By Aila Boyd
Although it seemed as though Nashville Night in Buchanan was all but sure to happen a week ago, it has been announced that the event has been canceled for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the event had moved forward as planned, it would have been the 10th time Matthew Ramsey had returned to his hometown to hold a concert for the benefit of the community.
“I have frustrating news. After a lot of contemplation and discussion, I have decided to cancel this year’s Nashville Night in Buchanan. This benefit has meant so much to me and others over the years. It really is the highlight of the year for me. However, as the date draws near and COVID cases continue to rise, it has begun to feel that a show created to help the community I love could potentially put those very people at risk,” Ramsey said. “So, we will wait. My thanks to all of the lovely people who graciously donated their time and energy to this cause this year and in years past. We will gather again, when the time is right, for another beautiful night of music and laughter in the name of community service.”
The event was planned to take place at James River High School on September 19 at 7 p.m.
The lineup for the event was to include Ramsey, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Trevor Rosen and Matt Jenkins. All five performed at the most recent Nashville Night in 2019.
McAnally is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, including on songs like “Rainbow” and “Space Cowboy.” In 2014, he was named Songwriter of the Year by The Academy of Country Music. He currently appears on the NBC songwriting competition show “Songland.”
Osborne is known for a string of No. 1 country music hits. “Merry Go ‘Round,” which was he co-wrote with Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves, received a Grammy Award for Best Country Song of the Year. Another of the songs he co-wrote, “Body Like a Back Road,” was recorded by Sam Hunt. It held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart for 34 weeks.
Rosen is a member of Old Dominion alongside Ramsey. He has written songs for Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Dierks Bently and The Band Perry.
Jenkins started off as a recording artist, but now writes songs for other artists, including Blake Shelton, Old Dominion, Kenny Chesney and Florida Georgia Line.
The event was first started by Ramsey as a way to raise money for the Buchanan Area Ministerial Association’s Food Pantry.
All proceeds of Nashville Night in Buchanan now goes to The Ramsey Foundation (https://theramseyfoundation.com). The foundation was created by Matthew Ramsey to provide resources to organizations in rural communities, to help meet daily life needs as well as the enrichment of cultural arts. Last year, the foundation gave $50,000 to James River High School to enhance the music, art, and literature programs.