Lady A Launches ‘Request Line Tour’ With Two Sold-Out Ryman Shows

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Lady A kicking off their “Request Line Tour” at the Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Hodges Usry

Lady A kicked off their “Request Line Tour” with back-to-back sold-out nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium over the weekend. The shows marked the trio’s longest sets to date, consisting of their greatest hits, a spontaneous medley of cover songs and personal performances, which earned standing ovations both nights. They also played voicemail requests from fans attending each night’s show, forming an entirely unique fan connection.

“Over the past year, planning this tour has kept me awake countless nights dreaming up how we could show the fans that we’ve been profoundly impacted by them,” shares Lady A’s Hillary Scott. “This tour is about our fans’ connection to these lyrics and melodies. It’s about how we all love and want to be loved. I believe live music communicates that better than most anything else. I hope every person who steps foot in one of our shows feels seen, feels part of this moment that we’ll never forget and knows they are welcome. Let’s sing, let’s laugh, let’s let the light in!”

Pictured (L-R): RIAA’s Jackie Jones, Lady A’s Hillary Scott, Lady A’s Charles Kelley, Lady A’s Dave Haywood and RIAA’s Morna Willens. Photo: Hodges Usry

From deep cuts to cover songs, Lady A followed each with a performance of a requested song including “Bartender” from a fan who had traveled from Australia for the show as well as one for “All We’d Ever Need,” the first song the three had ever written together, from a fan from New Orleans attending his 11th Lady A show. Another request came for “Hurt” from an anonymous fan who’d lost their partner to ALS, and for their hit “What A Song Can Do” from a group of friends who camp together. It was a request for “Hello World” during Saturday’s show (April 15) that inspired band member Charles Kelley to go into the crowd to hug a fan who was celebrating over a decade of sobriety.

“The stories we’ve heard and read through the requests are the reason we do what we do,” adds Lady A’s Dave Haywood. “We’ve been deeply touched.”

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) surprised Lady A with Diamond certification for “Need You Now” on Friday night (April 14), making it the highest certified single by a country group and marking only the fifth time a country song has reached the benchmark.

The “Request Line Tour” will make its way to Chicago, Louisville and Indianapolis this week.

Liza Anderson
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