This year’s ALL 4 THE HALL marked the 5th consecutive year of this very special event to raise money for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Taking place at the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, the event was co-hosted by Keith Urban and Vince Gill.
The theme this year was that of storytellers, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Although, some artists did a better job explaining than others. My favorite story behind the song of the evening was when Reba talked about the song: “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” written by songwriter Bobby Russell in 1972. The story goes that Russell tried to pitch this song all over Nashville. He felt in his heart that this song would be a #1 hit. For some reason, no one would record it; that is, until his then wife, Vicki Lawrence decided to record it. Vicki is best known as a comedian, but she sang this song and just as her husband predicted, it became a #1 song. Her only #1, in fact. Then, nearly 20 years later, Reba decided to re-record it and it become a #1 for a second time around in 1991. Now, how many song do you know that can stand THAT test of time and hit #1 twice almost 20 years apart??? Guess Bobby Russell knew what he was talking about, huh? And, Reba sure knows how to tell a story!
One of my favorite moments of the evening was when hit songwriter & artist Mary Chapin Carpenter performed. Each artist performed 2 songs, and she performed one of my favorites: “He Thinks She’ll Keep Her”. Just a great song. Period. So, good to see her! Another favorite moment was hearing recent Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Milsap perform “Smoky Mountain Rain” and “Stranger In My House”. I have to admit that when I was listening to this country legend, I chuckled to myself because I can JUST imagine what he heard when he released “Stranger In My House” back in 1983. I’m sure that he had many critics back then stating it “just wasn’t country music”. I can guarantee it! It even pushed the boundaries of country music now. Heck, even Patsy Cline wasn’t considered country enough back in the day! Imagine! I think it’s a rite of passage for every country artist out there to be classified at some point in their career by fans and/or radio as “not being country or too pop”, and always seems to be a struggle to define what’s country music. Everyone has a different definition. To me, like every art form, it evolves, changes, and there is always someone pushing the boundaries. Anyway, I’ve wondered a little off the subject…back to the review.
Another highlight was hearing David Nail duet with Lee Ann Womack on Glen Campbell’s “Galvaston”. There were really so many great moments, that it’s hard to just name a few. For instance, it was wonderful to see hit producer Dann Huff play guitar with Brantley Gilbert, and Brantley even showed a more mellow side to him this evening with an acoustic performance in the crowd away from the stage for one of his songs. Thought it was a nice touch. Kip Moore did the same for one of his, and chose to scale back his other song with just heavy acoustic accompaniment rather than full band. Kacey Musgraves did a great job singing one of her favorite Dolly Parton songs. But, I think the artist who received the biggest reaction from the crowd during the evening was Reba. It’s clear that she is still very much beloved by country music fans.
Each artist performed 2 songs accompanied by a full band comprised of Keith Urban and Vince Gill assisting on guitar & background vocals. It was a stellar show! The staging and lighting was superb. The list of artists who performed was a perfect mix of today’s popular artists and those who have been around a while: Lee Ann Womack, Brett Eldredge, Deana Carter, David Nail, Kacey Musgraves, Brantley Gilbert, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kip Moore, Ronnie Milsap, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, and of course, co-hosts Keith Urban and Vince Gill.
Really, this show couldn’t have been any better, and it’s one that I actually staying the whole time for. Trust me, that’s a rarity! I’ve learned to leave before the crowd to avoid traffic and delays. Only when it’s something that has really drawn me in, will I stay until the very end. Glad that I did, because I would’ve missed the fun rendition of “Wagon Wheel” when all of the artists joined Darius Rucker for the grand finale.
Amazing show and definitely hope to see it continue for a VERY long time in support of our Country Music Hall of Fame!
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