The Americana Music Association® and the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will partner to offer one-of-a-kind programs during the association’s 25th annual AMERICANAFEST®. Programs include a conversation and performance with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, a book talk with Peter Guralnick, a songwriter session with Donovan Woods and a conversation and performance with Rissi Palmer. The programs will take place in the museum’s Ford Theater.
Music and Conversation: The Art of the Storyteller Hosted by Brandy Clark with Special Guest Shane McAnally – Thursday, Sept. 11, at 10:30 a.m.
Songwriter and recording artist Brandy Clark will sit down with fellow songwriter and frequent collaborator Shane McAnally to share the stories behind their craft, weaving personal anecdotes with acoustic performances. Clark’s song “Dear Insecurity,” which features Brandi Carlile, won Best Americana Performance at the 66th Grammy Awards and Song of the Year at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards. In addition to Carlile, Clark has written songs recorded by the Band Perry, Lindsay Ell, Alicia Keys, Miranda Lambert, Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Jennifer Nettles, Keith Urban and other artists. McAnally has written and/or produced dozens of hit songs for artists including Country Music Hall of Fame member-elect Kenny Chesney, Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves and Blake Shelton. He has won three Grammys and two Academy of Country Music Songwriter of the Year awards. Together, Clark and McAnally composed the music for the hit musical “Shucked,” which won Outstanding Music at the 67th Drama Desk Awards.
Book Talk: Peter Guralnick on “The Colonel and the King” – Friday, Sept. 12, at 10:30 a.m.
Award-winning author Peter Guralnick will join the museum’s Paul Kingsbury to discuss his latest book, “The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership that Rocked the World.” Guralnick previously published a two-volume biography on Presley, “Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley” (1995) and “Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley” (2000). In his new work, Guralnick offers a unique perspective on the close personal and complex working relationship between Presley and legendary manager Colonel Tom Parker, drawing on previously unpublished private correspondence. Following the conversation, Guralnick will sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase in the museum’s Ford Theater.
Songwriter Session: Donovan Woods – Saturday, Sept. 13, at Noon
Canadian singer-songwriter and recording artist Donovan Woods has released nine studio albums, including 2018’s Both Ways, which won Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards. He co-wrote the Billboard Canada #1 country songs “Feels Like That” by the Reklaws and “Forever’s Gotta Start Somewhere” by Chad Brownlee. Woods’s songs have also been recorded by Charles Kelley, Lady A and Tim McGraw and have been featured in television shows including “Felicity,” “The Fosters,” “The Good Doctor,” “Legacies,” “Less Than Kind” and “Rookie Blue.”
Music and Conversation: Radical Joy: Reflecting on Two Decades of Making Music and Making Space with Rissi Palmer – Saturday, Sept. 13, at 2:30 p.m.
Recording artist Rissi Palmer will join music journalist Jewly Hight to discuss Palmer’s two-decade journey in country and roots music. Palmer has been instrumental in the movement to reclaim the Black roots of country and folk music and is an advocate for fellow artists. Her commitment to that mission resulted in a six-year gap between her 2019 album, Revival, and her upcoming EP, Perspectives, due out in September. Palmer is also planning a new album for 2026. Excerpts from Hight’s podcast — a special series that is part of “The Broadside” and in collaboration with Nashville Public Radio and North Carolina Public Radio — highlighting Palmer’s work will supplement the conversation, along with performances by Palmer.
All programs at the museum are included with museum admission and free to museum members. Seating is limited, and a program ticket is required for admittance. Non-members can purchase museum admission and program tickets beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 29. AMERICANAFEST Silver Pass Holders can reserve tickets starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28. Visit here for more information.
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