Thanks For The Music

Actor, musician, songwriter, writer, and Audio Up podcast pioneer, Dennis Quaid, and rising country artist Lewis Brice, join the talent lineup for the 2020 Concert for Love and Acceptance, set to take place as an online event June 30 amid the ongoing COVID19 crisis. The Academy of Country Music’s charitable arm ACM Lifting Lives®, CMT, GLAAD and country music star and philanthropist Ty Herndon announced Quaid and Brice to the lineup today, along with the additions of Lauren Alaina, Terri Clark, Billy Gilman, Kalie Shorr and Rita Wilson. Mickey Guyton will make a special appearance, as will actor, producer, and director Matt Bomer, who will introduce Wilson. As previously announced, two-time 2020 Grammy® winner Tanya Tucker will open the show. The event will be live streamed on YouTube, Facebook and at www.F4LA.org/concert, with additional appearances and performances to be announced.

“This show just gets better and better each year, and while we would rather be doing it as a live event in Nashville, we know that we have the opportunity to reach so many more people with our message of love and acceptance through this one-time online format. And, of course, our message takes on an especially elevated meaning this year in light of all that is happening around us, and our hope is that on this night we can all stand together - not just for love and acceptance - but also for justice,” said Herndon.

Produced by Herndon’s newly formed charitable foundation, The Foundation for Love & Acceptance, the event will be co-hosted by Emmy and Tony Award winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth and CMT’s Cody Alan, who has hosted the event alongside Herndon since 2017. GLAAD and ACM Lifting Lives® are the beneficiaries of event proceeds.

ACM Lifting Lives® is a first-time event partner in 2020 and will be allocating proceeds to its initiatives.

“ACM Lifting Lives is honored to join forces with Ty and the Concert for Love and Acceptance,” said Lyndsay Cruz, Executive Director of ACM Lifting Lives. “We’re honored to support the message of creating a more accepting environment and jumped at the opportunity to help inspire awareness, and healing, through the power of music.”

For the third consecutive year, CMT returns as Presenting Partner of the event, with Cody Alan serving as co-host, a role he’s held for the past four years. A well-known and respected veteran personality, producer and programmer in the broadcast industry, Alan is a past recipient of the ACM National On-Air Personality of the Year award, and host of CMT Hot 20 Countdown, CMT’s flagship music TV show, delivered to over 90 million homes weekly, as well as host and executive producer of CMT After MidNite and CMT Radio Live, heard on 220+ stations, with nearly 8 million monthly listeners.

“This event has become one of the most meaningful events of the year for me, not only for the vital causes the show supports, but also because of generosity of the talent who support inclusion in the Country community. I’m thrilled to be back representing CMT, with the added bonus of bringing the show into country fans’ living rooms. Proud without the crowd!” said Alan.

GLAAD and Herndon created the first Concert for Love and Acceptance in 2015 shortly after Herndon became the first male country artist to come out as gay. Event appearances and performances have included Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Reba McEntire, Lee Brice, Tyler Rich, Michael Ray, Rita Wilson, Chris Daughtry, Terri Clark, Chris Carmack, Gavin DeGraw, Crystal Gayle, Billy Gilman, Cassadee Pope, Calum Scott, Mickey Guyton, Levi Hummon, Cam, Cale Dodds, Tayla Lynn, Runaway June, Chely Wright, Billy Dean, Hunter Hayes, Brandon Stansell, Meghan Lindsey, Thompson Square, WWE Superstars, Meghan McCain, and more.

“GLAAD is proud to have been Ty Herndon’s partner in this groundbreaking endeavor since 2015, and as we press on through this very difficult moment in the health and safety of our nation, LGBTQ Americans are especially vulnerable - including LGBTQ youth who may be isolating in homes that are not accepting of them. Many of them - and their families - are country music fans, and this event will send affirming messages of support and encouragement around the globe,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of GLAAD.

Herndon will also serve as executive producer of the 2020 Concert for Love & Acceptance, alongside returning executive producer Zeke Stokes, who has been in that role since the Concert began in 2015. Stokes is President of the newly formed ZS STRATEGIES and a former Vice President of GLAAD.

For more information and ongoing updates, as well as to RSVP for the live online event, visit the Foundation for Love and Acceptance at www.F4LA.org.

