The Boot News Roundup: A Merle Haggard Museum Will Open in Nashville + More
Welcome to The Boot's News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.
A museum dedicated to the legacy of the late, great Merle Haggard is set to open in Nashville. The Merle Haggard Museum, a press release reports, will feature performance costumes, musical instruments and personal items curated by the artist's family. In addition to the museum, a restaurant called Merle's Meat + Three Saloon will open in the adjacent building, on Third Avenue South in Nashville. An opening date has not yet been announced.
In December, Rory Feek will return to the stage for a series of six Christmas concerts, set to be held at his family farm in Tennessee. The concerts will take place Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 12-15, and fans can order tickets via Feek's This Life I Live blog. Feek performed live for the first time without his late wife Joey Feek (who died after an extensive battle with cervical cancer in 2016) in September.
Hunter Hayes, Brett Young, Lindsay Ell and more are set to perform at this year's Christmas 4 Kids concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Proceeds from the show will benefit Christmas 4 Kids, a Tennessee-based organization that provides a little Christmas magic (complete with visits from Santa and a holiday shopping spree) for more than 400 schoolchildren every year. Tickets for the Nov. 20 show start at $38.50, and can be purchased at Ryman.com.
SESAC, the country's only music rights organization, will present country icon Kenny Rogers with the 2017 SESAC Legacy Award on Nov. 5, at their Nashville awards event. The prize recognizes Rogers' extensive contributions to pop and country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. “Kenny is undeniably in a league of his own," says SESAC chairman and CEO John Josephson. "He’s made immeasurable contributions to the world of entertainment, and paved the way for countless songwriters and artists. For that, we are grateful.”
Later this month, Cole Swindell will release the fourth installment of his Down Home Sessions EP collection. Titled Down Home Sessions IV, the project will feature some of Swindell's most beloved tracks that haven't yet ended up on an album. It's good news for Swindell's fans, as earlier this year, the singer said that he may not have enough time to continue the series, citing his busy schedule. Down Home Sessions IV is set for release on Nov. 24, and Swindell plans to announce tour dates in support of the EP in the coming weeks.