Essence’s annual festival is one of many highly anticipated gatherings, with fans spanning coast to …
On July 18th, the Texas Chapter of The Recording Academy held its 25th anniversary gala at Austin City Limits in downtown Austin. The star-studded affair featured appearances and performances by GRAMMY award-winners Yolanda Adams (current President for the Texas Chapter of The Recording Academy), Asleep at the Wheel, Los TexManiacs, and Little Joe Hernandez, along with GRAMMY-nominated artists Bun B, Marcia Ball, Paul Wall, Brian Courtney Wilson, Midland and Hanson.
The gala marked one of the biggest celebrations yet for the Texas Chapter as some of the largest names in music gathered to raise money for MusiCares — a non-profit organization providing a “safety net of critical assistance” for musicians in need.
“I’ve seen it…I’ve been a part of the miracle of MusiCares,” noted acclaimed musician Bruce Springsteen in a tribute video played at the gala. In 2018, $6.5 million dollars was donated to the MusiCares organization, with even higher funding expected for many years to come.
“It [is] worth it to bear the heat tonight because we’re commemorating 25 years of the Recording Academy’s service here in the Texas area,” said GRAMMY-nominated gospel recording artist Brian Courtney Wilson. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate the musicians, the artists, and the people that have contributed to music here in Texas while we raise money for a great cause.”
Channeling music for a purpose, the evening’s spirit was ignited by electric performances spanning diverse genres. From country to blues to gospel, rap and more — no category was left unturned to entertain and ultimately inspire a room full of music enthusiasts. The celebratory evening culminated with a highly anticipated tribute to Houston’s footprint in the rap industry by artists Paul Wall, Bun B and Slim Thug.
“Everything is bigger and better in Texas,” rapper Paul Wall and former President of the Texas Chapter for the Recording Academy exclaimed — just hours before his performance. “It doesn’t matter what part of Texas I’m in…I feel like I need to represent and it’s where I need to be.”
View our full photo album from the 25th Anniversary Gala here. Photo credit: Cameron Pate for Urban Cloud 3
Leah Frazier
Editor In Chief
