PHILADELPHIA, PA – August 2, 2021 – Audacy has announced the return of its live events series, kicking off with “Stars and Strings,” hosted by New York’s Country 94.7 FM (WNSH-FM). The annual country music concert event will return to New York City on The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport on Saturday, September 11 and benefit 9/11 Day, the nonprofit that runs the federally designated September 11th National Day of Service.

The “Stars and Strings” lineup includes Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Darius Rucker, Grammy Award-winning vocalist/songwriter Zac Brown, Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Chris Young, American Country Music Award-winning singer/songwriter Lee Brice, American Country Music Award nominee singer/songwriter Tenille Arts and singer/songwriter Caroline Jones.

“Like so many people, I’ll never forget where I was on that fateful day 20 years ago,” said Rucker.  “I’m glad there are organizations like 9/11 Day, who continue to pay tribute to the people impacted and I’m honored to be part of this special event as we celebrate a return to live music.”

“We are thrilled to be able to bring back our first live concert in over a year and a half, and to benefit 9/11 Day,” said Michael Martin, Senior Vice President of Programming and Music Initiatives, Audacy. “‘Stars and Strings’ is one of our premiere events that has consistently sold out in years past enabling meaningful contributions to our nonprofit partners. The show builds belonging with word-class artists and their fans, and in partnership with 9/11 day, we are transforming the pain of that day into positive action and service for our communities.”

“The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is an extraordinarily important moment to all Americans to remember and pay tribute by joining together again in unity,” said David Paine, President and Co-Founder of 9/11 Day.”  “We are proud to be a partner with Audacy to help support such a wonderful and patriotic event in tribute.”

Tickets will go on sale Friday, August 6 at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com or HERE

Rucker first achieved multi-platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Diamond-certified debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the Top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, including RIAA Platinum-certified Learn to Live and True Believers, plus nine No. 1 singles at country radio. In 2014, Rucker won his third career Grammy Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his 8x Platinum version of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. He recently co-hosted the 54th annual CMA Awards and topped the charts at Country radio once again with “Beers and Sunshine” in February.  His follow up single “My Masterpiece” is available everywhere now as Rucker puts the finishing touches on a forthcoming album.

Zac Brown is the founder, front man, and lead vocalist for the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band. In addition to being the founding member of Zac Brown Band, Brown is also credited as an impactful songwriter, producer, businessman, and philanthropist – making him one of the sharpest minds among today’s generation of artists focused on shifting the paradigm of the music business. Over his career spanning almost two decades, Brown has released six studio albums, two live albums, a greatest hits album, and an extended play produced by Dave Grohl, all with Zac Brown Band. The band’s success can largely be attributed to Brown’s interest in pushing creative boundaries through collaborations with top artists across genres including Avicii, Chris Cornell, Jimmy Buffett, Foo Fighters, Sheryl Crow, Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz, to name a few. To date, the group has won three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2010, sold more than 30 million singles, 9 million albums, amassed over 9 billion catalog streams to date, achieved 15 #1 radio singles and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats.

Named “one of his era’s finest traditionalists” by the Associated Press, multi-platinum RCA Records Nashville entertainer Chris Young has amassed nearly five billion career streams and 12 No. 1 hits, ten as a songwriter, including his latest multi-week chart-topper “Famous Friends” – the title track to Young’s eighth studio album, out August 6th. In addition to back-to-back No. 1 albums Losing Sleep and I’m Comin’ Over and being named one of Billboard’s top country artists of the last decade, Young became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2017, sold-out a hometown show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in 2018 and took home CMT Music Awards trophies in both 2020 and 2021.

With 2.4 billion on-demand streams, and over 3.3 billion spins on Pandora, Lee Brice continues to enjoy massive success at country radio, digital streaming services and on the road. His current single, “Memory I Don’t Mess With” was his top most added radio single upon its debut. He also reached #1 at Country radio with “One of Them Girls,” which was recently nominated in the category Country Song of the Year at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. This recognition follows his #1 single alongside Carly Pearce, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” which took home awards for Musical Event of the Year and Single of the Year at the ACM Awards in 2021. The track also grabbed the award for Musical Event of the Year at the 2020 Country Music Awards.  Brice is also a Grammy nominee, a CMA and ACM award winner, and he’s taken eight radio singles to #1.  He’s performed on numerous television shows, including NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The Bachelor,” NBC’s “The Voice” and FOX’s “Miss USA 2018.”  Lee’s new album, Hey World, is now available.

Tenille Arts’ latest album Love, Heartbreak, & Everything in Between is a collection of 12 songs that takes the listener on an emotional journey with a glimpse into dreams that have come true, sacrifices made along the way and…well…everything in between. Her 2016 self-titled debut EP peaked at #1 on the iTunes Canada Top Country Album Chart and cracked the Top 100 on the U.S. iTunes Country Album Chart. In 2019, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut, followed by a 2020 appearance at the Ryman Auditorium and her third appearance on ABC’s “The Bachelor” performing her hit single “Somebody Like That.” The single spent three weeks at #1 on the Radio Disney Country Top 50 chart and was the #1 most added single the week it impacted Country radio. “Somebody Like That” marked the first #1 Country single written, produced and performed by an all-female cast. In 2021, she received her first U.S. award nomination for the 2021 ACM New Female Artist of the Year and was included in CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2021. Arts recently released her latest single “Back Then, Right Now,” off her upcoming album due out later this year.

Declared one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Country Artists You Need to Know,” singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Caroline Jones co-produced her new lead single “Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable)” off her forthcoming sophomore studio album with Grammy and Academy Award-winning producer Ric Wake (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston). The talented independent artist also wrote the lyrics to the single, similar to her previous releases with the exception of “All of the Boys,” co-written with Zac Brown, and “Gulf Coast Girl,” written for her by Jimmy Buffett and Mac McAnally. In 2020, Jones toured with country stars Sara Evans and Lee Brice, and made her return to the Grand Ole Opry stage. She has also toured with Zac Brown Band, Jimmy Buffet & The Eagles, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, among others, supported Kenny Chesney’s 21-date “Songs for the Saints” tour, joined an all-star female cast in support of Trisha Yearwood’s “Every Girl on Tour,” and made her late-night debut on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”  Next up, Jones will join Zac Brown Band as a special guest for “The Comeback Tour” and then will travel to Florida for a headline tour in November.