THURSDAY, JUNE 23 7:30 PM
Nashville Live at The Sheldon: Erin Enderlin and Ray Stephenson
Co-presented with Stellar Gigs
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The Sheldon and Stellar Gigs are pleased to present “Nashville Live at The Sheldon,” featuring Erin Enderlin and Ray Stephenson. Formerly “Nashville Live in Grand Center,” the series has presented numerous artists in intimate venues throughout the Grand Center Arts District, recreating the unique up-close and personal musical experiences found in the small venues of Nashville, where contemporary country stars hone their craft as they strive to make it in the business.
She has a way of turning a song or even just a thought into an outstretched hand to the lonely or ashamed. In everything she does, Erin Enderlin sings like the heir to Patsy or Tammy, then writes like Eudora Welty decided to pick up country music. Over the last two years, more people––some with big microphones––have noticed. The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum included Enderlin in their annual American Currents exhibit. Rosanne Cash included Enderlin in the year-end 2020 playlist she curated for Oxford American, and then the Grand Ole Opry invited Enderlin to perform on their broadcast Christmas Day, marking her 12th time on the program. Other highlights included a spot on CMT’s Make It Country and four more trophies––Country Artist, Songwriter, Song, and Album of the Year––at the 2020 Arkansas Country Music Awards. Next up, Enderlin opened the 2021 CMT Next Women of Country Tour headlined by Tanya Tucker. Enderlin remains a go-to writer for stars and legends as well. Her catalog includes Alan Jackson’s “Monday Morning Church,” Lee Ann Womack’s “Last Call,” Luke Bryan’s “You Don’t Know Jack,” and a host of other songs for Randy Travis, Joey+Rory, Reba McEntire, Terri Clark, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, and more.
It is a rare creative soul who can work at the highest artistic levels in two distinct disciplines. Ray Stephenson has just this kind of soul. Wildly literate, utterly artistic, impossibly ambitious, absolutely a slave to his art, the South Georgian is completely committed to the truth. He is a world class songwriter, recording artist, an intensely captivating live singer, guitar player, record producer & virtuoso painter. Add in the ability to express the uniquely personal in a universal way, and you have a true artist. Ray Stephenson does exactly that in his paintings, his songwriting & his performances.
As a musician, Ray Stephenson is a Grammy Award winning, Platinum selling singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. His successes include winning CCMA Songwriter of the Year in 2013, writing the title track of Kenny Chesney’s album Hemingway’s Whiskey, and writing the Blake Shelton/Miranda Lambert duo and album title track, “Red River Blue”. Both reached #1 on the Billboard Album Charts and were certified Platinum. Some of the most revered and iconic legends in Country Music have recorded his music, including Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Merle Haggard. He’s been a part of 4 Grammy nominated projects and 1 Grammy winning project (Guy Clark’s final recording, My Favorite Picture Of You, which brought home the Grammy “Best Folk Album” in 2015).