The Comeback’s “In the Mix” celebrated contributors to black music on Thursday night. They showcased amazing artists and honored talented individuals during the Music City reception.
The Comeback started almost nine years ago in Philadelphia. Isaac M. Hamm created the event to honor contributors to black music in Philly. Fast forward to today and they now call Philadelphia, Atlanta and Nashville home during Black Music Month.
The event started with a happy hour mixer before honoring Henry Beecher Hicks III, Shannon Sanders and Louis York. Hicks is the President and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music. While accepting his award, he acknowledged how “cool” the honor was. Sanders also mentioned that many might not realize that Nashville is truly a magic city.
Sanders is an award-winning producer and artist, who has worked closely with India Arie. The multi-talented Evan Acklin paid tribute to that work with a powerful performance of Arie’s “Video.”
“Thank you for supporting black music in our city,” Shannon said while accepting his honor. “Nashville is known for country and I mean no disrespect… [Country has] done something no other genre has… lodged itself in a city the way country has lodged itself in Nashville… But a lot of people don’t know that black music had a home here… and it started really about the same time.”
Louis York, a duo consisting of Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, also accepted awards. They were gracious to Nashville for “home-cooked meals” and “good advice.” They also called it a “place to learn from amazing musicians.”
Watch the entire video above to see a little more about The Comeback’s “In the Mix.”