Over 35 artists of different genres will come together to tribute the Grammy-winning Christian artist at an event dubbed 35 Years of Friends: Celebrating The Music of Michael W. Smith. Promoted by Outback Concerts and produced by Tony Conway of Conway Entertainment Group, the concert will take place April 30, 2019 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and will feature performances that will include many of Smith’s 35 No. 1 singles. In addition, 2018 marks the 35th Anniversary of Smith’s Top 10 single “FRIENDS,” which helped introduce his music to both secular and non-secular audiences.
Artists tapped to perform at the tribute include: Amy Grant, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, Wynonna, Bob Goff, Brian Littrell from the the Backstreet Boys, CeCe Winans, The Oak Ridge Boys, MercyMe, Chonda Pierce, Danny Gokey, Donnie McClurkin, Francesca Battistelli, The Gatlin Brothers, The Isaacs, Jars of Clay, Jason Crabb, Jim Brickman, Jordan Smith, Jordin Sparks, Justin Flom, Laura Story, Lee Greenwood, Mac Powell, Matt Maher, Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Newsboys, Phillips, Craig and Dean, Russ Taff, Sandi Patty, Scott Hamilton, Vince Gill, Wayne Kirkpatrick and the Original MWS Band, and more are to be announced soon.
“Michael is a Christian music icon and we can think of no better way to celebrate him than with this star-studded lineup we have put together,” said Outback Concerts’ Morgan Carney. “It’s going to be an event not to be missed, and will be a fantastic celebration of one of the greats.”
“I’ve had the privilege of working with Michael for over thirty years,” said John Huie, Head of Music at CAA in Nashville. “I’ve seen his music impact people from all walks of life – from Presidents to pedestrians. This celebration of his contributions to music and the impact of the song ‘FRIENDS’ will be very special. It’s been fun watching it come together as so many artists from all genres are anxious to celebrate Michael and his music. An event like this is a first for a Christian artist – and it’s going to be great!”
“Putting a tribute event together can be a tremendous amount of work, unless you are doing a tribute to Christian superstar Michael W. Smith,” said Tony Conway of Conway Entertainment Group/Ontourage. “I have been a fan and follower of his music and mission in life since he started performing. Every single artist that his manager Chaz and I talked with said yes right away. It is an honor to work alongside Michael, Chaz and the promoter, Mike Smardak of Outback Concerts. One thing we can all promise, and that is this will be a very special, one night only concert, with lots of surprises and magical collaborations.”
Tickets go on sale at 10 am (CT) Friday, December 14 at all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena.
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LB Rogers is Project Manager at MusicRow magazine. She heads up specific, large-scale projects for the company and assists in day-to-day tasks. LB also manages the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart and contributes editorial for both the print and online platforms. She joined MusicRow full time in January of 2019, after interning and working part time for the company for a year. She is from Blairsville, Georgia and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Music Business degree in 2018.View Author Profile
