CHARLOTTE, NC (SunTrust) - As part of the Sprint Sound and
Speed Presented by SunTrust – A Motorsports and
Music Celebration finale, country duo
Montgomery Gentry will perform at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center Saturday, January 14, 2006, it was announced today. Also on the concert bill are GRAMMY-winning country star
LeAnn Rimes and hot newcomer Keith Anderson.
Sound and Speed will unite country music's top performers with NASCAR's top drivers for a two-day festival in Nashville, January 13 and 14. Proceeds from the inaugural event will benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum charities. In addition to interactive fan attractions and driver and artist autograph sessions, event highlights will include the display of the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Series and Grand-Am cars, an exhibit of vintage cars, historic artifacts from racing and country music legends, an auction of music and racing memorabilia, interviews with both current and legendary stars of NASCAR and country music, performances by country music up and comers and the closing concert event. Events will take place at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in downtown Nashville as well as at the neighboring Country Music Hall of Fame. Special events are also planned by the Grand Ole Opry – ! including a free Friday night music event at the Country Music Hall of Fame – as well as an Opry* performance from the stage of its wintertime home downtown, the historically cool Ryman Auditorium (*separate ticket required for Opry performance).
For an up-to-date list of NASCAR drivers and country stars currently scheduled to participate in the many events at Sound and Speed, log on to www.soundandspeed2006.com.
Honorary co-chairs for this inaugural event are Kyle Petty and Vince Gill. Country Weekly magazine and GlaxoSmithKline are also on board.
Montgomery Gentry's career accelerated into the fast lane at breathtaking speed. Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have sold several million albums, have earned fan and critical acclaim from their four releases and are currently headlining their own tour. Their soon-to-be-released greatest hits package, Something To Be Proud Of: Best of 1999-2005, contains 12 of their quintessential hits, plus one new track.
LeAnn Rimes burst onto the scene and into the history books when in l996, at the age of 13, her debut single, 'Blue,' earned her a GRAMMY award and the CMA's prestigious Horizon Award. Thirty seven million albums later she's established herself as a household name and maintained her highly-visible career with hits like 'Big Deal,' 'Nothing 'Bout Love,' and 'Probably Wouldn't Be This Way,' the latter two from her current LP, This Woman.
Rising star Keith Anderson has already proven himself as an adept songwriter, penning the Grammy-nominated 'Beer Run,' a Garth Brooks/George Jones duet and 'The Bed' for Gretchen Wilson. Now it's Anderson's turn: his debut single, 'Pickin' Wildflowers' was a Top 10 hit and his current 'XXL,' shows signs of following suit. Both are from his debut disc, Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll.
In commenting on the highly-charged line-up for Sound and Speed's concert, Kyle Petty said, 'The finale concert is going to be incredible for the fans. The event continues to attract the best talent in country music and I can't thank Montgomery Gentry, LeAnn and Keith enough for their support.'
Tickets are $20 for the Sound and Speed festival and $30 for the concert finale and available through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com) or on the Sound and Speed web site, www.soundandspeed2006.com. Children under 6 are free. Tickets to each event include a 12-month complimentary subscription to Country Weekly magazine.
