.

The special Wednesday Night Opry will feature performances by just a few of the countless artists who have been influenced by the legend including Suzy Bogguss, his son Marty Haggard, Cody Johnson, Joe Nichols, Eli Paperboy Reed, and ACM New Female Artist winner Lainey Wilson, among others. Artists will perform Haggard classics as well as their own hits influenced by the Country Music Hall of Famer.  Tickets for the “Opry Salutes Merle Haggard” Wednesday Night Opry are on sale at (615) 871-OPRY and https://www.opry.com.  The special Wednesday night show is part of a special three-week run of Wednesday Night Opry shows during the spring break period. Wednesday shows are scheduled to return for an extended run this summer. The special Wednesday Night Opry can be heard on opry.com and https://wsmradio.com,  SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse, and the show’s flagship radio home, WSM Radio.  

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Shenandoah ‘keep the music playing’ live tonight

AMID NATIONAL UNCERTAINTY, SHENANDOAH VOWS TO
“KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING” WITH SPECIAL FACEBOOK LIVE CONCERT
 
Live Broadcast Featuring Special Guests Michael Ray, Aaron Tippin, Austin Merrill, T. Graham Brown and Katie Austin Set for Tonight, Wednesday, March 18, at 7 PM CT

Concert to be Hosted by Inside Edition’s Megan Alexander;
Sponsored by Foundry Records

During a time of national uncertainty, GRAMMY® Award-winning country music group Shenandoah is looking to brighten spirits with a special Facebook Live performance event that will bring music to the masses. Today the legendary country band announced “Keep the Music Playing,” a free live-streamed concert set for tonight, Wednesday, March 18, at 7 PM / CT. Amid concert postponements nationwide, the event will provide a unique opportunity for fans to enjoy live performances from the comfort of their living rooms.

Stars join Shenandoah for live web show

Shenandoah has enlisted Michael Ray, Aaron Tippin, Austin Merrill, T. Graham Brown, and Katie Austin to join them during the live web broadcast. The event, sponsored by Foundry Records and hosted by Inside Edition’s Megan Alexander, will take place at Nashville’s SIR Rehearsal Studios with no live audience and minimal staff.

“The main mission here is to hopefully, with music as only music can, bring some sunshine to the gloom,” says Shenandoah frontman Marty Raybon. “We’ll be taking all of the recommended precautions to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, is thrilled about the event. “We are happy to see artists doing everything they can to ‘Keep the Music Playing’ during these challenging times as we try to keep the virus from spreading,” he says. “Seeing all the ways that live music is still being shared is part of the creative spirit in Music City.”

Though the event is free to view online, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp Foundation / Music City, Inc will be accepting donations throughout the live broadcast. All donations will aid Middle Tennesseans who have been affected by COVID-19 and the recent tornadoes that ravaged the area.

“It has taken an army of people to put this event together in less than 24 hours,” notes Foundry Records/Johnstone Entertainment’s Cole Johnstone. “I want to give special thanks to SIR Nashville, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, 2911 Media, TNDV and Nic Dugger, Mama Sue, Absolute Publicity, Shenandoah’s band and crew, all of our guest artists, and the Foundry Records staff for making this possible.”

“Keep the Music Playing” will be live streamed on each artist’s Facebook page and can also be viewed at www.smarturl.it/KeepTheMusicPlaying

How to donate:

*Music City Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization