BYRDS CO-FOUNDERS ROGER MCGUINN AND CHRIS HILLMAN CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF “SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO” WITH SPECIAL TOUR FEATURING MARTY STUART AND HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES

June 5, 2018

On the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Byrds co-founders, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman will perform the album in its entirety and tell the stories that brought the album to life. They will also sing some other favorites from their long recording careers. The tour will stop in cities across the country including New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, Albany, and Akron (dates below, with more to be announced soon) and kicked off with a short performance of a few songs from Sweetheart of the Rodeo at Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam on June 6th at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. McGuinn and Hillman will be joined on stage for the tour by country legends Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. Stuart himself plays the famous 1954 Fender Telecaster originally owned by legendary country-rock pioneer Clarence White, a performer on Sweetheart of the Rodeo. For tickets and more details, see venue information below.

Marty Stuart said about the influence the album had on him: “The Bryds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo recording stands as a milestone in American music. I bought my first copy of the record in 1972. Upon my first listen, I was mesmerized at the effect of the combined power Country music, Rock & Roll, Bluegrass, Gospel and Folk music had on me. From that day forward, I considered Sweetheart of the Rodeo a blueprint as to how I should live my musical life. It is truly an honor for me and the Superlatives to get to go out and play music from Sweetheart with Roger and Chris. We love and greatly admire both of them and I have to believe this is a show not to be missed.”

Stuart also recently confirmed that he will bring his eclectic blend of rockabilly, honky-tonk, and traditional country music to The Guest House at Graceland Theater on June 9th. On that day, Stuart will also participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new exhibit filled with artifacts from Stuart’s personal collection that traces the country music roots of rock ‘n’ roll. The new “Hillbilly Rock” exhibit is part of the Elvis Presley’s Memphis™ entertainment and exhibit complex. Full details about the performance and ribbon cutting are available here.

On April 21st, as part of Record Store Day 2018, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives released Way Out West – Desert Suite (Trip One) as a limited edition 12” LP. (Trip One) is the first in a series of Desert Suite releases and includes some of the band’s favorite collaborations and B-Sides.

Recently Stuart announced thirty-six dates on Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour throughout 2018. Stuart and his band will serve as direct support for Stapleton’s arena dates including St. Louis, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, & New York City, and tickets for these shows are on sale now, and available here.

Stuart and his band recently won the award for “Duo/Group of the Year” at the Americana Music Association’s 16th Annual Americana Honors & Awards. Previous winners of this prestigious award include The Avett Brothers, Drive-By Truckers, and Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell. In 2005 the Americana Music Association awarded Marty Stuart with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance.

Marty Stuart released Way Out West on Superlatone on March 10, 2017, and MOJO named it one of their “Best Americana Albums of 2017.” The album was conceived as a love letter to the promised land of California by one of Country music’s living legends, who has played with everyone from Johnny Cash to Lester Flatt. NPR Music proclaims: “Way Out West is Marty Stuart’s album-length paean to the myth and magic of the American West. It finds country’s stalwart neo-traditionalist turning cosmic cowboy for a journey through the Joshua trees, shadowy canyons and desert dreams that tantalize travelers with the promise of a golden shore on the other side.” Way Out West is available on CD, vinyl, and digitally here.

Marty Stuart is a five time GRAMMY-winner, platinum recording artist, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Americana Music Association, Grand Ole Opry star, country music archivist, photographer, musician, and songwriter. Since starting out singing gospel as a child, Stuart has spent over four decades celebrating American roots music. His teenage years on tour with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt in the ’70s were followed by six years in Johnny Cash’s band in the ’80s, and a chart-topping tenure as a solo artist in the ’90s. Stuart hosts a Late Night Jam at The Ryman, a yearly tradition which kicks off the CMA Music Festival, with recent guests including Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neko Case, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris, Dan Auerbach and many more.

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo Tour Dates
(click through each date for tickets)

July 24 /// Los Angeles, CA ///Ace Hotel [Sold Out]

July 25 /// Los Angeles, CA ///Ace Hotel

July 29 /// Saratoga, CA /// Mountain Winery

Sep 17 /// Albany, NY /// Hart Theater @ The Egg

Sep 18 /// Albany, NY /// Hart Theater @ The Egg [Sold Out]

Sep 20 /// Hopewell, VA /// Beacon Theatre [Sold Out]

Sep 24 /// New York, NY /// Town Hall

Sep 26 /// Boston, MA /// The Emerson Colonial Theatre

Oct 3 /// Akron, OH /// Akron Civic

Oct 8 /// Nashville, TN /// The Ryman Auditorium

Oct 10 /// Roanoke, VA /// The Jefferson Center