Music Talks With Hunter Kelly: Diversity in Country Music
By James Barker, Staff Writer
The issue of diversity in country music is getting some long overdue attention right now. This Wednesday 92Y looks set to bring a powerful intervention into this discussion with “Diversity in Country Music”; a panel that is sure to set the bar high for future panels on this topic with its killer line-up of artists, academics, journalists and all who have a stake in country music.
Hosted by Hunter Kelly as a part of his “From Nashville – Music Talks with Hunter Kelly” series (which has previously interviewed Wynonna, Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile). The panel includes our own Dale Henry Geist alongside Country Queer favorite D’orjay the Singing Shaman.
They will be joined by the stellar artist and host of Apple Music Radio’s “Color me Country”, Rissi Palmer; lead researcher on the SongData project, Jada Watson (who fabulously worked with us on an article about LGBTQ+ representation on country radio); and UCLA doctoral candidate, Amanda Marie Martinez, who is completing her dissertation on race and the country music industry and already making waves in country music scholarship.
In this moment, there is always the concern that once the media spotlight and attention move on, it will have been all talk and no action where the industry is concerned. But I am sure these panelists will hold the industry’s feet to the fire on this one.
‘From Nashville — Music Talks with Hunter Kelly: Diversity in Country Music’ is on Wednesday 19th May at 7pm EST. Tickets available here.