Tag: Emmylou Harris

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ACL Presents 23rd Annual Americana Honors: A Celebration of the Best in Americana Music

Waxahatchee at Americana Awards

Austin City Limits returns to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performances from the 23rd Annual Americana Honors. For more than two decades, this celebration of roots music has honored the leading lights of the Americana field while showcasing unique performances and collaborations from pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers. The program is filled with musical highlights from award-winning legends, buzzworthy new artists and longtime fan favorites, among them (in order of appearance): Duane Betts, Blind Boys of Alabama, Waxahatchee featuring MJ Lenderman, Noah Kahan, Jobi Riccio, Fantastic Negrito, Larkin Poe, Sarah Jarosz, Dwight Yoakam, Shelby Lynne, Sierra Ferrell and Emmylou Harris with Rodney Crowell. The hourlong special premieres Saturday, November 23 @ 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS and the PBS app and varies by market (check local listings for times). Check PBS listings for local airtimes. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, November 24 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. The program’s official hashtags are #acltv and #americanafest. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. The complete line-up for Austin City Limits’ full 14-week milestone Season 50, including six new episodes to air beginning January 11, 2025, will be announced shortly. 

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic “Mother Church,” the Ryman Auditorium, in September 2024, The Americana Music Association’s 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots, blues, soul, folk and country music. For the thirteenth year, the producers of Austin City Limits, in conjunction with producers Martin Fischer, Michelle Aquilato, and Jed Hilly for the Americana Music Association, proudly deliver a special ACL Presents. 

Sierra Ferrell performs
Sierra Ferrell performs on the 23rd Annual Americana Honors, 2024

Duane Betts opens the hour with a tribute to his late father Dickey Betts with a rollicking version of the Allman Brothers classic “Blue Sky.” “That one’s for you, Dad. We love you,” says the next-generation guitar ace. Folk duo The Milk Carton Kids introduce Sierra Ferrell, one of Americana’s top stars, saying “Dolly Parton is who we should look to for where Sierra is headed.” Ferrell, the much-honored Artist of the Year, performs her spellbinding Song of the Year-nominated “American Dreaming” from her LP Trail of Flowers (awarded Album of the Year). The country-folk-bluegrass star also recently scored nods across all the Americana categories for the upcoming 2025 Grammy Awards. 

Waxahatchee (the performance name of acclaimed indie musician Katie Crutchfield) performs her Song of the Year-nominated “Right Back To It” from her album, Tigers Blood, also newly-nominated for a Grammy for Best Americana Album. She is joined by the record’s guest artist, singer-songwriter-guitarist MJ Lenderman for the performance. Artist of the Year nominee Noah Kahan delivers a stirring version of his 2023 breakout smash “Dial Drunk” accompanied by the Americana All-Star Band, including bandleader Buddy Miller, guitarist Larry Campbell, bassist Don Was and Jim Hoke on banjo. Americana legend T Bone Burnett introduces the Duo/Group of the Year honorees, the sibling act known as Larkin Poe, as “two sisters, who are deep practitioners of this [Americana] art form” and the powerhouse pair perform their scorching “Bluephoria” dressed in striking red outfits. Texas native and acclaimed singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz delivers a sparkling “Jealous Moon,” a Song of the Year nominee from her 2024 album Polaroid Lovers. Emerging Act of the Year nominee Jobi Riccio shines with her slowburn “For Me It’s You” from 2023’s acclaimed LP Whiplash. 

The special honors singular artists with Lifetime Achievement Awards, including The Blind Boys of Alabama, who revolutionized Gospel music with their infusion of a nontraditional, grooving rhythm section. The current line-up of the legendary group performs an ecstatic rendition of “Work Until My Days Are Done” that earns a standing ovation from the Ryman audience. The late blues and gospel pioneer Reverend Gary Davis receives the Legacy of Americana award with a salute by three-time Grammy-winning blues firebrand Fantastic Negrito. Resplendent in gold lamé, the guitar slinger shines in a sanctified take on the Rev. Davis classic “Samson and Delilah,” with revival-like intensity in a soaring performance amplified by the vocals of gospel greats the McCrary Sisters. Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer celebrates her big sister and Lifetime Achievement Honoree Shelby Lynne, calling Lynne “my personal trailblazer.” Moorer joins Lynne for a performance of “Gotta Get Back,” from her breakthrough album I Am Shelby Lynne, celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2025. C&W icon Dwight Yoakam is presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by singer-songwriter Brandy Clark, the night’s Song of the Year award winner. Yoakam thrills with his trademark Bakersfield-meets-rockabilly groove on his 1993 hit “Fast as You,” joined by Americana great Jim Lauderdale on backing vocals, and the Americana All-Star Band.

