Christian and Gospel music’s premier artists will gather in Nashville on Monday, Oct. 12 to unite in support of the Gospel Music Association with an exclusive dinner concert at Nashville’s famed Loveless Café. The benefit concert will be streamed live at www.concertofthedecade.com
Five-time Dove Award Producer of the Year Brown Bannister will produce the spectacular evening of entertainment, which will include performances from Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Natalie Grant, Kirk Franklin and The Booth Brothers. Bannister and the artists have all donated their time and expenses to support the GMA.
"It’s an honor to join Casting Crowns, Amy, Kirk, MercyMe, and all of the other artists on this lineup, in support of the GMA," shares industry leader and award winning artist, Michael W. Smith. "This organization has been an incredible support to so many of us as we’ve built our ministries and careers, and we want to do all we can to help ensure a solid platform from which it can operate."
According to Ed Leonard, chairman of the GMA Board of Directors (and president of Daywind Music), these incredible artists responded immediately to support the "Save the GMA" event created in response to financial needs the GMA has, in part due to the economic recession.
"In a time of restricted sponsorship dollar availability and financial hardships faced by many in our community, the GMA has continued to be there for all of us, offering first class events, tackling important legislative issues and promoting the genre to the world through the Dove Awards. The organization faces financial obstacles that require all of our help to overcome. This dinner concert is a way to not only ensure the viability of GMA in the future, but to have the concert experience of a lifetime," Leonard said.
Leonard stressed that the special event is intended to do more than just "save the GMA" and that the Board of Directors is committed to building a GMA that is relevant for the future." "We all believe in the power of Christian and Gospel music to change lives," he said. "The GMA allows us to join together, setting aside personal agendas, to accomplish things we cannot accomplish separately, to ultimately extend the reach of the good news of the Gospel through music of all styles. That is a mission worth pursuing."
