The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has teamed with numerous artists in the country music community, as well as YouTube, to stage the most ambitious fundraiser in the museum’s history.

The virtual fundraiser BIG NIGHT (At The Museum) will premiere on Oct. 28, 2020 at 8 p.m. CT on the Country Music Hall of Fame’s YouTube channel. The pandemic has created a set of circumstances that has allowed staff to safely remove historic instruments from their exhibit cases and be played. For this event, artists will be paired with historic instruments for a unique evening of music and history.

Artists taking part include Emmylou Harris, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Keb’ Mo’, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, The War and Treaty, Alison Brown, Kane Brown, Rodney Crowell, Carlene Carter and more. Marty Stuart will host the event, with audio supervision by Dave Cobb.

The evening will generate support for the museum and its ongoing exhibitions and educational programs. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum closed in mid-March due to COVID-19 restrictions. By June, the organization had laid off 73 employees and furloughed 101 staffers, representing nearly half of the approximately 400 employees working for the Hall of Fame and its associated services.

During the program, viewers will be encouraged to donate to the museum through YouTube Giving.

The Country Music Hall of Fame is set to re-open to the public on Sept. 10.

Song Suffragettes recently teamed with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission for four live shows in August, titled Live From Nashville: Song Suffragettes.

Special guests for the shows included Lindsay Ell, Maddie & Tae, Ashley McBryde and Runaway June. They joined a lineup that included Kalie Shorr, Erin Grand, Chloe Gilligan and Jenna Paulette along with Julie Williams, Carter Faith, Raquel Cole, Bree Doster, Stevie Woodward, Ava Suppelsa, Trannie Anderson, Mignon, Emily Landis, Mia Mantia, Kasey Tyndall, Mia Morris and bonus special guest Caylee Hammack.

The four shows were livestreamed from the Song Suffragettes’ home stage at The Listening Room Café with “Votes For Women” buttons provided to all patrons courtesy of the WSCC. The Aug. 17 show welcomed Melanie Curtis and Melissa Lowe from the all-female Highlight Pro Skydiving Team who presented Song Suffragettes with a “Votes for Women” flag the day before they and their team made a historic skydive into Nashville’s Centennial Park.

Song Suffragettes also took part in The Hermitage Hotel’s commemoration of the 19th Amendment. Shorr, Williams, Grand and Caroline Marquard performed three songs including a classic suffrage protest song titled “Let Us All Speak Our Minds.” A key destination for both pro- and anti-suffragists during the final battle in Tennessee to secure the 19th Amendment’s ratification, The Hermitage Hotel event featured dignitaries and speakers who recounted the story of how Tennessee was the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment.

Song Suffragettes also facilitated two U.S. National Anthem performances by Stoney Creek Records’ Lindsay Ell before Major League Baseball games on two historic dates. The first performance opened the Baltimore Orioles game on Aug. 18, the day Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment in 1920. The second performance happened on Aug. 26 before the Washington Nationals game on the day the 19th Amendment was officially certified into the U.S. Constitution 100 years ago.

Texas Hill, the newly-formed group comprised of Craig Wayne Boyd, Casey James and Adam Wakefield, is releasing their debut self-titled EP on Sept. 25. The band is also dropping a new single, “Easy On The Eyes” today (Aug. 28) on all streaming platforms.

The group first tested the Texas Hill concept with a series of co-headlining shows in late 2019. In June, they officially announced the new trio, all former reality show contestants: Boyd and Wakefield placed 1st and 2nd on separate seasons of NBC’s The Voice, while James placed 3rd on ABC’s American Idol.

“Easy On The Eyes” is one of five tracks on the upcoming EP, along with previously released singles “Four Roses” and “Darkest Sky.”

Cooper Alan’s latest single, “New Normal,” was an instant hit from the moment it was released, landing at No. 1 on the iTunes country chart, and reaching No. 6 on the all genres chart. The song was also streamed over 114,000 times on Spotify the first day of release, and has struck a chord with many fans on TikTok, who are using the song as background to their own videos and sharing their ‘new normal’ with their family and friends.

“New Normal” was written by Cooper Alan, Seth Mosley and Victoria Shaw, with Shaw and Mosley producing. The song came out of a zoom conversation between Cooper Alan and his co-writers.

“While the pandemic has caused a lot of struggle and hardship, we all found that we have experienced little blessings along the way,” said Alan. “That’s what this song is about. It immediately struck a nerve with my friends on TikTok from the first day that I started posting little teasers of the song. My TikTok now has over 3 million likes so it was a no brainer to release it as soon as I could. As an independent artist it has been really amazing how people keep finding my music and joining me on this journey.”

Alan has achieved another milestone as well: with his “covid-caroling,” imitations of popular singers singing “Savage,” and all-around fun content, the 24-year-old has gone viral on TikTok – hitting 3.1 million likes, with over 417,000 followers.

The Key West Songwriters Festival has cancelled the 2020 event due to the pandemic and announced the dates for the 2021 festival. The songwriters celebration returns to the island May 5-9, 2021 with its annual gathering of hit making writers and up-and-coming talent.

“Back in April we had to reschedule the event for October 2020, hoping COVID-19 would be a distant memory by then but clearly we’re not where we all had hoped we’d be,” said Charlie Bauer, KWSWF founder. “At this time, we’re seeing the same challenges of safely gathering people in big groups, so while it’s not an easy or quick decision, it’s the right decision. We are focused on playing our part in getting through these difficult times and we look forward to the 25th installment of the Key West Songwriters Festival in May of 2021. Bringing the music, fans, industry, and business back to Key West will be a major factor on the road to recovery. Our festival has not only become a benchmark for songwriters but also an important part of the local economy.”

Ticket holders for the 2020 festival can expect to receive an automatic and full refund within 7-10 days. More information about the lineup, scheduled events and other info can be found at keywestsongwritersfestival.com.

Over the years, the festival has become a proving ground for breaking new talent and is one of the most sought-after invites within the Nashville songwriting community. Notable Key West Songwriters Festival alumni include Kacey Musgraves, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Cole Swindell and many more.