Pictured (L-R, top row): Dave Alvin and The Rev. Gary Davis; (L-R, middle row): Don Was, Shelby Lynne and Dwight Yoakam; (L-R, bottom row): The Blind Boys of Alabama

At the 23rd annual Americana Honors & Awards show on Sept. 18 at the Ryman Auditorium, the Americana Music Association will present Dave Alvin, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Don Was and Dwight Yoakam with their 2024 Lifetime Achievement Awards.

“This year’s Lifetime Achievement honorees represent multiple facets of American roots music. It is a privilege to recognize and celebrate the incredible careers of these artists. We look forward to another exceptional night at the Ryman Auditorium,” says Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association and Foundation.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement awards, the AMA will honor members of the music community with six member-voted awards. The Americana Honors & Awards ceremony serves as the hallmark event of the association’s annual AmericanaFest, taking place Sept. 17-21 in Nashville.

Lifetime Achievement honoree Dave Alvin was part of The Blasters with his brother Phil before embarking on his decades-long solo career. As a songwriter, poet and producer, Alvin was an integral part of the west coast roots and country music scene of the ’80s and ’90s. So much so that his leather jacket and famous red neck bandana are included in the Western Edge exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Downey, California, native won a Grammy for his 2000 traditional folk album, Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land.

The Blind Boys of Alabama revolutionized Black gospel music in the 1940s and 1950s with their infusion of a nontraditional, grooving rhythm section. Established in Talladega, Alabama, the group has included several generations of singers and leaders inspired and preserved by their approach, chiefly Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Sam Butler and Jimmy Carter. The five-time Grammy winners were signed by Peter Gabriel, produced by Booker T. Jones, toured with Tom Petty and recorded with Lou Reed, highlighting their versatile acclaim.

Rev. Gary Davis was a pioneer of the Piedmont blues tradition, impacting the world with both sacred and secular music before he died in 1972. He left his South Carolina home to entertain working people in the tobacco markets of Durham, North Carolina. In the ’60s, Davis became a fixture of the folk revival in New York, later influencing the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, Jorma Kaukonen and plenty more. Davis is the recipient of the AMA’s Legacy Award presented in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM).

With her version of country soul music, Shelby Lynne has inspired legions with her fiercely independent path to acclaim. At just 21, she was working with producer Billy Sherrill and recording for Epic Records. The Alabama native breakthrough with her album I Am Shelby Lynne, which helped secure her a Best New Artist Grammy in 2001. Lynne’s Dusty Springfield homage “Just A Little Lovin’” is regarded as a classic. Her many collaborations have included timeless recordings and performances with her younger sister, Allison Moorer.

Don Was’ career stretches the bounds of eclectic into new territory. The Detroit native grew up on blues, rock and jazz, and established the pop/rock band Was (Not Was) in the ’80s. As a producer, he has collaborated with Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and more. Since 2012 he’s been president of the historic jazz label Blue Note Records, and he has earned five Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year. Was has been the longstanding bass player in the Americana Honors and Awards house band.

One of the most influential country recording artists of all time, Dwight Yoakam’s music is rooted in eastern Kentucky bluegrass and old-time music. After moving to Los Angeles in the early ’70s, he released a string of historic albums in the ’80s and ’90s that revitalized and expanded the Bakersfield and honky-tonk country traditions, earning him multiple Grammy Awards. Yoakam’s broad appeal transcended the core country audience, paving the way for the alt-country movement that would later evolve into Americana.

Steve Gilreath.

The Gospel Music Association has named Steve Gilreath as the first Executive Director of the Christian & Gospel Music Museum at the Dove Center, opening in 2025.

In this role, Gilreath will drive leadership, strategic direction and overall museum management. He will guide preserving, promoting and celebrating the history and cultural significance of all Christian and Gospel music genres and will report directly to Jackie Patillo, President of the Gospel Music Association.

Rendering of the Christian & Gospel Music Museum at the Dove Center

“I’m thrilled to announce Steve Gilreath as the first Executive Director of the Dove Center’s Christian & Gospel Music Museum. His creativity, shared vision, and passion for our industry make him the right person to lead this kingdom project,” shares Patillo.

Over the past three decades, Gilreath has worked as a producer, director, marketing VP and network executive across various organizations. He has worked with many artists, managers and labels in Christian and Gospel music. Gilreath’s producing credits include a decade as the Producer of the Dove Awards, as well as a White House special presented by the GMA hosted by President George W. Bush featuring CeCe Winans, Bill Gaither, Michael W. Smith, Blind Boys of Alabama, Steven Curtis Chapman and more.

Most recently, he has served as Executive Director of on-demand platforms for K-LOVE. Gilreath founded the K-LOVE On Demand Network, creating hundreds of new shows that feature music in unique settings, including a chance to direct four different shows from Red Rocks Amphitheater. The 2023 event with 10 artists premiered in theaters nationwide as a Fathom Event.

