Gala fundraiser concert supports Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum education programs

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- "It's gonna be a good night, I feel it in my bones," Lainey Wilson told the audience gathered at All for the Hall Los Angeles right at the start of the show. "We've got a few surprises up our sleeve."

The intimate, guitar pull-style concert, presented Thursday night (Sept.18) at The Novo featured Wilson alongside Jelly Roll and Lukas Nelson taking turns and sharing songs in the classic Nashville songwriter tradition as part of a fundraiser for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's education programs. It was a night of stories, laughter and, true to Wilson's word, musical surprises.

Before the music began, the museum's CEO Kyle Young touched on the ongoing importance of the institution's mission as a place of education and study as country music continues to grow. "The artists, writers and musicians who have come before and are sure to come after us are worthy of study celebration and honor," he said.

The three performers assembled for All for the Hall Los Angeles were excellent examples of the breadth of country music in the present, each working in a distinct lane but appreciative of one another's contributions. Wilson served as the affable and gracious host, calling Jelly Roll and Nelson her "brothers in country music" and thanking them for coming. "I've got some of the best friends in the world," she said. "Every time I holler at y'all to be somewhere, y'all show up. That's a real friend."

For his part, Nelson demonstrated that he's a twin threat as a soulful singer and a masterful guitar player who performs with intensity. His performances included "Just Outside of Austin" about the place where he grew up, "Forget About Georgia" and "More Than Friends," for which Wilson hopped off her stool and swayed to the rhythm as she added harmony vocals. The pair also paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton by performing a portion of the 2013 Kenny Rogers and Parton duet "You Can't Make Old Friends."

Nelson wrapped up with a searing rendition of "Find Yourself," which he wrote while working on the music for the 2018 film "A Star Is Born." The song first appeared on his album Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and it got an immediate endorsement from the film's female lead, Lady Gaga. "She loved it so much," he said. "She sang on the actual recording of the song."

Jelly Roll was quick to show his appreciation of Nelson's talents. "You're so good, it's almost hard to like you," he quipped. His banter kept the audience laughing appreciatively throughout the night, whether he was adding playful asides about Wilson's wedding to Devlin Hodges ("That wedding was fancy. Everything was free!") or his colorful past on the wrong side of the law. The Nashville native effortlessly blended humor with the sincerity of his songs, which were inspired by the struggle, doubt and redemption that have marked his journey, performing his hits "Liar," "I Am Not Okay," "Need a Favor" and "Save Me," which featured powerful vocal accompaniment from Wilson. 

"Thank you for wearing your heart on your sleeve," Wilson said to Jelly Roll.

Wilson was brimming with down-home charm and in fine voice as she talked about her life and journey. As she introduced "4X4XU," she noted that she had married a man who goes by the nickname of "Duck."

"I thought I couldn't get any more redneck, and God's like, 'I've got jokes!'" Wilson talked about her family's history taming horses before launching into "Wildflowers and Wild Horses," and belted the high note of "Heart Like a Truck" with gusto, earning enthusiastic applause as she did it. "I have to sing that note for the rest of my life," she said. "Every time I come up on it, I'm like, 'Lord Jesus, you better be with me now!"

To cap things off, Wilson had a special guest waiting in the wings and brought out John Mayer to the audience's delight. The pair gave the debut live performance of their recently recorded collaboration "Phone, Keys, Wallet," with Mayer adding harmonies and his fluid electric guitar licks. Wilson recalled recording the song and thinking out loud that she wanted Mayer to be a part of it. They managed to catch him in a Los Angeles studio and played the track over a tinny cellphone speaker, but it was more than enough to get him on board. "I said, 'Let's go,'" Mayer recalled.

The spirit of being game and loving the music shone through with each artist's selections throughout the evening, which Wilson described as a nourishing experience. "My heart is so full," Wilson said. "If y'all keep having me, I'll keep being here."

All for the Hall Los Angeles also featured a performance from the museum's flagship education program, Words & Music, which instructs young people on the craft of writing songs. Students from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles took the stage with acclaimed country songwriters Liz Rose and Phil Barton to perform an original song created through Words & Music, "I'll Overcome," that offered a message of strength and resilience.

Festivities for All for the Hall kicked off Wednesday (Sept. 17) with a reception for invited attendees at the Los Angeles home of Sarah and Neil Moritz. Songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose — known collectively as the Love Junkies — were joined by Phil Barton to give a backyard serenade of hits including such award-winning songs as "Humble and Kind," "Blue Ain't Your Color," "You Belong with Me" and "Girl Crush."

All for the Hall was envisioned in 2005 by Country Music Hall of Fame member and board president Vince Gill, who proposed the idea of donating proceeds from one annual performance to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In the two decades since, All for the Hall concerts have raised more than $8 million in support of the museum's educational initiatives. Funds raised from the concerts support the museum's educational initiatives, which directly served more than 125,000 people last year through in-person and virtual programs.

About All for the Hall
Launched in 2007, the All for the Hall campaign began with Country Music Hall of Fame member and Museum Board President Vince Gill challenging himself and his fellow artists to donate proceeds of one annual performance to the nonprofit museum. The concert series has rotated between New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. Keith Urban has hosted recurring All for the Hall benefit concerts in Nashville since 2009. In 2024, Blake Shelton hosted an All for the Hall benefit concert in Oklahoma. Funds raised from the events support the museum's educational initiatives, which directly served more than 125,000 people last year through in-person and virtual programs.

About Words & Music
Words & Music^® is the Museum's flagship education program that teaches people how to write original songs and connects them to Nashville's professional songwriting community through interactive workshops. For nearly 50 years, Words & Music has served nearly 200,000 participants and currently engages more than 14,000 participants each year — locally, nationally and internationally. Words & Music empowers people to express themselves and share their stories through songwriting. Songwriting builds essential academic skills and supports overall well-being for people of all ages.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:
The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibitions, publications, digital media and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. Among the most-visited history museums in the United States, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was awarded the country's highest honor in the arts, the National Medal of Arts, in 2024. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B^®, Hatch Show Print^® poster shop, Haley Gallery, CMA Theater, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.

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SOURCE Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum