Maddie & Tae, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Desmond Child, and Wendy Moten, are among first announced to perform
Artist Images + Promotional Assets Here
(NASHVILLE, TN – March 30, 2023) – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, and groundbreaking country music artist Ty Herndon announce the return of the Concert For Love & Acceptance, set to take place Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville on the eve of CMA Fest. Maddie & Tae, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Desmond Child, Wendy Moten, Billy Gilman, Shelly Fairchild, and Justin Fabus are set to perform, with additional appearances and performances to be announced in the coming weeks. The event will benefit GLAAD and Ty Herndon’s Foundation For Love & Acceptance.
“With LGBTQ youth and families under attack here in Tennessee and across the country, it’s more important than ever that Nashville come together to send a strong message to them that they are loved just the way they are. Treating each other with kindness, dignity, respect, and equality under the law should never be a political issue. We are all human, and we all deserve to be loved and accepted,” said Herndon.
Herndon and GLAAD joined together for the first time in 2015 to create the Concert For Love & Acceptance to promote LGBTQ visibility and acceptance among the country music community and artists, industry leaders, and fans. Held as an annual live event until 2019, the Concert was staged as a virtual event in response to the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The event has featured performances and appearances by LGBTQ artists and allies, including Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Brothers Osborne, Jake Owen, Kristin Chenoweth, Chely Wright, Tanya Tucker, Brett Young, Michael Ray, Mickey Guyton, Chris Daughtry, Lily Rose, and many more.
“Although it is currently an extremely turbulent time for LGBTQ people as we are forced to navigate many barriers being brought forth by a wave of anti-LGBTQ bills popping up all over the country, there is still a palpable momentum happening in Nashville and within country music to make it a more welcoming place for queer people,” said GLAAD Vice President of Communications and Talent, Anthony Allen Ramos. The Concert for Love & Acceptance’s core message of treating others with respect is more urgent than ever.”
The event will take place at Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 pm. Click here for ticket information.
ABOUT GLAAD
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
ABOUT TY HERNDON
Ty Herndon burst onto the country music scene and made his chart debut in 1995 with “What Mattered Most,” which became his first No. 1 song and garnered a Song of the Year award (Music Row Magazine). It was also the title track to his first album, which debuted on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and had the biggest first-week shipment in the history of Epic Records Nashville.
Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three No.1s and numerous top 10 hits, such as “I Want My Goodbye Back,” “Loved Too Much,” “A Man Holding On,” and “Hands of a Working Man.” He topped the charts in 1996 with the single “Living in a Moment” and again in 1998 with “It Must Be Love.”
In 2014, Herndon became the first major male country artist to publicly come out as gay in an exclusive with People magazine. Shortly after, he made history when he hosted a first-of-its-kind country music event, The Concert for Love and Acceptance, now an annual event that provides a stage for LGBTQ and allied artists.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR LOVE & ACCEPTANCE
The Foundation For Love & Acceptance, founded by groundbreaking country music artist Ty Herndon, is dedicated to harnessing the power of music and media to support mental health and addiction recovery, LGBTQ and other at-risk youth, and Nashville’s country music community.