Americana favorite Margo Price introduces country legends Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell and the luminous hour comes to an unforgettable close as the two greats perform a gorgeous reading of the Gram Parsons classic “Return of the Grievous Angel” earning one more Ryman ovation. 

Longstanding house band leader Buddy Miller returns as musical director for the Americana All-Star Band, featuring Don Was—a 2024 Lifetime Achievement Honoree—Larry Campbell, Jen Gunderman, Bryan Owings, Jerry Pentecost, Jim Hoke, and The McCrary Sisters backing many of the night’s performers. 

Broadcast setlist: 

Duane Betts “Blue Sky” 

Blind Boys of Alabama “Work Until My Days Are Done” 

Waxahatchee w/MJ Lenderman “Right Back To It” 

Noah Kahan “Dial Drunk” 

Jobi Riccio “For Me It’s You” 

Fantastic Negrito “Samson and Delilah” 

Larkin Poe “Bluephoria” 

Sarah Jarosz “Jealous Moon” 

Dwight Yoakam “Fast As You” 

Shelby Lynne “Gotta Get Back” 

Sierra Ferrell “American Dreaming” 

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell “Return of the Grievous Angel” 

Watch new Austin City Limits episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding the Season 50 second half broadcast line-up and episode schedules or follow ACL on Facebook, Twitter, IG and TikTok. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews. 

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Circle Network debuts Austin City Limits Country June 8

Reba McEntire performs on Austin City Limits, 1988. Photo by Scott Newton.

Circle Network announced it has licensed previously recorded performances from Austin City Limits, the longest-running music program in television history, and has combined them with never-before-seen interviews for a new series called Austin City Limits: Country. Hosted by legendary country singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell, the weekly series will give fans a glimpse into what was going on in the artists’ careers at the time these shows were recorded, with episodes featuring Clint Black, the late Johnny Cash and June Carter, Reba McEntire, Kris Kristofferson, and others. Viewers will be able to still enjoy these original iconic performances, broadcast for the first time since their initial run, while Crowell will provide new commentary, history, and information for each act. Circle Network will air their remastered series starting Wednesday, June 8 at 10/9c pm. Check here for local carriage information.

“Austin City Limits Country is coming to Circle Network and I’m happy to say, I’ll be your host. Classic performances by iconic artists are in store, including one with Emmylou. Anyone who’s a fan of the music won’t want to miss it,” said host Rodney Crowell.

Over the course of 48 seasons, ACL continues to air weekly on PBS, and now the licensing of these iconic ACL country performances cements Circle Network’s ongoing commitment to bringing country music programming to its viewers. “We have long admired the impact that this landmark series has had on the music industry and on Austin as a live music destination,” said Opry Entertainment Group President, Scott Bailey. “We are pleased to have formed a closer connection with the ACL team through our recent purchase of ACL Live at The Moody Theater, and we look forward to many opportunities to showcase Austin’s storied live music culture through our Circle TV platform in the future.”

“Airing these episodes of Austin City Limits: Country is a milestone for Circle,” said Circle Network’s General Manager, Drew Reifenberger, “Country music fans across the U.S. know how iconic Austin City Limits is, and we’re so excited to bring these performances right to their living rooms this June.”

Austin City Limits: Country will air Wednesday nights starting on June 8, for a total of 12 episodes. Episode programming includes:

Wednesday, June 8, 2022 10/9c pm – Charlie Daniels Band (originally aired in 1976)

The first Nashville-based act to appear on Austin City Limits, the Charlie Daniels Band rocked the original stage in the first season with their distinctive blend of country, blues, rock and bluegrass in support of their album Nightrider. Songs include “Texas,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” and “Franklin Limestone.”

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 10/9c pm – Hank Williams Jr. & Shake Russell – Dana Cooper Band (originally aired in 1980)

Hank Williams Jr. carries on his family tradition with a hits-packed appearance on Austin City Limits. With his fusion of his father Hank Sr.’s country, R&B, rock, Cajun and other influences, Williams creates a brilliant spectrum refracted through his unique musical soul, represented here with “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound,” “Move It On Over” and “Family Tradition.” Houston’s Shake Russell/Dana Cooper Band band makes its ACL debut on Austin City Limits with a repertoire of outstanding originals encompassing acoustic folk to electric rock, with intertwining harmonies delivering imaginative lyrics for a legion of loyal Texas fans. Songs include “Rollin’ My Blues,” “You Wouldn’t Know Me” and “Deep in the West.”

