Bridgestone Arena came to life with the sound of music on Tuesday (December 5) at the 2023 All For the Hall. The eighth benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville was co-hosted by Keith Urban and Vince Gill. The theme of the night was named after Trisha Yearwood’s hit song, “The Song Remembers When,” wherein the all-star lineup of Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks & Dunn, HARDY, and more performed one of their greatest hits, alongside a song by another artist that holds special meaning to them.
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“A lot of us artists, we hear stories from you guys at meet and greets and various places where you tell us stories about how our songs have affected you and what memories you may have from some of our songs,” Urban explained of how he curated the theme. “I think sometimes you forget that we have the same kind of feelings about other people’s songs. I thought it’d be nice tonight to hear some of those stories from these artists, songs that conjure up a memory, takes them back to a certain time.”
True to Urban’s vision, each artist delivered a pair of special performances that helped raise more than $900,000 for the Hall of Fame. Check out some of the highlights below.
5. Patty Loveless Speaks Words of Affirmation
Patty Loveless is one of the best voices country music has to offer, and she demonstrated that during her set. After a gorgeous rendition of her hit, “Nothin’ but the Wheel,” Loveless heaped praise onto fellow Kentuckian Jackie DeShannon before covering her 1969 song that was later turned into a hit by Annie Lennox and Al Green, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.”
“This song just captured my heart and I have always loved lyrics that are timeless and that is with the times and lives on through all of us,” Loveless professed. “What the world needs now more than ever is love. We all got a lot of love we can put into our hearts.” She then let her smoky, smooth voice soar on a spirited cover of the song that boasts such encouraging lyrics as: Another day goes by / Still the children cry / Put a little love in your heart / If you want the world to know / We won’t let hatred grow / Put a little love in your heart.
4. Kelsea Ballerini covers Carole King
Kelsea Ballerini got a very warm welcome from the Nashville crowd as she made her way onto the stage. After performing her bubbly single, “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” Ballerini brought the energy down to earth with a cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”
“My favorite part of this dream job is being a songwriter and I feel like my favorite part of this time of year is…listening to the records that make you feel comfortable and cozy and happy,” she expressed. “A record that I grew up on that I love so dearly is Tapestry by Carole King. When I was asked to play a happy, familiar, comfy, cozy, campfire song tonight, I really wanted to play this one.” She then launched into a lovely rendition of the King classic which showed off the strength in her voice, with Gill supplying background harmonies, making for a lovely moment.
3. Brenda Lee Surprises with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
Brenda Lee brought some holiday cheer to the show with a surprise performance of her classic hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Lee came strutting onto the stage to sing the 65-year-old song, which just hit No. 1 for the first time on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023. With Urban in a red sweater and Santa hat and Gill donning a necklace of stringed Christmas lights, the 78-year-old Lee belted out the rollicking song, proving that she still has plenty of spunk. The crowd was up and dancing from start to finish, awarding Lee the first standing ovation of the night.
“She’s our history, she is to be revered and remembered,” Yearwood later raved of Lee during her set. “What this woman has done in her career is astonishing and she’s a true legend and hero. So that’s what this is all about, preserving those stories.”
2. Trisha Yearwood Honors with “The Song Remembers When”
Before Trisha Yearwood came onto the stage, she was given a glowing introduction by her longtime friend (who also sang background harmonies on her first two albums) Gill. “This might be one of the finest singers that’s ever come to this town,” he praised. She proved these words to be true with her two-song set of “The Song Remembers When” and a cover of hero Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good.”
“It’s about the power of music, and that’s why we’re here,” she said of “The Song Remembers When.” “We’re here to make sure that the Country Music Hall of Fame tells those stories forever and I’m honored to be here tonight.” The country icon captured the spirit of the evening with “The Song Remembers When,” which marked one of the best vocal performances of the show.
“The thing that I loved about doing All For the Hall is the Hall of Fame is a treasure and is where all of our stories are told forever,” she continued before a rousing rendition of the Ronstadt hit.
1. The War and Treaty Stun With “O Holy Night” & “Mr. Fun”
The War and Treaty, the husband and wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, stole the show. After Tanya stated that they were “so excited and so grateful” to be at the event, she recalled how “O Holy Night” was the first Christmas song she learned and had to sing at church when she was nine years old. But when she forgot the line, fall on your knees, she instead did exactly what the lyrics imply.
A hush fell over the room as Michael began to play piano, the couple giving the song a gospel spin. The arena wasn’t big enough to contain Tanya’s grand voice as she passionately sang every note while Michael shredded on piano. The performance showed off the range in her vocal style, coming to a chill-inducing finish as they traded harmonies, the couple earning the second standing ovation of the night.
But they weren’t done yet. “We’re here to disrupt,” Michael professed. “Keeping in the spirit of doing songs that make you remember…Everybody’s got all these beautiful, cool, and wonderful memories. We got some bad memories,” he quipped. “So we’re gonna do a bad memory song.” This led to an electrifying rendition of “Mr. Fun,” a bluesy number about a woman who did him wrong that puts their sensational voices on full display. It’s as if the couple’s voices were made for one another, trading soulful harmonies that rattled the rafters and kept the audience captivated with every word. The War and Treaty light up every stage they’re on—and this was no exception.
Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
