WSMV-TV Channel 4 is thanking the Nashville music industry for all of its support of WSMV’s telethon for flood relief, as well as the many viewers who called in pledges proving again the true spirit of Music City and all around the country. The telethon was streamed live via the internet and pledges came in from  Canada, New York, Michigan, Sacramento and Key West among others.

“Words cannot adequately express our gratitude to the singers, songwriters, musicians and technicians of Nashville for their instant response to the call to help our friends and neighbors in their time of need,” said Elden Hale, Senior Vice President and General Manager of WSMV-TV Channel 4. “We would also like to thank the thousands of people who called into the telethon to make a donation. We sincerely thank everyone for their generosity.”

The telethon, Vince Gill and Friends, officially raised more than 1.7 million dollars for Nashville and Middle Tennessee flood Relief. That number will undoubtedly more than double when the checks and online donations that are still coming in are finally received. WSMV has a long and rich history with the Nashville music community, with roots springing from the creation of the Grand Ole Opry and Dolly and Porter’s programs originating from their studios on Knob Hill in Nashville.

Opry star Marty Stuart will once again help kick off CMA Music Fest with his annual Late Night Jam on June 9 beginning at 10:00 PM at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. This year’s concert is inspired by Stuart’s highly rated TV show, The Marty Stuart Show and will benefit the MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund.

“Bringing traditional country music into homes across America is something I am honored and proud to be a part of…and to be able to recreate the styles and themes of our show on the Ryman stage, the epicenter of our country music heritage, is a dream,” says Stuart. “I created the Late Night Jam in order to kick off country music’s biggest week with a show unlike anything else that the fans would be able to see while they were in Nashville, and the results have been legendary.

At the heart of the show is my love and respect for MusiCares. This year of all years MusiCares is needed after the flood the city just experienced. I know of musicians who’ve lost their homes, vehicles, instruments, and in a couple of instances, families. With that in mind, me and my friends are going to play our hearts out for our friends who are hurting and in need. I’ve called lots of numbers in my phone book and invited wonderful people to come and participate in the Late Night Jam. It’s actually quite staggering who is coming.”

Joining Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives for this year’s marathon of live music are Keith Urban, Dallas Frazier, Cowboy Jack Clement, Ronnie Milsap, steel guitarist Ralph Mooney, Connie Smith, the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band and a few very special surprise guests representing the Country Music and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame.

To date, Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam has raised over $150,000 for MusiCares, the philanthropic arm of The Recording Academy.  
The Marty Stuart Show is RDF-TV’s highest-rated show and adds a new chapter each week to the tradition of simple, electrifying country TV.  Upcoming guests include Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless and Kitty Wells.

Tickets for the Late Night Jam are available now at www.ryman.com.

“The beauty of community is that in the worst of times you see the best of people,” said Vince Gill at the top of WSMV’s Flood Relief With Vince Gill & Friends telethon last night (5/6). And community in Nashville came out full force to support the effort, which raised $1.7 million to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank, The Salvation Army and the Red Cross.

Organized by Gill, the event replaced usual NBC Thursday night programming not only in Nashville but also other markets like Memphis and Knoxville. WSMV anchors and reporters Dan Thomas, Demetria Kalodimos, Lisa Spencer and others led the proceedings. Stars who stopped by work the phones and provide musical entertainment included Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Keith Urban, Amy Grant, Darius Rucker, Lorrie Morgan, Lonestar, Steve Wariner, Chuck Wicks, Mat Kearny, Mark Volman, Bo Bice, Marty Roe, Dean Sams, Naomi Judd, Steven Curtis Chapman, Steve Wariner, Julie Roberts and more. Donations came from such far-flung locales as California, Key West, and Canada.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen made an appearance to applaud the hugely successful local volunteer efforts as well as the swift federal response. But he reminded all not to forget the recovery process. “This is going to take a long time to come back,” said the Governor. “With these disasters, for a couple weeks it has the attention of people but for all the people who have been hurt there are months and in some cases years getting back to normal.” Gill started the donations off by pledging $100,000 from himself and Amy Grant. Other stars like Naomi Judd have even opened their homes to neighbors in need. Taylor Swift phoned in from Hendersonville to send her best wishes, and donated $500,000 to be spread across the three organizations. Nissan of America, with its big local presence in Franklin, was the largest corporate donor at $300,000.