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 10/9c pm – Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell (originally aired in 1981)

Perfectly described as “a good singer singing good songs,” Americana pioneer Emmylou Harris was riding high on the country charts when she made her debut appearance on Austin City Limits in the same season that first featured the now-iconic backdrop. Performing in support of her album Evangeline, she includes her hits “Two More Bottles of Wine,” “If I Needed You” and “Born to Run.” Rodney Crowell first appeared on ACL in Season 2 playing guitar for Guy Clark. By the time he made his debut on the show, the Texas native had become a seasoned composer of hits for other artists, including the Oak Ridge Boys, Waylon Jennings and the Dirt Band. Supporting his self-titled third LP, Crowell performs “Stars On the Water,” “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” and “I Ain’t Living Long Like This.”

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 10/9c pm – Kris Kristofferson (originally aired in 1981)

Singer, songwriter, actor and author Kris Kristofferson made his long-awaited Austin City Limits debut in Season 7 with a crack band and a career-spanning set of classic songs. Following his 1981 tour, Kristofferson hit the stage for the first of three ACL appearances with classics including “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Lovin’ Her Was Easier,” and “Highwayman.”

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 10/9c pm – Glen Campbell & Eddy Raven (originally aired in 1984)

Glen Campbell blends country, folk and even a little jazz into a style that is definitely his own on his sole appearance on Austin City Limits. A television veteran from his own Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, the singer/guitarist presents a battalion of hits, including “Wichita Lineman,” “Gentle On My Mind,” “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Southern Nights.” One of country music’s most admired songwriters, Eddy Raven was just beginning a run of six #1 singles on the country charts when he made his ACL debut. Supporting the album I Could Use Another You, Raven sings “I Got Mexico,” “She’s Gonna Win Your Heart” and more.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 10/9c pm – George Jones & Vern Gosdin (originally aired in 1985)

Over the 30 years leading up to his second Austin City Limits episode, George Jones set the standards against which all other contemporary country singers are ultimately measured. Appearing in support of his album Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes, George sings his hits “The Race is One,” “No Show Jones” and “White Lightnin’.” Vern Gosdin’s smooth, distinctively country voice was the reason he was known by his fans and professional peers as a “singer’s singer.” For his only appearance on ACL, Gosdin surveys his catalog with “I Can Tell By the Way You Dance,” “Way Down Deep” and “If You’re Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right).”

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 10/9c pm – Ronnie Milsap (originally aired in 1986)

One of the most versatile artists in the music industry, with a unique ability to appeal to any audience, Grammy-winning singer/musician Ronnie Milsap opened the twelfth season of Austin City Limits with his unique blend of pop, country, R&B, rock and gospel. Supporting his hit album Lost in the Fifties Tonight, Milsap performs “Any Day Now,” “Stranger in My House” and “Smokey Mountain Rain.”

Wednesday, July 27, 2022 10/9c pm – Johnny Cash with June Carter, Tommy Cash & The Cash Family (originally aired in 1987)

Armed with a catalog of indelible classics, the legendary Johnny Cash had already been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the time he made his first and only appearance on Austin City Limits in 1987. Joined by his wife June Carter and the Carter Family, Cash sings “Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues” and more.

Wednesday, August 3, 2022 10/9c – Reba McEntire (originally aired in 1987)

At the time country music’s most awarded and best-selling artist, Reba McEntire brought her powerful, passionate voice and unerring ability to choose just the right material to Austin City Limits in 1988 in support of her platinum album The Last One to Know. Songs include “Love Will Find Its Way,” “Lookin’ For a New Love” and “Whoever’s in New England.”

Wednesday, August 10, 2022 10/9c – Dwight Yoakam & Patty Loveless (originally aired in 1988)

Kentucky-born Dwight Yoakam waved the flag for hardcore honky-tonk and hillbilly music at the front of country’s new traditionalist movement in the eighties with a string of hit singles and albums. His second appearance on Austin City Limits features songs from his #1 album Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room, including the title track, “What I Don’t Know” and “Streets of Bakersfield,” with guests Buck Owens and Flaco Jimenez. The new traditionalist movement also sparked the career of singer Patty Loveless, who spent her high school summers singing for the Wilburn Brothers before eventually signing to MCA and beginning a career as a hitmaker. Her first of four appearances on the show, her ACL debut includes the hits “If My Heart Had Windows,” “Blue Side of Town” and “Timber, I’m Falling in Love.”