Gilreath also volunteered for 10 years at the Inner City Chicago Young Life Clubs before moving to Nashville. In Music City, he helped create the first online music curriculum, QuaverMusic, which is now used by millions of students. The program helped him understand emerging technologies and education challenges facing teachers and students with the arts, which will be a critical constituency for the museum.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to reveal plans for using this space to honor God through recognizing the work of those who came before and will carry on after us,” Gilreath says of the new opportunity.

“I’ve worked with Steve Gilreath for many years on many different projects. His love for Christian music, his creativity, and his passion for our industry make him the perfect person for this role,” adds Bill Reeves, CEO of David C Cook & Integrity Music.

Warner Music Nashville Celebrates Pride Downtown

Warner Music Nashville team at the Nashville Pride Parade

Warner Music Nashville employees, along with friends and family, celebrated the 36th year of Nashville Pride at the organization’s kick-off parade on Saturday (June 22).

ACM Hosts Inaugural ‘ACM Country For Y’all’ Showcase

Pictured (L–R): Haley Montgomery, Adam Mac, Denitia, Chris Housman, Brooke Eden, Tommy Moore and Ford Fairchild. Photo: Courtesy of ACM

The Academy of Country Music hosted its inaugural “ACM Country For Y’all” showcase on Thursday (June 20). The event, hosted at Nashville’s Frankie J’s, celebrated the genre’s LGBTQIA+ community with performances from Adam Mac, Brooke Eden, Chris Housman and Denitia.

CMHOFM Discusses ‘My Black Country’ With Alice Randall

Pictured (L-R): Miko Marks, Alice Randall, Saaneah Jamison and Paul Kingsbury. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a conversation and performance with New York Times best-selling novelist and award-winning songwriter Alice Randall.

Hosted by Paul Kingsbury, Randall discussed her latest book, My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present, and Future, along with its corresponding album. The event featured sets by Saaneah Jamison and Miko Marks, artists from the album, who performed Randall’s songs.

Riley Green Teams Up With Busch Light To Surprise Fans

Riley Green. Photo: Courtesy of Busch Light

Riley Green treated fans to a surprise set and a round of Busch Light on Thursday night (June 20) at Tootsies Orchid Lounge in downtown Nashville.

He kicked off the show with “Worst Way” from his new EP, followed by hits “Different ‘Round Here” and “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” before wrapping up with his first No. 1, “There Was This Girl.”

Tom Petty. Photo: Dennis Callahan

Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, a tribute album curated by some of Petty’s closest friends and collaborators in country and Americana music, is out now via Big Machine Records in partnership with the Tom Petty Estate.

Executive produced by Petty’s close confidant George Drakoulias with Randall Poster and Scott Borchetta, Petty Country includes a handful of songs by the icon’s longtime friends and collaborators, such as George Strait, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson with Lukas Nelson, Marty Stuart and The Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Wynonna Judd, Carly Pearce, Lady A, Margo Price, Rhiannon Giddens, Thomas Rhett and Lainey Wilson also pay tribute to the late musician with their own spin on fan favorites.

“There’s a saying in Nashville ‘it all begins with a song’,” says Marty Stuart. “Well, in this case, it begins with the song and the songwriter. I don’t think anybody can challenge Tom Petty when it comes to songwriting. He touched the American heart—critics, fans, the musicians, everyone agrees on Tom’s songs. There’s just a special magic about him. It’s incredibly rare to find musicians who can navigate and completely understand the intersection of Rock & Roll, Country, Gospel and Folk. That’s what Tom (Petty) & The Heartbreakers did so well. They’re America’s greatest Rock & Roll band.”

In celebration of the new music, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Tom Petty: Where I Come From” is open now. The special showcase highlights how the late rocker’s southern roots shaped his music and his continued influence on new generations of country artists. The display is included with museum admission and runs through summer 2025 as an extension of their acclaimed “Western Edge” exhibit.

Additionally, Nashville’s downtown transformed over the weekend into Petty Country, USA to honor his legacy and the album’s release. From June 21-23, dozens of bars and honkytonks around Broadway hosted hour-long “Petty Power Hours,” giving away exclusive merch and more.

Petty Country Tracklist:
1. “I Should Have Known It” by Chris Stapleton
2. “Wildflowers” by Thomas Rhett
3. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Luke Combs
4. “Southern Accents” by Dolly Parton
5. “Here Comes My Girl” by Justin Moore
6. “American Girl” by Dierks Bentley
7. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Lady A
8. “I Forgive It All” by Jamey Johnson
9. “I Won’t Back Down” by Brothers Osborne
10. “Refugee” by Wynonna Judd & Lainey Wilson
11. “Angel Dream No. 2” by Willie Nelson & Lukas Nelson
12. “Learning To Fly” by Eli Young Band
13. “Breakdown” by Ryan Hurd feat. Carly Pearce
14. “Yer So Bad” by Steve Earle
15. “Ways To Be Wicked” by Margo Price feat. Mike Campbell
16. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Midland
17. “Free Fallin’” by The Cadillac Three feat. Breland
18. “I Need To Know” by Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives
19. “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Rhiannon Giddens feat. Silkroad Ensemble and Benmont Tench
20. “You Wreck Me (Live)” by George Strait