Keynote speaker General Tommy Franks (Ret.) will join artists Charlie Daniels and Amy Grant on Tuesday, March 23 for Operation Yellow Ribbon, presented by Challenge America and David Lipscomb University. Special acoustic performances by Daniels, Grant and a host of other musicians will also be a part of the evening activities.

Operation Yellow Ribbon features a daylong symposium with the theme of “solutions for transition from battlefield to home front for returning military and their families.” Breakout sessions will address a variety of topics, including ones related to returning injured military and adapting to life after those injuries.

“Partnering with Lipscomb University, which links returning military to education opportunities, is a natural fit for Challenge America and its mission of connecting injured military with the resources needed to establish a ‘new normal’ life,” said Houston Cowan, founder and Executive Director of Challenge America. “The symposium will facilitate conversation among industry leaders and the military and family members themselves about real solutions to the most pressing transition issues.”

Special musical appearances by Daniels and Grant are scheduled for the 7 PM event. A limited number of tickets for the evening event with Franks, Daniels and Grant will go on sale for $10 on February 15 at the Lipscomb University box office and through Ticketmaster. Members of the military and their families will be invited as guests of the event’s corporate sponsors. Proceeds from the evening event benefit Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Program, which offers eligible military veterans and their family members an undergraduate degree tuition-free or a graduate degree at a greatly reduced tuition rate.

Honorees for the 2010 Grammys on the Hill Awards were announced today (2/18) by The Recording Academy, and country superstar Garth Brooks is on the list. Joining Brooks on the list of recipients of the prestigious award are  U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, and U.S. Representative Darrell Issa. The three will be honored for their work in improving the environment for music creators. Past honorees include then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Orrin Hatch, Congressman Steny Hoyer, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, and musicians Kelly Clarkson and Quincy Jones.

Taking place in the U.S. capitol, this year’s Grammys on the Hill events include the awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 14 and an advocacy day on Capitol Hill on Thursday, April 15, at which hundreds of music professionals from across the country will visit with legislators to advance pro-music policies that improve the environment for music and its makers. For updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy’s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys, www.facebook.com/thegrammys.

“This year’s honorees truly define leadership, and GRAMMYs on the Hill gives us the opportunity to thank our political and musical leaders for their work to advance the rights of music makers,” said NARAS President/CEO Neil Portnow. “As one of the most popular and philanthropic artists, Garth Brooks is an inspiration to musicians and fans alike.”

Nashville Real Estate blogger Grant Hammond is reporting that country star John Rich and business partner Phil Martin have purchased the Seanachie Irish Pub building on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville. The building is currently pending renovations as the group completes the process of acquiring building permits. Hammond speculates that the selling price “was in the neighborhood of $5 million.”

According to Hammond’s sources, Martin is a developer who has had success in Alabama and Florida.

Hammond also reports that Jimmy Buffett is rumored to be planning on opening a Margaritaville in the old Planet Hollywood building which is now called the Global Café. A job posting for a Nashville area manager was briefly posted recently on the Margaritaville website.