Sixth Annual All For The Hall Becomes Merle Haggard Salute

Vince Gill and Keith Urban. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

If Merlefest weren’t already the name of a festival honoring guitarist Merle Watson, it could have been a fitting nickname for the musical extravaganza that was last night’s (April 12) All For The Hall concert, hosted by Keith Urban and Vince Gill. The event, now in its sixth year, instantly became a tribute to the late legendary Merle Haggard, who passed away on April 6, his 79th birthday.

Urban launched the event with two of his own hits, “Somewhere In My Car” and “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” before crediting Gill with being the genesis of All For The Hall.

“I would never do this event with out him,” said Urban. “I think this night is an excuse to shred and play guitar.”

All for The Hall. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

Gill, who was celebrating his 59th birthday, took the stage and acknowledged the death of Haggard before performing “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down” and “The Fightin’ Side Of Me.”

“Last Wednesday morning, I was out on the road and I woke up the news that my greatest hero had passed away,” said Gill. “What an amazing thing that he passed on his birthday. I want more than anything to honor the greatest inspiration I’ve ever had in my life.”

This year’s event supports the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s education programs. Nearly halfway into the show, students from Nashville’s McGavock High School took the stage with songwriter/artists Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr to perform a song they all co-wrote, as part of the museum’s education program Words & Music. The songwriting program has helped 100,000 students learn to write song lyrics by teaming with some of Nashville’s top songwriters.

Vince Gill and Maren Morris. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

Though country music is still the backbone of the event, this year’s lineup also included Americana singer-songwriter (and Grammy winner) Jason Isbell and wife Amanda Shires, as well as ace guitarist and entertainer Peter Frampton, who performed the Buddy Holly classic “Peggy Sue,” followed by his own “Do You Feel Like We Do.”

Peter Frampton. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

Newcomers also made an indelible impression on the crowd, and notably, primarily relied on cover tunes of actual country songs in their sets, rather than following the trend of pop and rock songs set in recent years.

Chris Janson, a longtime fixture on Nashville’s music scene, worked the stage like a veteran. His frenetic onstage energy and top-shelf harmonica skills, along with his catchy hit “Buy Me A Boat,” enlivened the crowd. He followed with a rendition of Waylon Jennings’ “Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This” (the song was penned and recorded by Rodney Crowell, and later by Emmylou Harris).

“Entertainer of the Year!” Gill shouted after Janson’s set.

Chris Janson performs, accompanied by Keith Urban. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

Keith Urban’s future tourmate Maren Morris offered a slowed down, swampy version of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” followed by her own hit song, “My Church.”

Maddie & Tae proved they can handle traditional country just fine, with their spot on rendition of Lee Ann Womack’s “Never Again, Again,” followed by the tongue-in-cheek bro-country kiss-off, “Girl In A Country Song.”

Also on the bill were Emmylou Harris, Tracy Lawrence, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, and Sam Hunt, who turned the entire Bridgestone Arena into his own “House Party,” before paying his own tribute to The Hag with “The Way I Am.”

Vince Gill, Sam Hunt and Keith Urban performs. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

“The other night I was missing being able to go home and go fishing, or go turkey hunting, or go see my folks back in Georgia, and I started playing some old country songs. I started playing this old Merle Haggard song,” recalled Hunt. “The next day I had a co-write in town so I called up my manager and said, ‘Call up Jerry and see if maybe we can do ‘The Way I Am’ next week at the All For The Hall Show, and I walked into my co-write and I’m in there about an hour and a half, and my buddy Luke’s at his computer screen and out of the blue, he says, ‘Oh My Gosh…Merle Haggard just passed away.’ It sent chills up my spine and it gave me this real eerie feeling. I hadn’t even thought about Merle or that song until the night before. It was a sad day for country music, but it made me realize how grateful I am to be able to do what I’m doing, and how grateful I am for Merle Haggard and for these boys on stage behind me and all the people who have come before me in country music who have paved this road that I’m on.”

Luke Bryan, backed by Vine Gill and Keith Urban. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

Bryan offered his slow burn, romantic “Strip It Down,” before turning his back to crowd, in order to watch Keith Urban and Vince Gill performing background guitar and vocals. “If Keith Urban and Vince Gill are playing with me, I’m going to watch this happen!” said Bryan, which sparked a few jokes from Urban, saying that the crowd likely wouldn’t mind the view.

Bryan offered his own tribute to Haggard with “Big City,” before a rendition of his own (appropriate) “I Don’t Want This Night To End.”

Pictured (L-R): Keith Urban, Chris Janson, Florida Georgia Line. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

Florida Georgia Line turned in a respectable version of Alabama’s “I’m In A Hurry,” before offering “the song that changed our lives,” their breakout hit “Cruise.”

As the evening drew to a close, Urban announced that this year’s All For The Hall was its biggest year yet, bringing in nearly $750,000, and bringing the event’s six-year total to more than $3.5 million.

As photos of Haggard scrolled on the giant video screens, Urban and Gill performed “Sing Me Back Home,” followed by an all-star tribute to the Hag as many of the evening’s performers returned to the stage for “Mama Tried.”