Hayes, White to perform at Hall of Fame

Mar. 1—Country musicians Wade Hayes and Bryan White will perform an acoustic concert at 7 p.m. March 11 at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

The joint concert will also serve as a fundraiser to benefit the organization's free instrument loan program offered by its Bluegrass Music Academy.

"Everything we do with regards to live music when it's a ticketed event — whether it's ROMP or something in the Woodward Theatre or on our permanent outdoor stage — we refer to any and all of those activities as 'Music with a Mission,' " museum Executive Director Chris Joslin said. "The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum is a very mission-driven organization, and part of that mission is education."

The academy, which began last fall, looks to help people learn to play music, get involved with the bluegrass community and "to serve with their talents," Joslin said.

The loan program helps people with economic challenges who want to participate and learn music.

"They don't want to take a chance on learning to play an instrument if there's a financial barrier to doing that," he said. "What we're trying to do with the academy is remove any of those barriers, including the cost of instruments.

"This helps make instruments available at no charge to people who want to participate in some of the Bluegrass Music Academy activities."

Joslin said Hayes and White's concert "really feeds into" the organization's educational mission.

"These are great artists that both broke out in the 90s and were really part of that group ... that were really shaping country music, and they're still making great records, writing songs and are very active in their careers," he said.

An Oklahoma native, Hayes signed with Columbia Records in 1994. His debut single, "Old Enough to Know Better," reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs, while the album of the same name reached the top 20 on the Top Country Albums chart.

Since coming onto the scene in 1994, White has charted over 20 singles, including the No. 1 country hits "Rebecca Lynn," "So Much for Pretending" and "Someone Else's Star." He has also been the recipient of a Grammy award, the Country Music Association's (CMA) 1996 "Horizon Award" and Academy of Country Music's (ACM) "Top Male Vocalist" award.

Joslin said the opportunity to bring Hayes and White on board was due to Randy Lanham, the Hall of Fame's education director, who was part of Hayes' band when Hayes was discovered in the 90s.

Lanham has also played with White and performs with both artists when his schedule permits.

"We can certainly thank (Randy) for sharing his vision with these two great artists and compelling them to get involved with the Bluegrass Music Academy," Joslin said.

Lanham will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event and will also perform with Hayes and White during the show.

A meet-and-greet will follow the concert, where attendees will be able to have photos taken with the artists and receive autographs.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at bluegrasshall.org, by calling 270-926-7891 or stopping by the Hall of Fame at 311 W. Second St.

Proceeds from the concert will allow the organization to be able to acquire more instruments and to help with the refurbishment and upkeep of current inventory.

Donations to the Bluegrass Music Academy can also be made online at bluegrasshall.org/support/donations under the "Monetary or Artifact Donations" section.

For more information about the concert, visit bluegrasshall.org/event/wade-hayes-bryan-white.