Nashville’s Big Bash Partners with Metro Schools’ HERO Program to Benefit Students Experiencing Homelessness

Live Show Features Superstars Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

NASHVILLEJack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash will partner with the HERO (Homeless Education Resource Office) Program of Metro Nashville Public Schools to support students and their families who are experiencing homelessness, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced today.

  • Through the partnership, Big Bash sponsor Crav’n Flavor will replenish the HERO food pantry for the month of January from scratch. The food pantry empties in December to ensure families are well-supported throughout the holiday season.
  • Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola Consolidated, and Carl Black Chevrolet will support HERO families by supporting the transportation fund over the next 12 months so that families can access community resources and navigate the work of obtaining stable housing.
  • The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp through its Music City Inc. foundation will contribute $1 from each official Big Bash event t-shirt and other NCVC merchandise to HERO.

“Supporting the HERO Program with one of Music City’s most vibrant nights ensures we will start off the new year with a focus on serving some of Nashville’s most vulnerable residents,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “This initiative is instrumental in helping thousands of Nashville children sustain academic success even as they experience housing uncertainty. The food pantry is a critical partner in that endeavor because we know that nutrition is such an important part of educational wellbeing.”

The HERO Program for Families in Transition helps nearly 4,000 students each year with educationally focused services intended to keep students in school and thriving during a period of uncertainty.

“Nashville’s New Year’s Eve has always been about giving local residents a world-class celebration right in their backyard while also contributing to the city’s economic vitality. This year we hope to make a lasting impact on our community by collaborating with the HERO Program,” said Deana Ivey, President and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “The NCVC is proud to have played a pivotal role in connecting our sponsors, Crav’n Flavor, Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola Consolidated and Carl Black Chevrolet, in championing HERO. By supporting at-risk students experiencing homelessness, we are committed to making Big Bash a celebration of unity, compassion and hope for all Nashvillians.”

The HERO Program supports MNPS students who fit a broad definition of homelessness, including those who are doubled-up with friends or relatives, staying temporarily in hotels and living in family shelter programs. The HERO staff serves as a team of reliable and dependable resource connectors among schools, students and community partners while bridging immediate gaps for students by providing necessities such as school clothing, shoes, school supplies, hygiene items and access to an in-house food pantry. Donations to the HERO Family Fund can be made at BigBashHERO.

The live show for Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park will feature GRAMMY Award-nominated Thomas Rhett, reigning CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Lainey Wilson and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd as headliners. The concert is free and open to the public. The five-hour CBS special will air live on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 6:30 pm CT on the CBS Television Network, Paramount + (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).

This will be the 15th annual concert and seventh year at Bicentennial Park. The event will include the famed red Music Note, which will be dropped on a 138-foot tower at midnight to ring in the new year. As a live event, the Big Bash generates as much as $38 million in direct visitor spending and attendance of 200,000, with more than half being local residents.

As a TV special, NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE: NASHVILLE’S BIG BASH is executive produced by Robert Deaton and Mary Hilliard Harrington in partnership with Music City Inc., the foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. The special will be directed by Sandra Restrepo. The annual event is returning to CBS in a new multi-year deal.

The Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash live event is presented by Jack Daniel’s. Partners include Advance Financial, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Crav’n Flavor, Dr Pepper Zero, Ferguson HVAC, Korbel California Champagne, Nashville Farmers’ Market, Stella Artois, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, and Tennessee State Parks.

