Nashville, TN – What started out as a gathering between friends at a country artist’s fan club party a few years ago has now turned into a star studded concert to benefit at risk youth, particularly in the LGBT community throughout the state of Tennessee. Grammy nominated country artist Ty Herndon and CMT host and producer, Cody Alan, will be hosting the second Concert for Love and Acceptance Thursday, June 8, 2017 at the Wildhorse Saloon (120 2nd Ave. North) in Nashville. The 3-hour show kicks off at 7:30 and will feature performances by Michael Ray, Thompson Square, Runaway June, Ryan Kinder, Trent Harmon, and Mickey Guyton, just to name a few.
The premiere concert took place in 2015 as one of the first of its kind, receiving national recognition from such outlets as Entertainment Tonight, People Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Boston Globe. Herndon, best known for hits like “What Mattered Most” and “Living in a Moment”, became the first major male country act to publicly come out as gay. Alan, host of programs like “After Midnite” and “Hot 20 Countdown”, also made headlines when he came out in January of this year.
The Country Note sat down with both stars to talk about the importance of this event when it comes to youth struggling with topics like bullying, sexuality, identity, and depression. Herndon calls the rate of suicide among LGBT kids 14 and under, “staggering” and says the purpose of events like this is to help kids off the street and provide basic necessities like food, education, and counseling. Herndon also works with organizations like The Trevor Project, St. Jude, and GLAAD, which is sponsoring this particular show. Check out the full interview with Ty Herndon here.
Alan, a father of two teenagers, encourages parents of LGBT kids to love and accept their children for who they are, even though it’s understandable that raising teenagers can be difficult at times. And for the kids struggling, he says to “stand strong and know there is hope and love that exists in the world and that there are brighter days ahead.” Alan is a huge believer in visualization when it comes to attaining goals and seeing the positives in life. Click here for the full interview with Cody Alan.
For more information on Concert for Love and Acceptance, including how to purchase tickets, visit www.tyherndon.com./love