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 10/9c – Clint Black with special guests Lisa Hartman Black, Eric Johnson and Ray Benson (originally aired in 1999)

Country superstar Clint Black made his debut appearance on Austin City Limits after a string of hit singles, multi-platinum albums and Grammy nominations. Supporting his 1999 album D’lectrified, Black and his special guests, including Asleep at the Wheel leader Ray Benson, Austin guitar slinger Eric Johnson and Black’s wife Lisa Hartman Black, perform songs from across his career, including “Put Yourself in My Shoes,” “When I Said I Do” and “Nothin’ But the Taillights.”

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ABOUT CIRCLE NETWORK: Circle is a media network dedicated to celebrating the country lifestyle and putting fans inside the circle of everything country. Circle offers entertainment news, documentaries, movies, archival, new and licensed programming, Grand Ole Opry performances, and more. Besides a linear feed, the network offers ad-supported streaming distribution with Tubi, NCTC, DISH, Peacock, Roku, Inc., Samsung TV Plus, Redbox, VIZIO SmartCast®, XUMO and Frndly TV, bringing its country lifestyle programming to millions more through TVs, smartphones and tablets. Named Digiday’s 2021 Best Streaming TV Platform and Pollstar’s #1 Livestreamer across all genres for 2020, Circle is a joint venture between Opry Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties, and Gray Television.

ABOUT OPRY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP: Rooted in the unparalleled country music history of the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Entertainment Group produces multi-platform entertainment experiences through its growing portfolio of entertainment venues, including the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, the iconic Ryman Auditorium, WSM Radio, the Blake Shelton-inspired Ole Red brand and Circle TV Network. Through concerts, tours, music inspired restaurants, retail, publishing, digital content, and more, Opry Entertainment Group connects millions of music fans to the artists they love through experiences they’ll never forget. Opry Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP).

ABOUT AUSTIN CITY LIMITS: Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. The program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in American television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic KLRU Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS, KLRU-TV, and funding is provided in part by Dell, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and Workrise. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits at acltv.com.

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ACL Presents: Americana 20th Annual Honors

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 22: (L-R) Amanda Shires and Maren Morris of The Highwomen, Yola, Brandi Carlile of The Highwomen, Jason Isbell and Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen perform onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Austin City Limits returns to Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performance highlights from the 20th Annual Americana Honors. For two decades, the annual celebration of roots music has honored the best and brightest musicians in Americana music while showcasing one-of-a-kind performances and collaborations. The program is filled with musical highlights from many of the event’s award-winners and honorees, among them (in order of appearance): Fisk Jubilee Singers with Leon Timbo, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Joe Henry, Allison Russell, The Highwomen, featuring Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires with Yola, Jason Isbell, Valerie June & Carla Thomas, Charley Crockett, Amythyst Kiah, Buddy Miller, Brandi Carlile & The Mavericks. The hourlong special premieres Saturday, April 2 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS and varies by market (check local listings for times).  Check PBS listings for local airtimes. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, April 3 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 48 tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. 

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in 2021, The Americana Music Association’s 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots, blues, soul, folk and country music.  For the tenth year, the producers of Austin City Limits, in conjunction with producers Martin Fischer, Michelle Aquilato, and Jed Hilly for the Americana Music Association, proudly deliver a special ACL Presents.  

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Fisk Jubilee Singers perform onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Fisk Jubilee Singers, the award-winning choir formed at Nashville’s HBCU Fisk University, open the hour and raise the Ryman roof with the stirring spiritual “I Believe” joined by gospel great Leon Timbo. Americana’s Artist of the Year Brandi Carlile delivers a gorgeous solo performance of her 2022 triple Grammy-nominated song “Right On Time” and also performs with her bandmates Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires in country supergroup the Highwomen, joined by greats Yola and Jason Isbell for the occasion. Multiple Americana Album of the Year nominees showcase highlights: Americana stalwart Sarah Jarosz performs “I’ll Be Gone,” a gem from her celebrated World on the Ground, joined by John Leventhal; Valerie June performs her Song of the Year-nominated “Call Me A Fool” from her The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, joined by Stax great and Lifetime Achievement honoree Carla Thomas; and one of the genre’s top stars, Jason Isbell, is joined by wife and collaborator Amanda Shires for “Letting You Go,” a poignant song written for their young daughter from his acclaimed Reunions.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Valerie June performs onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The award’s Emerging Artist honorees take the stage to showcase their talents: the year’s Emerging Artist Award-winner and “the pride of San Benito, Texas,” Charley Crockett, makes a sparkling debut with his singular brand of Gulf & Western music, performing the two-stepping “Are We Lonesome Yet.” Fellow nominee, genre-bending artist Allison Russell, delivers her 2022 double Grammy-nominated “Nightflyer,” a soulful number from her critically-acclaimed solo record Outside Child, also a 2022 Grammy nominee for Best Americana Album. Breakout singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah showcases her bonafides with a powerhouse “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me),” forecasting the future of the genre. 

