Muriel Anderson’s All Star Guitar Night, to be held on July 19, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville,will feature a heartfelt musician’s tribute to Chet Atkins, who passed away a year ago, June 30.
Chet and his music played a part in the formation of the All Star Guitar Night back in 1993, when Anderson attended The Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention, also held in conjunction with Nashville’s summer session of NAMM. A casual gathering of musicians from both conventions joined together in an informal setting to share music, which created the All Star Guitar Night.
The All Star Guitar Night’s celebration of Atkins will be primarily through music, but the night will also include vintage film clips from the Country Music Hall of Fame Archives. Adding to this year’s special lineup are Junior Brown, Victor Wooten, Alison Brown, Suzy Bogguss, Vassar Clements, Phil Keaggy and Alex De Grassi. Also playing will be Ed Gerhard, Nokie Edwards (of The Ventures), Seymour Duncan, Brent Mason, Thom Bresh, Johnny Hiland, Pat Bergeson, Richard Gilewitz, Ben Lacy, and the Second Nashville Guitar Quartet (the first included Chet and Liona Boyd) with Richard Smith, John Knowles, John Pell and Muriel Anderson.
Also appearing this year are Danny Flowers (author of Tulsa Time), Curb artist Jenai, noted bass players Dave Pomeroy and Charlie Chadwick, and percussionists Danny and Beth Gottlieb.
The All Star Guitar Night benefits the Music For Life Alliance, an organization founded by Anderson to provide instruments and lessons to under-privileged young people with the support of grassroots organizations nation-wide. In the past, Music For Life Alliance has worked with the WO Smith School in Nashville and Guitars in the Classrooms. This year, the concert will benefit the Chet Atkins Music Education Fund. Also, All Star Guitar Night 2002 is working in conjunction with the Nashville public school system for middle and high-school students, as well as helping to publicize the VH1 “Save The Music” Program, designed to be implemented at the grade-school level.
Tickets are $18, general admission, and are available through the Ryman Box Office and Ticketmaster. The show begins at 8:00 p.m. To contact the Ryman box office, visit www.ryman.com/.
