Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and GRAMMY Award-Nominated Artist Kelsea Ballerini Are Bringing Fans to Knoxville for Special Sophomore Album Celebration

Ballerini to Perform at Her Alma Mater, Central High School, and Give Fans a Unique Sneak Peek into Her Soon-to-be Released Album “Unapologetically”

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is teaming up with two-time Academy of Country Music Award winner Kelsea Ballerini for a one-of-a-kind album celebration on Oct. 28, in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.

The partnership is part of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development’s Snapchat Concert Series and their ongoing ‘The Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee.’ brand campaign. Ballerini will perform songs from her highly-anticipated sophomore album, Unapologetically, set to be released Nov. 3, at her alma mater Central High School.  Central High is the place Ballerini performed an original song on stage for the first time.  She will also perform hits from her RIAA GOLD-certified debut The First Time. This event is a special opportunity to welcome Ballerini back home to Knoxville and to bring fans a personal and intimate performance by the Black River Entertainment artist.

Free tickets will be available to fans exclusively by following “Tennessee” on Snapchat. Fans can also view exclusive content pieces with Ballerini, including highlights of her journey as an aspiring singer-songwriter from Knoxville, to one of country music’s top female artist, as well as a trip down memory lane to her favorite Knoxville area spots.

“How cool to be able to come home to Knoxville and celebrate this next big moment in my life with you! Central High is such a special place for me. I was in the glee club and got to perform in musicals on the same stage where I sang a song I wrote for the very first time,” said Kelsea Ballerini. “This city … this high school … really helped shape my life and I can’t wait to share my new songs with you!”

 ‘The Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee.’ Snapchat Concert Series launched in 2016 with Garth Brooks and continued with a recent event with Bluegrass Underground and Third Man Records artists at Tennessee’s famous Cumberland Caverns.

“Partnering on an album launch with Kelsea Ballerini, a native Tennessean, is a great fit to further emphasize the Soundtrack of America is Made in Tennessee," said Kevin Triplett, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “The tip of the cap to her roots in returning to her high school in Knoxville brings together great music and a wonderful family experience in one of the state's premiere destinations - Knoxville. We are pleased to be part of helping make it happen.”

Tennessee has long been known as a global music destination, where the genres of blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, and rock ‘n’ roll originated and has more musicians per capita than any other place in the world. It is the state where artists come to create and perform their music. Tennessee is home to world-renowned music attractions including Graceland, Beale Street, Sun Studio, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bluebird Cafe, Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Grand Ole Opry and the famous Ryman Auditorium.   

For more information, visit tnvacation.com, follow “Tennessee” on Snapchat, and join the conversation using hashtag #MadeinTN.

About Kelsea Ballerini:

Named among the "30 Biggest Albums of Fall” by Entertainment Weekly, GRAMMY nominee Kelsea Ballerini has released her first heart-melting anthemic single “Legends” off her highly anticipated sophomore album, UNAPOLOGETICALLY, slated to drop Nov. 3. The Black River Entertainment artist skyrocketed to stardom after releasing three consecutive PLATINUM-certified, No. 1 smashes from her critically acclaimed, GOLD debut album THE FIRST TIME – “Love Me Like You Mean It," “Peter Pan,” and “Dibs” – making her the only female artist in country music history, including female duos and groups, to achieve this accolade. The talented singer-songwriter also reached GOLD with Top 5 hit “Yeah Boy,” after having written or co-written all 12 songs on her debut. Ballerini has appeared on the cover of Billboard Magazine’s GRAMMY preview issue, was included in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” class of 2017, and featured in People Magazine’s “Beauty at Every Age” list in their iconic World’s Most Beautiful issue for 2017. She's been named “The Country Sweetheart” in People’s elite “Ones to Watch” portfolio, praised by Rolling Stone as the “Nashville It Girl,” touted by Billboard as “Country’s Next Queen,” and selected as one of CMT’s Next Women of Country. After her 2016 headline THE FIRST TIME TOUR – which visited dozens of cities across the U.S. and included sold-out shows in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee; Minneapolis, Minnesota; New York City; Los Angeles; and more – Ballerini joined Thomas Rhett for his HOME TEAM TOUR and Lady Antebellum’s YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR. Awarded Billboard’s “Rising Star” honor at the prestigious 2015 Women in Music event, she has  continued to gain recognition by scoring her first-ever ACM Award win for New Female Vocalist of the Year, iHeartRadio Music Award for Best New Country Artist, multiple Radio Disney Music Awards, and the American Country Countdown Award for Breakthrough Female of the Year. Ballerini is vying for Female Vocalist of the Year at the 51st Annual CMA Awards airing live Nov. 8 from Nashville on ABC.  

About the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development:

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is to motivate travel to and within Tennessee by inspiring enjoyment, creating memories, producing a desire to return, and establishing key long-term relationships that result in visitors becoming residents. Tennessee’s tourism industry generates $19.3 billion annually in economic impact, more than $1.7 billion in state and local sales tax revenue and more than 176,500 tourism-related jobs. The promise of Tennessee—the birthplace of the blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, and rock ‘n’ roll—is to be the global music destination of choice. To deliver an unparalleled experience of beauty, history, and family adventure, infused with music that creates a vacation that is the “The Soundtrack of America. Made in Tennessee.”

# # #