The Band Perry Family were 2014 inductees at the Junior Achievement Tri-Cities TN/VA Business Hall of Fame gala of record attendance on Tuesday May 13th. The superstar sibling trio and their parents, who call Greeneville home, are the first laureate family to join the long line of the prestigious regional entrepreneurs and business leaders honored by Junior Achievement.
“We are proud to pay tribute to a family that stayed true to a dream now opening doors to success. Along the way, they have taken many opportunities to give back and make a lasting impact on this region,” said Cathy Salley, Junior Achievement president.
Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry quickly catapulted into the mainstream with the success of their Quintuple-Platinum, breakout hit, “If I Die Young” from their self –titled debut album release which was released in 2010. In April they took home the award for ACM “Vocal Group of the Year” at the 49thAcademy of Country Music Awards.
“Receiving this honor is very humbling to us. It is important for us to be good role models for young people so they will know that they can make their dreams come true. We continue to realize our dreams every day, but we also know that it requires hard work and determination. We hope we can set an example in the way we conduct ourselves as people and as business owners,” says The Band Perry.
From day one, the business venture that is The Band Perry has had a handful of hallmarks: Hard work and dedication to craft, unwavering commitment to the family’s common goals, attention to detail, and discipline.
More than a decade ago, Dr. Stephen Perry and Marie knew their children had talent. “We also knew what many young artists fail to understand,” says Steve. “If you have reasonable talent, that is half the battle. Time spent practicing is the other half.”
Early on, the family made a commitment to themselves and to each other—they would not be outworked. “We did not get in a hurry,” says Steve. “We have a saying, ‘Time spent in the practice room shows – and time not spent in the practice room shows.’” Knowing they would never get a second chance to make a first impression, the three young artists threw themselves into their craft, learning to play new instruments, honing vocal skills, and studying showmanship.
“One key reason we install laureates is to hold up their dreams, their will and their vision as inspiration for future leaders,” Salley said. Junior Achievement teaches young people that no matter how young or old you may be, hard work is the best answer to many of the toughest questions in business. There is no age quota on success. And you need not have a wealth of experience to have the experience of earning wealth.
In March, The Band Perry wrapped their first-ever headlining tour, the We Are Pioneers World Tour through Europe, Canada and the United States. The band played in 42 States, 15 Countries, and logged over 147,962 MILES. Later this summer, The Band Perry will join Blake Shelton for a series of dates on his TEN TIMES CRAZIER TOUR 2014.
Junior Achievement’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Junior Achievement USA is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.
Junior Achievement’s programs—in the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy—ignite the spark in young people to experience and realize the opportunities and realities of work and life in the 21st century.
Locally, Junior Achievement of Tri-Cities TN/VA reaches more than ten thousand students per year in over 460 classrooms. JA programs are taught by volunteers throughout our region.
About The Band Perry
The Band Perry have skyrocketed into the mainstream since releasing their platinum-certified, self-titled debut album on Republic Nashville in 2010, which scored the sibling trio a string of hits, including the quintuple-platinum “If I Die Young” (#1 on Billboard’s Country and AC charts), platinum “You Lie” and gold “All Your Life” (#1 Country). Fronted by Kimberly Perry and rounded out by her younger brothers Reid and Neil, the band has sold over 11.3 million tracks from their debut and gold-certified sophomore album, PIONEER, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and #2 All Genre. PIONEER alone has garnered more than 3.3 million single downloads. In addition to acclaim from top critics across the country, PIONEER has produced two consecutive #1 Country smashes – the platinum “Better Dig Two” and gold “DONE.” – which earned Reid and Neil their first chart–topper as songwriters. “Chainsaw,” their thunderous new single, is already Top 15 and climbing on the country radio charts. The Band Perry enjoyed sold–out headlining dates and recently finished their first global headline tour, the WE ARE PIONEERS World Tour, in March. This summer, the trio will hit the road with Blake Shelton on his Ten Times Crazier Tour, and they recently joined Blake as the guest advisors for his team during Season 6 of “The Voice.” In the past year, The Band Perry has taken over the American television airwaves with unforgettable performances on the ACM, CMA, Grammy and Billboard Music Awards as well as American Idol, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Ellen, The Talk, The Arsenio Hall Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Show with David Letterman. They also appeared on a banner episode of “CMT Crossroads” with rockers Fall Out Boy and performed as part of the Super Bowl XLVIII NFL Tailgate Party on Fox. They recently took home the 2014 ACM Award for “Vocal Group of the Year,” adding to their host of ACM, CMA, ACA and CMT Music Awards. The Band Perry have also amassed GRAMMY, Teen Choice, AMA, and Billboard Music Award nominations, cementing the sibling trio as one of the hottest acts in recent history. For a list of all tour dates and more, visit thebandperry.com / thefansperry.com.
