Gilman joins previously announced lineup: Lee Brice, Tyler Rich, Daughtry, Rita Wilson, Chely Wright, Mickey Guyton, Harper Grae, Tayla Lynn, Brody Ray, Brandon Stansell, Antigone Rising, and Ty Herndon. Event co-hosted by CMT’s Cody Alan
WWE Superstars Sonya Deville, Paige, and Mandy Rose
to also make special appearance at event
(NASHVILLE, TENN. – May 28, 2019) – GLAAD announced today that Billy Gilman will be joining the list of performers for the 2019 Concert for Love & Acceptance in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday, June 6. WWE Superstars Sonya Deville, Paige, and Mandy Rose will also attend the event for a special appearance at this year’s concert.
“Billy Gilman is one of America’s great musical treasures,” said Zeke Stokes, Chief Programs Officer at GLAAD and Executive Producer of the 2019 Concert for Love & Acceptance. “He was already a record-breaking country star when he re-introduced himself to America on The Voice and captured the attention of a new generation of fans as an out and proud gay man. We are so excited to welcome him back to the Concert for Love & Acceptance stage.”Gilman and the WWE Superstars join previously announced megastar Daughtry, who will be performing a special acoustic set at the Concert for Love & Acceptance, which features a coalition of artists and celebrities appearing and performing to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people. Singer Rita Wilson will also perform songs from her album, Halfway to Home. The 5th annual concert will take place during the legendary week Nashville goes Country (CMA Fest) and will be hosted by Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning artist Ty Herndon and CMT’s Cody Alan. Herndon, who co-founded the concert alongside GLAAD in 2015, will also perform. Other confirmed performers include Chely Wright, Harper Grae, Tayla Lynn, Brody Ray, Brandon Stansell, Antigone Rising, Lee Brice, Tyler Rich, and Mickey Guyton.
During last year’s Concert for Love & Acceptance, GLAAD announced the Ty Herndon Rising Stars Grant, bestowed upon young people for their commitment to enhancing LGBTQ inclusion and representation in music. The grant is eligible to LGBTQ young people who are working to accelerate acceptance in the music industry. Applications for the grant are now available at glaad.org/risingstars.
GLAAD Rising Stars Grant Program celebrates young people’s commitment to accelerating LGBTQ acceptance within their communities and culture at large. Grants are offered to support young people who are leveraging media to move hearts and minds and create change.
The inaugural Concert for Love and Acceptance was held in 2015 to kick off GLAAD’s Southern Stories Tour. The event has been supported by artists including Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Michael Ray, Billy Dean, Cale Dodds, Chris Carmack, Crystal Gayle, Cassadee Pope, Calum Scott, Dana Goldberg, Kree Harrison, Mickey Guyton, Levi Hummon, Runaway June, Ryan Kinder, Meghan Lindsey, Street Corner Symphony, Thompson Square, and Trent Harmon.The 2019 Concert for Love and Acceptance partners include presenting partners CMT, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka, and Southwest, community partner The Weissmann Group, and media partner Billboard.
The event will take place at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday, June 6 at 7:00pm. Click here for ticket information.
About Billy Gilman:
Gilman burst onto the national stage in 2000 releasing the hit single “One Voice.” His debut album was certified double platinum in the United States, and he was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest singer to ever reach #1 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts. He has sold ten million albums worldwide and garnered awards and nods from The Grammy’s, the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, Billboard Magazine, and the American Music Association. Now 29, Gilman is eager to come back and share his new music and his new sound with his fans after soaring to the finale of Season 11 of NBC’s THE VOICE. “It took me a good while to figure out exactly who I was, musically speaking. As a little kid, sometimes I was just told what to sing. But now I have enjoyed coming into my own and discovering what it really is that I want to sing. And I think that my fans will dig what they hear.”
About Paige:
Born in Norwich, England WWE Superstar Paige is currently on SmackDown Live. Signing with WWE’s developmental brand in 2011, Paige is a two-time Divas Champion and the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion. In 2018, Paige was forced to retire from in-ring competition due to injury. Since then, Paige has been named the SmackDown Live General manager and manager of a women’s tag team. Her real-life story is the basis for the hit movie Fighting With My Family.
About Mandy Rose:
Born in Westchester County, New York, WWE Superstar Mandy Rose is currently competing on SmackDown Live. Rose began her career with WWE in 2015 after placing second in the sixth season of Tough Enough and debuted on WWE television in 2017. She has competed in history-making events including the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match and the first ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match. Prior to joining WWE, Rose was a champion bodybuilding & fitness competitor.
About Sonya Deville:
Deville began her WWE career after appearing on the sixth season of Tough Enough, where she placed eleventh on the competition show. After debuting in WWE in 2017, she has competed in history-making events including the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match and the first ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match. Deville is the first openly-gay female performer in WWE, and a global advocate for LGBT equality.
