Special musical event next Thursday – Make plans to be there

FLORENCE – “Project Meet Me Halfway”  will be the beneficiary of a great lineup of musical talent at the Conference Center. The December 20th edition of “Muscle Shoals To Music Row” (MS2MR) features three award winning songwriters and recording artists, Jimmy Wayne, Tony Arata and Pat Alger.

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Jimmy Wayne

Jimmy Wayne is the founder of Project Meet Me Half Way. On January 1, 2010, Wayne set out on a 1,660 miles solo-hike from Nashville, Tennessee to Phoenix, Arizona to raise awareness about homeless youth and more specifically children aging out of the foster system. He walked 25 miles a day, only coming off the walk for scheduled concerts and to go to the California State Capitol to speak in favor of a bill that would increase the age kids age of the foster system from 18 to 21. Some of Jimmy’s recording hits include: “Put Your Hand in Mine”, released by Tracy Byrd, and his own performance of “Stay Gone”. Jimmy, who was a foster child himself,  toured with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley in 2009, before he put his own career on hold to help youth who found themselves turning 18 years old, and had no place to go.

Tony Arata

Tony Arata is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter. he has had his songs appear on albums from  Garth Brooks, Lee Roy Parnell, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris Suzy Boguss, Reba McEntire and others. In 1986, he and wife Jaymi moved to Nashville where his unique, soulful style began to get the attention of people like Allen Reynolds and Garth Brooks. Garth recorded seven of Tony’s songs and “The Dance” won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and received both a CMA and a Grammy nomination, as well as most-performed song in Radio and Records magazine. He has also had #1 records with “Here I Am” for Patty Loveless, “I’m Holding My Own” for Lee Roy Parnell and”Dreaming With My Eyes Open” for Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire, Delbert McClinton and Hal Ketchum.

Pat Alger

Pat Alger also hails from Music City. He has well over 20 hits to his credit, including eight number 1 hits and has played venues all over the world. He starred in the 30th anniversary of the Washington Center for the Performing Arts gala. He has been featured on NPR Radio’s “All Things Considered”. He was a featured performer in Atlanta for the induction of Ray Charles into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In 1991, he was voted Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International, and the same year he was voted Jukebox Songwriter of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, ASCAP. In 1992, he received the Country Songwriter of the Year award from ASCAP. Country Music Association gave him two Triple Play awards given to those who have three number one hits in a year. In 2010, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwiters Hall of Fame.

This edition of “Muscle Shoals To Music Row” is slated to be one of Kix-96’s best. So make your plans to attend. You will hear some great music and greatly help a worthy cause. Tickets for the show are $20 and 100% of the ticket sales for the show on the 20th will go to Jimmy’s “Meet Me Halfway Fund” which he created to directly benefit foster youth in need. Call Big River Broadcasting at 256 764.8121 .

Here is what Big River Broadcasting’s Halley Phillips had to say about the show:

Here is a LINK to our previous article.