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Amythyst Kiah performs at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The special pays tribute to a pair of Americana greats we lost in 2021: Country-folk legend Nanci Griffith, a trailblazer in the genre, is saluted with a gorgeous reading of her “Gulf Coast Highway,” performed by Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry;  country great Tom T. Hall is honored by famed musician Buddy Miller, who performs a memorable rendition of Hall’s classic “That’s How I Got to Memphis.” 

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry perform at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The show closes with the eclectic rock-country-Latin band the Mavericks, recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award, celebrating the diversity of the genre with “La Sitiera,” from their acclaimed Spanish-language album En Español.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Raul Malo of The Mavericks performs at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Broadcast setlist:

Fisk Jubilee Singers ft. Leon Timbo “I Believe”

Sarah Jarosz ft. John Leventhal “I’ll Be Gone”

Aiofe O’Donovan & Joe Henry “Gulf Coast Highway” 

Allison Russell “Nightflyer”

The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby) ft. Yola & Jason Isbell 

Jason Isbell ft. Amanda Shires “Letting You Go”

Valerie June ft. Carla Thomas “Call Me A Fool”

Charley Crockett ”Are We Lonesome Yet” 

Amythyst Kiah “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me)”

Buddy Miller “That’s How I Got to Memphis”

Brandi Carlile “Right on Time”

The Mavericks “La Sitiera”

About AMERICANAFEST:

The 22nd annual AMERICANAFEST will take place September 13-17, 2022 in Nashville, Tenn., once again bringing together music industry professionals and fans alike for five days of discovery, insight and connections. Declared a “veritable juggernaut” by American Songwriter, AMERICANAFEST showcases hundreds of artists and bands throughout many notable venues in Nashville, TN. The destination event also features a first-rate industry conference, bringing together the top tier of the music business to discuss current industry topics and issues. Musical festivities are kicked off by the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards, which celebrates luminaries and welcomes the next generation of trailblazers while offering one-of-a-kind performance pairings at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. For more information, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

About the Americana Music Association:

The Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. The Association produces events throughout the year; including AMERICANAFEST and the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards program. The Americana Music Association receives enormous support from the Tennessee Department of Tourism, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC.

About ACL Presents:

ACL Presents is music programming created by, or in association with, Austin PBS, the producers of Austin City Limits (ACL). ACL Presents programming includes television specials, live events, web series and recorded music presentations and is made in the spirit and standards of the legendary PBS series Austin City Limits, the longest-running live music series in television history. ACL Presents collaborations have included: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass with KQED and Americana Music Festival with Nashville Public Television (NPT). 

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ACL TV presents ACL Hall of Fame: The First 6 Years

photo by Scott Newton

Kick off the New Year with a good ‘un: Austin City Limits presents ACL Hall of Fame: The First 6 Years, a special broadcast featuring a victory lap of some of the finest performances from the first six years of the annual ACL Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, from the inaugural induction celebration in 2014 to 2019’s sixth annual ceremony. The Austin City Limits Hall of Fame was established in 2014 to honor beacons of American music who have played an instrumental role in making the iconic music series a music institution. The 14-song, all-star salute, recorded live in Austin, Texas, features best–in-class performances and collaborations, many never-before-broadcast, from the annual celebrations in a performance-packed hour with Hall of Fame honorees including Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy, Los Lobos, Bonnie Raitt, Rosanne Cash and Kris Kristofferson performing alongside special guests. ACL Hall of Fame: The First 6 Years premieres Saturday, January 2 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. Check local PBS listings for times. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, January 3 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. 

