Hazel Smith is a storyteller - she has thousands of them. That's because she witnessed so many, played a role in so many...and ultimately chronicled and shared so many. Hazel is one of Music Row's "Storytellers," a journalist who has been a constant force and source in country music as long as many can remember. That is why she's being honored as the initial subject of Music Row Storytellers.
Music Row Storytellers is a special event series designed to honor those that stand the test of time in telling the stories that make the music industry so fascinating - the journalists, interviewers, reporters, show hosts and others who chronicle and share the stories of Music Row and its musicmakers. The first annual event will be held on Monday, August 15 at Well Placed Smile (907 Gleaves St., Nashville, TN 37203). A 6:00pm cocktail reception will be followed by a 6:30pm program honoring Smith and benefiting Music Health Alliance. The evening will be filled with smiles, laughter and stories from Hazel and surprise guests who've been part of her career. Tickets are available for purchase at
Event Brite for $100.00. A limited amount of reserved seating is available for $110.00 each via
the same link.
Hazel Smith moved to Nashville in the late '60s; the divorced mother of two would go on to be a songwriter, publicist, manager and - in what was probably her most durable role - journalist. Her ability to capture and translate a story are a tribute to her no-nonsense questioning, to the respect she's earned from artists and industry leaders alike...and to her astute sense of observation, which was never more evident than when she coined the phrase "Outlaw Music" in the 1970s to describe the sound that she was hearing from then-clients Kinky Friedman, Tompall Glaser, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Hazel would go on to tell many more of Music Row's stories as a writer for Country Music magazine, a radio reporter, and a regular columnist for CMT.com. She's seen it all...and lived a lot of it, too.
Music Row Storytellers benefits
Music Health Alliance, a non-profit organization providing the music industry with free services, including healthcare advocacy, resources and confidential guidance. Since its launch in 2013, Music Health Alliance has helped more than 4,100 music industry professionals and their families, and secured over $10.8 million in health care cost reductions as part of that effort. Their goal is to create a safe and confidential place for the music community to gain the very best healthcare and health insurance solutions through defined and transparent advocacy services with an emphasis on the prevention of illness and overall wellness.
The Music Row Storytellers organizing committee is a group of music industry professionals dedicated to celebrating the leaders, influencers and storytellers that "came before," while providing awareness and financial contribution to a music industry related non-profit organization.
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