About ACM Lifting Lives®: ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC™. Through partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM Lifting Lives® funds music health programs while also serving members of the music community who face unexpected hardships through its Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund. With generous donations and the support of artists and fans, ACM Lifting Lives® has funded national music therapy programs serving various mental and physical health organizations. Some of the recipients have included patients at children’s hospitals and other healthcare facilities, recovering veterans, people with Williams syndrome, and individuals suffering with mental illness. For more information, please visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.

About Dennis Quaid: Dennis Quaid is a renaissance man who is one of the busiest people in show business. Besides being an actor, musician, songwriter, writer, and podcast pioneer; he is also a jet pilot, amateur astronomer, fly-fisherman, philosopher, low handicap golfer, medical safety advocate and armchair historian. He has powered a NASCAR around an oval track, given speeches and appeared before congress on patient safety, played golf with 2 U.S. presidents, piloted a dogsled in the arctic, meditated on the shore of the Ganges River in India, team-roped on a quarter horse, pitched on the mound in Texas stadium, been a middle-weight boxer, and can change a diaper in 20 seconds. From the biggest, blockbuster movies, to being a hilarious and insightful talk-show guest and host, Dennis does it all. Dennis began to gain attention in the late 1970s for roles in such films as “Breaking Away” before gaining public and critical acclaim for his role in the 1983 release “The Right Stuff.” Other notable credits include “The Rookie,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Traffic,” “Vantage Point,” “Frequency,” “The Parent Trap,” and “Soul Surfer.” For his role in Todd Haynes’ “Far from Heaven” he won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. In 2010 he was nominated for numerous awards including a SAG Award®, an Emmy©, and a Golden Globe© for his portrayal of Bill Clinton in the TV Movie, “A Special Relationship.” Dennis recently wrapped up production on the Netflix holiday-themed multi-camera comedy series “Merry Happy Whatever” for which he also serves as a producer. Additionally, Dennis starred in the third season of Amazon’s “Goliath” opposite Billy Bob Thornton which premiered in 2019. Dennis’ recent big-screen credits include starring roles in Sony’s thriller “The Intruder,” Universal’s “A Dog’s Journey” and “A Dog’s Purpose” as well as Roadside Attraction’s faith-based film “I Can Only Imagine,” which was released to wide critical acclaim. On the small screen, Dennis starred in Crackle’s auctioneering drama “The Art of More” on which he also served as an executive producer as well as in the BAFTA award-nominated series “Fortitude.” Along with being an accomplished actor, Quaid is also a singer-songwriter with hundreds of thousands of miles under his belt as a touring musician who’s been playing music since his grandfather bought him his first guitar at a Texas Kmart. He continues to receive stellar reviews displaying equal ease with both originals and country standards with his all-star band, Dennis Quaid & The Sharks. Among Quaid’s musical heroes are Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Willie & Waylon, Johnny Cash, the Beatles, the Doors and James Brown. After years of playing clubs with his band, Quaid released his debut album, Out of the Box, in November 2018. He continues to perform to sold-out crowds when he’s not on set or recording his compelling, renowned Audio Up podcast, The Dennissance.

About Lewis Brice: Lewis’s debut self-titled EP, produced by himself and his brother Lee Brice, was released via Pump House Music on July 14th, 2017 to glowing reviews, landing at No. 11 on the US iTunes Country chart. Since then, Lewis has been named one of Rolling Stone Country’s “New Country Artists You Need to Know” and Billboard’s “Country Artists to Watch in 2018”. Tracks from the EP were featured on SiriusXM The Highway, CMT Music, and Spotify’s New Boots & Wild Country playlists, and its lead single 'Best Ex Ever' reached the Top 40 of MusicRow’s Country Breakout radio chart. The next chapter of Lewis’s music was unveiled on November 23rd, 2018 as the first single from his forthcoming second collection of songs, titled ‘Blessed’, was introduced to the world by a special Thanksgiving acoustic performance premiere with his brother Lee Brice. With more new music on the horizon, 2020 promises to be the best year yet for Lewis Brice!

About CMT: CMT is the leading authority on country music and lifestyle, offering a mix of original series, music events and specials. CMT is everywhere its fans are including two cable channels (CMT and the 24-hour music channel, CMT Music), radio (CMT Radio), digital (‪CMT.com) and social (CMT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube). CMT is a unit of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC) (“ViacomCBS”). For more information, please visit cmtpress.com.

About The Foundation for Love & Acceptance: Founded by Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning country music artist and philanthropist Ty Herndon, the Foundation for Love & Acceptance uses the power of music and media to support the country music community and raise vital funds to support LGBTQ youth and families. For more information, visit www.F4LA.org.

About GLAAD: GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.