NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 24, 2009 – Christian and Gospel music’s premier artists will gather in Nashville on Monday, Oct. 12 to unite in support of the Gospel Music Association with an exclusive dinner concert at Nashville’s famed Loveless Café. Five-time Dove Award Producer of the Year Brown Bannister will produce the spectacular evening of entertainment, which will include performances from Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Natalie Grant, Kirk Franklin, Point of Grace, Fisk Jubilee Singers and The Booth Brothers. Bannister and the artists have all donated their time and expenses to support the GMA.

The Gospel Music Association (GMA) announced today the opportunity for the public to buy tickets to attend this once-in-a-lifetime strolling dinner and show to help the organization which has championed Christian music for more than 45 years. The $1,000 ticket price covers costs to produce the event and a significant tax-deductible donation to the GMA.*

“It’s an honor to join Casting Crowns, Amy, Kirk, MercyMe, and all of the other artists on this lineup, in support of the GMA,” shares industry leader and award winning artist, Michael W. Smith. “This organization has been an incredible support to so many of us as we’ve built our ministries and careers, and we want to do all we can to help ensure a solid platform from which it can operate.”

Tickets are available by calling the GMA office at 615.242.0303, ext. 238. The dinner and show will be from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12 at the Loveless Barn, the new intimate performance venue added to the Loveless Café restaurant on Highway 100 in Nashville.

According to Ed Leonard, chairman of the GMA Board of Directors (and president of Daywind Music), these incredible artists responded immediately to support the “Save the GMA” event created in response to financial needs the GMA has, in part due to the economic recession.

“In a time of restricted sponsorship dollar availability and financial hardships faced by many in our community, the GMA has continued to be there for all of us, offering first class events, tackling important legislative issues and promoting the genre to the world through the Dove Awards. The organization faces financial obstacles that require all of our help to overcome. This dinner concert is a way to not only ensure the viability of GMA in the future, but to have the concert experience of a lifetime,” Leonard said.

Leonard stressed that the special event is intended to do more than just “save the GMA” and that the Board of Directors is committed to building a GMA that is relevant for the future.” “We all believe in the power of Christian and Gospel music to change lives,” he said. “The GMA allows us to join together, setting aside personal agendas, to accomplish things we cannot accomplish separately, to ultimately extend the reach of the good news of the Gospel through music of all styles. That is a mission worth pursuing.”

*The ticket price of $1,000 is reduced by $75.00 per ticket for a net charitable contribution of $925.00 per ticket to the GMA Foundation, a 501©3 corporation, Federal ID 62-0783972.


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