Gary Allan and Luke Bryan Among Artists Confirmed for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s 14th Annual Nashville Best Cellars Dinner
Gary Allan, Luke Bryan, Jonathan Cain, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant and Dustin Lynch will be in attendance at the 14th Annual Nashville Best Cellars Dinner on Monday, April 29th at the Bridge Building in Nashville. This exclusive wine and food celebration benefits the T.J. Martell Foundation and its funding of life-saving cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Labs at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
The event pairs “Best Sellers” (popular chart-topping artists including this year’s Academy of Country Music “Entertainer of the Year” and “Album of the Year” winners) with “Best Cellars” (some of the top wine collectors in the United States) who share rare wines from their collections with guests at their tables. Since the inaugural dinner was created by Nashville wine enthusiast and music executive Billy Ray Hearn in 1999, the Best Cellars Dinner has raised more than $1.65 million to support the foundation’s mission of funding ground-breaking leukemia, cancer and AIDS research.
This year’s esteemed wine hosts include Sam and Celeste Beall, co-chair Tom Black (President, Tom Black Center for Excellence and author, The Boxcar Millionaire), Keith and Pam Browning, co-chair John Esposito (President & CEO, Warner Music Nashville) and Chantel Esposito, co-chair Bill Hearn (President, EMI Christian Group) and Elise Loehr, Billy Ray and Nancy Hearn, Clint Higham and Joe Galante, Chris Johnson and Jeff Roberts, Eliza Kraft Olander, Keith and Deby Pitts, Bill Shea and Kip and Valerie Summers.
The gourmet four-course dinner will be created by Bob Waggoner, executive chef of Watermark and Sean Brock, executive chef of McCrady’s and Husk in Charleston and Husk in Nashville. Chef Bob is a media-savvy cooking expert, winning an Emmy for his show “Off the Menu” and making appearances on CNN, CBS, The Travel Channel, and the Food Network. He is the host of two new television series “UCook! With Chef Bob” and “UTravel! With Chef Bob” debuting this Fall and in 2014. Winner of the James Beard Best Chef: Southeast award, Chef Brock was the winner of the The Next Great Chef episode of “Food Network Challenge” and appeared on “Iron Chef America.” Husk Charleston was named “Best New Restaurant in America” by Bon Appétit in 2011, and Husk Nashville will be opening here in 2013.
This intimate evening will feature world-class wines from the private collectors. Wines presented at previous dinners have included a 66 Haut Brion, 82 Pinchon Lalande, an 89 Margaux, an 82 Mouton, a 95 d’Yquem, and a 97 Montrachet. Unique to this year, attendees may now also choose to purchase separate admission to the previously invite-only Tom Black After Party held at the Bridge Building Rooftop Patio with entertainment by Warner Music Nashville artists Brett Eldredge and Charlie Worsham.
This year also features new reception sponsorship by SunTrust Bank. SunTrust Bank provides deposit, credit, trust and investment services to a broad range of individual, business and institutional clients. The Private Wealth Management Division helps families manage personal wealth and family business needs. The Music Banking Division provides financial services to music businesses, artists and songwriters – financing working capital, touring, acquisition of catalogs, and real property – along with investment advisory services for artists and music executives.
To purchase tickets and sponsorships for this event, please call Cindy Lovelace at the T.J. Martell Foundation at 615-256-2002 or log on to tjmartell.org.