Over on CNN, Anderson Cooper was in town with his AC360 crew and marveled at the community already helping Nashville back to its feet. He lamented the lack of national news coverage at the week’s start, admitting, “We should have been here. But I feel privileged to be here and witness how this city is rising.”

Brad Paisley joined Cooper for a conversation about losses dealt to the music community, noting that he—like many others—lost gear when SoundCheck flooded. Paisley also revealed that he had a phone call from President Obama reminding him that FEMA would be there, and to encourage those in need to get in touch. “I personally want to see the media doing exactly what youre doing, which is spreading the word,” said Paisley.

Earlier in the day, Cooper taped an interview with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as they surveyed citywide damage. “I think you can be lulled into a sense of, ‘It’s really not that bad,’” said McGraw, “because you can be in one area and everything’s fine. All the stores are open, people are going about their business, kids are in school. But then you can go a couple streets over and there’s total devastation and it’s like that all over the city and communities outside the city.”

Cooper’s show was broadcast live from a neighborhood in Bellevue just starting to dig out from the mess. “Homes are still standing, but inside they’re completely destroyed,” he noted. “But the story here is one of a city rising, not a city on its knees. I’ve never seen an effort by so many volunteers so quickly in the wake of a disaster. It’s really a testament to the strength of the city and the strength of its people. They call it The Volunteer State, and they have shown the world why they deserve that name.” “See videos from Cooper’s show at http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/blog/”

On WSMV, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean summed up the city’s ongoing struggle and the vibrant spirit with which it will be overcome. “We have a lot of work to do to clean the city up and move forward but we’ll get it done,” said Dean. “I’ve seen volunteers everywhere. I’ve seen people helping strangers, and the spirit of this city is so great that I feel really optimisitic about our future. The Hall of Fame is opening tomorrow, the CMA Music Fest is going to happen in June, the honky tonks are open. This city will recover and it will recover strong. This city is open. People who are scheduled to visit this city need to come. People who haven’t scheduled it yet, they need to make reservations and show up.”

To which MusicRow says amen, and bring it on.

Soles4Souls Inc., the shoe charity, is working overtime to provide free shoes, water and other items to people in its hometown of Nashville. Soles4Souls unveiled a three-stage relief plan, beginning with a massive distribution of 85,000 new pairs of shoes at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds.

On Monday, May 10, from 3:00 PM-7:00 PM, staff and volunteers from Soles4Souls will be at the Fairgrounds providing free shoes to anyone in need.  On Tuesday, May 12, the Fairgrounds will be open from 10 AM-2 PM. On both days, the distribution will be held under the Show Arena Pavilion and will feature men’s, women’s and children’s shoes.

“This is shaping up to be the worst natural disaster in Nashville’s history, and we are committing all available resources and manpower to help our friends and neighbors get back on their feet,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “We need volunteers to join us at the State Fairgrounds and provide free shoes to people coming for help. We are thankful for the Tennessee State Fairgrounds for allowing us to use their facilities to help Tennesseans in need.”

Elsey said the second stage of the relief project would take place at the charity’s World Headquarters, at 319 Martingale Drive, Old Hickory TN, 37138 (behind the McDonald’s on Old Hickory Boulevard in Old Hickory).  Soles4Souls will be handing out bottled water, Gatorade, and food to residents in need. The “drive-thru” distribution will be held on Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15.

The third stage of the relief plan will come as Elsey and his team members launch a sustained giving campaign, which will include children’s products, for Middle Tennessee throughout the rest of the year.

“Because of our partnerships with a variety of non-profit agencies around the country, we’ll be able to provide a wide range of ongoing support for our neighbors in need,” Elsey said.

To learn more about Soles4Souls, or to volunteer with the charity, visit www.giveshoes.org or call 615-391-5723.