Song Suffragettes Celebrate 10th Anniversary, Honor Wynonna Judd
Song Suffragettes 10th Anniversary Show Performers, Song Suffragettes Alumni, and Song Suffragettes Founder Todd Cassetty. Photo: Catherine Powell
Song Suffragettes, Nashville’s iconic all-female collective of singer-songwriters, celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this week with a show slammed with talent at Belmont University’s Fisher Center.
Every Monday night, an ever-changing cast of female singer-songwriters play at The Listening Room Cafe as part of the Song Suffragettes round. To date, over 400 talented women have played the gig out of over 4,000 who have submitted to play.
Of the organization’s milestone, Song Suffragettes’ Founder Todd Cassetty shares, “I never dreamed that 10 years after starting Song Suffragettes in 3rd & Lindsley’s tiny Backstage room, we would be packing the house of a venue like The Fisher Center. It is beyond comprehension that 450 of the most talented women I have ever met have now played our show performing more than 8,041 original songs. Last night was show #536, and I genuinely look forward to the next 536.”
Cassetty co-hosted the celebration alongside Kelleigh Bannen, host of Apple Music’s The Kelleigh Bannen Show.
In addition to commemorating the 10-year milestone, the show also paid tribute to country icon Wynonna Judd, who was being presented with the Song Suffragettes Yellow Rose of Inspiration Award. The honor recognizes a woman who has inspired the hundreds of next-generation singer-songwriters who have performed on the Song Suffragettes’ stage. Judd’s legacy was celebrated all night, with several artists covering her songs. She also also participated in an intimate on-stage interview with Bannen, and performed herself.
Wynonna Judd and Kelleigh Bannen. Photo: Catherine Powell
CMT and ACM Award winners Maddie & Tae kicked off the evening. They performed two of their No. 1 hits, “Girl In A Country Song” and “Die From A Broken Heart,” before taking on a Judds hit, “Have Mercy.”
Songwriting royalty Laura Veltz and Liz Rose did a songwriter round, with Veltz performing the Dan + Shay record she wrote, “Speechless,” and Rose singing one of her many hits with Taylor Swift, “All Too Well.” The two also sang a tid-bit of “Strawberry Wine” to honor its author, Matraca Berg, who wasn’t able to join them as scheduled due to illness.
CMT’s Senior Vice President of Music Strategy, Leslie Fram, took the stage to introduce the fan-favorite trio Chapel Hart. The ladies performed an “Perfect For Me” before singing a perfect cover of The Judds’ “Grandpa,” which received an immediate standing ovation.
Long-time Song Suffragettes percussionist Mia Morris performed, showing off her multi-instrumentalism and looping skills on “What The Hello.” Then came another writers’ round that featured Trannie Anderson, Hannah Ellis and Stevie Woodword. The Song Suffragettes alumna sang Lainey Wilson’s “Heart Like A Truck,” Ellis’ own “Too Much And Not Enough” and a Woodward-penned unreleased song called “Stars On The Ceiling,” respectively.
Rachel Whitney, Spotify’s Head of Editorial, Nashville, joined pop sensation and Song Suffragettes alumna Gayle to introduce another alumna, Tenille Arts. Arts performed The Judds’ classic “Mama He’s Crazy” along with two unreleased tracks, “Call Me When You Get Home Friends” and “So Do I.”
Wynonna Judd and Todd Cassetty. Photo: Catherine Powell
Later in the night, the ladies of the bluegrass and gospel group The Isaacs joined the female members of the Belmont Bluegrass Ensemble to perform an all-women bluegrass version of The Judds’ “Why Not Me.”
When Judd took the stage to perform, the crowd was electric. She and her band delivered with a stripped-down performances that included “What It Takes,“ “Love Is Alive” and “Flying High.”
To end the night, Cassetty and Bannen invited all the night’s performers and any other Song Suffragettes in the house to join Judd onstage for an emotional performance of “Love Can Build A Bridge.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
