NASHVILLE MUSIC GARDEN’S
“COUNTRY MUSIC BLOOMS ONLINE AUCTION”
LAUNCHES JUST IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING
From Barbara Mandrell to Miranda Lambert, Coveted Items from Country Music Icons Hit the Auction Block November 25-December 5 on Nashvillemusicgarden.com to Raise Funds for
One-of-a-Kind Tribute Garden
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – November 15, 2011 – Those who dream of a backstage meeting with Martina McBride, wearing one of LeAnn Rimes’ trendy dresses, getting a line of inspiration from Keith Urban before writing their own hit song, or walking a mile in Miranda Lambert’s boots, can bid on these items and more while supporting the only public garden in the world that pays tribute to the artists, songs and industry leaders who have contributed to making Music City one of the most unique cities in the world. The Nashville Music Garden will launch its first-ever online auction, “Country Music Blooms Online Auction,” on Black Friday, November 25 on www.nashvillemusicgarden.com/auction-items, with an array of country-music-celebrity-owned items – straight from the celebrities’ closets. Bidding on eBay will be open through December 5 and the auction will officially close at 9 p.m. CST.
The most respected country legends and the hottest contemporary stars, including Barbara Mandrell, Brenda Lee, Lynn Anderson, Pam Tillis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Darius Rucker, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Manuel, Martina McBride, Sugarland, Love and Theft, and many more, have graciously donated priceless one-of-a-kind personal items along with treasured memorabilia and keepsakes to help sustain the highly visible Nashville Music Garden, one of the city’s increasingly popular destinations.
Auction highlights, viewable with details and back-story at www.nashvillemusicgarden.com/auction-items, include:
Kenny Chesney’s personal trademark and autographed cowboy hat
Cowboy boots worn on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and autographed by Little Jimmy Dickens
Barbara Mandrell’s autographed boots, worn during her “Steppin’ Out” TV special
Acoustic guitar autographed by Carrie Underwood
LeAnn Rimes’ performance dress that she wore on the CMA Country Christmas Special
Sara Evans’ dress that she wore on the red-carpet at the 2008 CMT Music Awards
Miranda Lambert’s autographed cowboy boots that she wore during her first tour
Additional auction items, also viewable with details at www.nashvillemusicgarden.com/auction-items, include:
- Autographed copies of The Sweet By and By and Softly & Tenderly books by Sara Evans, as well as her Greatest Hits, Born to Fly, Restless, No Place That Far, The Chords and the Truth, and Real Fine Place albums
- 40th Annual CMA Awards ballot for “Vocal Duo of the Year” autographed by winners Brooks & Dunn
- Darius Rucker’s autographed University of South Carolina ball-cap that he bought and wore after the baseball team won its first National Championship and an autographed copy of Rucker’s Charleston, SC 1966 album
- Martina McBride’s single, “Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong,” lyric sheet, hand-written by co-writer Stephen Barker Liles of Love And Theft and signed by Martina McBride
- An original script of “American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks,” signed by Brooks
- Copy of the script for “The Carnival Job” episode from the hit TNT series “Leverage,” autographed by the full cast: Timothy Hutton, Christian Kane, Gina Bellman, Beth Riesgraf, and Aldis Hodge
- Motorcycle helmet autographed by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
- A pair of heels worn and autographed by legend Brenda Lee
- A personalized leather-bound songwriter’s notebook with a line of inspiration from Keith Urban
- A personalized leather-bound songwriter’s notebook with a line of inspiration from Lady Antebellum
- LeAnn Rimes 2012 concert tickets and meet & greet passes
- Martina McBride 2012 concert tickets and meet & greet passes
- Love And Theft 2012 concert tickets and meet & greet passes
- Tennessee Titans autographed team helmet
All of the proceeds will go to raise awareness and funding for the Nashville Music Garden, which is sustained by a fund established through non-profit organization The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. To ensure that the garden continues to grow for the community and country music fans to enjoy, the fund must be supported. For more information on the auction or to bid on an item, please visit: www.nashvillemusicgarden.com/auction-items.
ABOUT NASHVILLE MUSIC GARDEN:
Located in Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville (corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun), the idea for the Nashville Music Garden was born when country music legend Barbara Mandrell gave her namesake rose to garden founder and friend, Pat Bullard. The garden is a “living” walk of fame filled with over six dozen varieties of roses and daylilies named in honor of the music and artists synonymous with Nashville. Created as a way to recognize these artists, songs and industry leaders and also beautify Music City, the garden was the first to assemble all the flowers of the Nashville Music Garden Collection in one place for the public to enjoy.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE:
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 800 charitable funds, providing customized philanthropic solutions with flexibility for donors, nonprofit organizations and the community. In the past 20 years, The Community Foundation has distributed more than $540 million to community programs and institutions. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400, Nashville, Tennessee 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.