The Hall of Fame celebration captures one-of-a-kind performances and emotional moments as the hour kicks off with the very first inductee into ACL’s inaugural Hall of Fame in 2014:  Willie Nelson, who appeared on ACL’s pilot episode in 1974, and performs his classic “On the Road Again” joined by special guests Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett. Blues giant Buddy Guy, a 2019 inductee, performs an electrifying take on his gem “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” joined by a longtime friend, bluesman Jimmie Vaughan. For her induction in 2017, Rosanne Cash shares the stage with friends Elvis Costello and Neko Case, trading verses on her early chart-topping anthem “Seven Year Ache,” joined by legendary guitarist Ry Cooder. A trio of music’s most expressive vocalists, Chris Isaak, Brandi Carlile and Raul Malo, join forces to celebrate the legendary Roy Orbison’s 2017 induction with a joyous rendition of the pioneering rocker’s signature “Oh, Pretty Woman.” Acclaimed singer-songwriter Jason Isbell performs a moving solo rendition of Texas singer-songwriter Guy Clark’s classic, “Desperados Waiting For A Train,” saluting the 2015 inductee. Bonnie Raitt celebrates her induction in 2016 teaming up with handpicked guests Mavis Staples and Taj Mahal on a blazing rendition of her smash “Thing Called Love.” Kris Kristofferson, a fellow 2016 inductee, lights up the stage with a moving, solo acoustic performance of his early 70s classic “Lovin’ Her Was Easier.” Celebrating her induction in 2019, Shawn Colvin delivers a captivating performance of her early gem “Diamond In the Rough,” from her 1989 debut Steady On, joined by a pair of Texas singer-songwriters, Sarah Jarosz and fellow inductee Lyle Lovett. The queen of country music, Loretta Lynn, who first appeared on the series in 1983, is celebrated during her 2015 induction by country singer Patty Loveless, with a stirring rendition of the living legend’s first number one country hit “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’”. 

Photo by Gary Miller

The “first family of funk,” The Neville Brothers, the first New Orleans act to appear on ACL in 1979, are saluted by Trombone Shorty and members of the next-generation Nevilles Band for a scorching NOLA-style tribute to the influential funk ‘n’ soul collective in honor of their 2017 induction. Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt is inducted in 2015 with an all-star tribute of his “White Freightliner Blues” with music greats Lyle Lovett, Ray Benson, Vince Gill, Gillian Welch, Dwight Yoakam and more trading verses on the classic. Blues-rock star Gary Clark Jr. puts down his guitar for the occasion and steps up to the mic to pay vocal tribute to 2018 inductee Ray Charles, delivering a radiant “Night Time Is the Right Time” while vocalists Ruthie Foster, Carolyn Wonderland and Shelley King do The Raelettes proud with show-stopping backing chorus. American originals Los Lobos join the fifth class of inductees in 2018 performing a classic from their celebrated four-decade career, “La Pistola Y El Corazon”. The broadcast comes to an epic close saluting blues-rock icon Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 2014 induction into the first class of inductees, as a murderers’ row of guitar greats, including Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy and Johnny Lang, perform a blistering “Texas Flood,” the Lone Star classic Vaughan made famous when he performed it on his now-classic 1983 ACL debut, in a performance for the ages.

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame: The First Six Years setlist:

Willie Nelson w/ Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett “On the Road Again”

Buddy Guy w/Jimmie Vaughan “Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues”

Rosanne Cash w/Elvis Costello, Neko Case, Ry Cooder “Seven Year Ache”

Chris Isaak w/Brandi Carlile, Raul Malo “Oh Pretty Woman”

Jason Isbell “Desperados Waiting For A Train”

Bonnie Raitt w/ Mavis Staples, Taj Mahal “Thing Called Love” 

Kris Kristofferson “Lovin’ Her Was Easier”

Shawn Colvin w/Lyle Lovett & Sarah Jarosz “Diamond in the Rough”

Patty Loveless “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’”

The Nevilles Band w/Trombone Shorty “Meet De Boys on De Battlefront”

All-Star Cast f. Lyle Lovett, Ray Benson, Vince Gill, Gillian Welch, Dwight Yoakam  “White Freightliner Blues” 

Gary Clark Jr. w/Ruthie Foster, Carolyn Wonderland, Shelley King “Night Time Is the Right Time”

Los Lobos “La Pistola Y El Corazon”

All-Star Finale f. Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy, Johnny Lang, Lukas Nelson, Doyle Bramhall II, Robert Randolph “Texas Flood”

Photo by Scott Newton

Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. 

About Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 46th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic KLRU Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.

ACL Hall of Fame: The First 6 Years is produced by Austin PBS, KLRU-TV and funding is provided in part by AXS, Dell Technologies, and Cirrus Logic. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.