National Museum of African-American Music Ground-Breaking in Nashville to Honor Patti LaBelle, Kirk Franklin at 2017 Legends Luncheon

Gail Mitchell
·1 min read
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In advance of its fourth annual Legends Luncheon on June 1, the National Museum of African-American Music (NMAAM) will break ground for its long-anticipated formal residence at Fifth Avenue and Broadway in Nashville. The April 18 ceremony will take place at Bridgestone Pavilion, followed by a private reception. NMAAM is expected to be completed by first quarter 2020.

“The National Museum of African American Music is the story of the American soundtrack; one that fits perfectly into the narrative of Nashville’s Music City brand,” NMAAM president/CEO H. Beecher Hicks III tells Billboard. “We’re proud to be entrusted to tell a story so important to the fabric of our country. As Bruno Mars recently said [in an interview with Latina magazine], ‘Black music is what gives America its swag.’  We look forward to celebrating the more than 50 genres of music created, influenced or inspired by African Americans.”

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NMAAM’s 2017 Legends Luncheon will honor artists Patti LaBelle and Kirk Franklin, artist/producer Teddy Riley and songwriter/producer David Porter on June 1 at Nashville’s City Winery. A component of the museum’s ongoing “My Music Matters” campaign, the luncheon benefits NMAAM’s educational programs. This year’s hosts are event co-chairs Catherine Brewton, VP, writer/publisher relations at BMI, and Phil Thornton, senior VP/GM at RCA Inspiration.

For more information about NMAAM and tickets to the Legends Luncheon, please visit NMAAM.org.

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