Keep up with new details: visitmusiccity.com/newyearseve. #NashvilleNYE

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Thomas Rhett

Ten years after signing his record deal with Big Machine Label Group’s The Valory Music Co., arena-packing superstar Thomas Rhett has 21 No. 1 singles, 15 billion streams and the longest current active streak of consecutive No. 1’s in the format (Mediabase/Country Aircheck Chart). His most recent sixth studio album, WHERE WE STARTED “practically demands an open field, tens-of-thousands-strong throng of fans in front of it” (Esquire). Declared “a prince in the genre” (USA Today), he has been honored with eight ACM Awards including Entertainer of the Year, two CMA Awards, five GRAMMY® Awards nominations, plus trophies from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Awards and iHeartRadio Awards, in addition to being recognized with four CMA Triple Play awards for penning three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period. The hitmaker has also launched a tequila brand, Dos Primos, now offering Blanco, Reposado and Añejo variants. ThomasRhett.com

Lainey Wilson

As the leading female nominee and winner at the 2023 ACM Awards with Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of The Year, Visual Media and Musical Event of the Year and reigning CMA 2022 Female Vocalist and New Artist of the Year, Lainey Wilson has earned the enthusiasm of the industry. Critically acclaimed and touted as a top “artist to watch” to being crowned the most nominated artist at both the 2023 CMA Awards with a record-breaking nine nominations and CMT Music Awards, the Louisiana native has made a name for herself in the industry as one of music’s hottest and most buzzed-about new artists. Landing her first No. 1 with her PLATINUM Certified ACM Song of the Year, “Things A Man Oughta Know,” nearly 10 years to the day after leaving her small farming community in a camper trailer to chase her dreams, she has won over legions of fans with her signature Bell Bottom Country sound and aesthetic, which blends traditional Country with a modern yet retro flare. A prolific and sought-after songwriter - having co-writer credits on songs by artists including Luke Combs and Flatland Calvary - Lainey is a fresh, fierce voice in Nashville, delivering CMA-nominated album of the year with her label debut, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin.’ With a rockstar stage presence, her artistry has taken her across the globe, performing for sold-out crowds throughout the United States, UK and Germany with notable names like Jon Pardi, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Jason Aldean and Ashley McBryde. After topping the country radio charts for a second time with the two-week No. 1 hit, “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell, she recently achieved her third and fourth No. 1 song with “Heart Like a Truck” and HARDY collaboration “wait in the truck.” Her current single “Watermelon Moonshine” is currently in the top 2 on the Country charts and climbing. Her critically acclaimed album, Bell Bottom Country, reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart, quickly rose to No. 1 on iTunes charts and has amassed over 650 million streams to date. Wilson made her acting debut in Season 5 of the smash hit series “Yellowstone” as a musician character named Abby, where she premiered her original “Smell Like Smoke” as well as showcased other hits off her recent album, including “Watermelon Moonshine” and “Hold My Halo.” Adding to her growing list of endeavors, Wilson was recently named “Tractor Supply Brand Ambassador,” was honored at Billboard’s Women in Music Awards with the Rulebreaker Award, and most recently joined forces with Wrangler as the face of their 2023 fall/winter women’s collection. laineywilson.com

Lynyrd Skynyrd

As Lynyrd Skynyrd approaches the 50th anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd in 2023, they resonate as deeply with their multi-generational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973. Few ensembles have had the deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all who have had a resonating contribution to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally. Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, Leon Wilkeson and Hughie Thomasson alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s colorful history. Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle. The rock and roll powerhouse continually tours, and as Van Zant shares, “It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music. “With a catalog of over 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remain a cultural icon that appeals to all generations. lynyrdskynyrd.com

The Nashville Farmers’ Market

The Nashville Farmers’ Market was founded in the early 1800s and is located in the urban core of downtown Nashville adjacent to the Tennessee State Museum and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. The year-round market, featured in The New York Times, Southern Living and Food Network, provides retail space to farmers, artisans and small businesses. The facility includes two covered open-air sheds, a 24,000 square-foot garden center, a culinary incubation center and international food hall that includes more than 20 restaurants and shops. The mission of Nashville Farmers’ Market is to curate an inclusive destination marketplace that fosters a connection between the community and the farmers, foods, and artisans who contribute to the region’s food system. nashvillefarmersmarket.org

The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City

The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.com and follow us on social media @VisitMusicCity.

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