Tennessee Tourism Honors 50th Anniversary Of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

By Timothy Yap Jun 14, 2016 05:13 AM EDT

In Celebration of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 50th anniversary, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development honored bandmates Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden, Bob Carpenter and John McEuen with special commemorative art pieces that included official Tennessee Ambassador of Goodwill certificates signed by Gov. Bill Haslam. The special presentation took place at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest, just prior to the band's debut performance at the stadium. Brian Wagner, assistant commissioner of marketing, Department of Tourist Development, made the presentation to each member of the world-renowned group.

"We are incredibly proud of the impact that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has had on the musical heritage of Tennessee," said Wagner. "Our brand message notes The Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee. Over the past fifty years, the works created by these musicians, in collaboration with legendary country music artists, have served as a touchstone for so many new fans to the genre not just in the United States, but around the world."

Matted and framed along with the certificates signed by Gov. Bill Haslam was a custom-designed piece of artwork. Text creating a circle border to the design read, "The Unbroken Circle. Part of the Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee. June 11, 2016." Incorporated into the center of the design was the band's 50th anniversary logo which states, "Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: 50 Years of Dirt."

This is not the first acknowledgement Tennessee Tourism has shown for the group, as the department recently supported the group's star-studded televised PBS Pledge Special, a project that has reached more than 267 million viewers across the country. The show, filmed at the historic Ryman Auditorium, features guest artists including John Prine, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alison Krauss, Rodney Crowell, Byron House, and Jerry Douglas as well as former members, Jimmy Ibbotson (long-time member for decades) and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and early NGDB member Jackson Browne.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has a full slate of dates commemorating the 50th milestone to run through the end of 2017, with many additional dates to be announced. Plans are extensive with select shows featuring special guests as well as many new exciting show elements.

For more information, visit nittygritty.com or follow them onFacebook, Twitter and YouTube.

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND ON TOUR:
June 16 - Stafford Centre Performing Arts - Stafford, Texas
June 17 - Grand Casino Events Center - Shawnee, Okla.
June 18 - Southwind Casino - Braman, Okla.
June 22 - The Mountain Winery - Saratoga, Calif.
June 23 - Del Mar Fairgrounds - Paddock - Del Mar, Calif.
June 30 - Royal Gorge Bridge & Park - Canon City, Colo.
July 01 - Vilar Performing Arts Center - Beaver Creek, Colo.
July 02 - Fir Amphitheater - La Veta Pas - Alamosa, Colo.
July 03 - Fir Amphitheater - Alamosa, Colo.
July 07 - Country Concert at Hickory Hill - Fort Loramie, Ohio
July 08 - Hodag Festival - Rhinelander, Wis.
July 09 - Minnesota Zoo - Apple Valley, Minn.
July 15 - Shenandoah Valley Music Festival - Orkney Springs, Virg.
July 16 - Bob Evans Farm Festival - Bidwell, Ohio
July 17 - Jamboree In The Hills - Morristown, Ohio
July 23 - Surf Ballroom - Clear Lake, Iowa
July 24 - Ravinia Festival - Highland Park, Ill.
July 28 - Door Community Auditorium - Fish Creek, Wisc.
July 29 - Vadalabene Center - Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, Ill.
July 30 - Wayne County Fair - Wayne, Neb.
Aug 05 - Manitoulin Country Fest - Little Current, Canada
Aug 06 - Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua - Bayfield, Wisc.
Aug 07 - Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua - Bayfield, Wisc.
Aug 12 - Festival at Sandpoint - Sandpoint, Idaho
Aug 13 - Crook County Fair - Prineville, Ore.
Aug 26 - Detroit Mountain Recreational - Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Aug 27 - Seven Clans Casino - Red Lake - Puposky, Minn.
Sept 02 - Honeywell Center - Wabash, Ind.
Sept 04 - Central Wisconsin State Fair - Marshfield, Wisc.
Sept 09 - The Strand Theatre - Shreveport, La.
Sept 11 - Silver Dollar City - Branson, Mo.
Sept 15 - Britt Pavilion - Jacksonville, Ore.
Sept 16 - Sonoma State University - The Green Music Center - Rohnert Park, Ca.
Sept 22 - Reynolds Performance Hall - Conway, Ark.
Sept 23 - Halloran Centre for Performing Arts - Memphis, Tenn.
Oct 01 - Anderson Music Hall - Hiawassee, Ga.
Oct 04 - Schermerhorn Symphony Center - Nashville, Tenn.
Oct 06 - Oxford Performing Arts Center - Oxford, Ala.
Oct 22 - The Majestic Theatre - Dallas, Tex.
Nov 13 - MotorCity Casino Hotel - Detroit, Mich.