ASHLEY CLEVELAND, KAREN STALEY, PAM TILLIS, AND TRICIA WALKER TO APPEAR FOR GRAMMY MUSEUM®MISSISSIPPI’S ANNUAL BIG NIGHT WITH WOMEN IN THE ROUND ON JULY 2
SPONSORED BY SOUTHGROUP INSURANCE AND VISIT MISSISSIPPI, SPECIAL EVENING OF STORIES AND SONGS WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR GRAMMY MUSEUM® MISSISSIPPI’S MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS
CLEVELAND, Miss. (June 13, 2025) — Award-winning singer/songwriters Ashley Cleveland, Karen Staley, Pam Tillis, and Tricia Walker — the four original Women in the Round — will come together for a special evening of songs and stories at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi on Wednesday, July 2, at 7 p.m. Cleveland, Staley, Tillis and Walker will perform “Bluebird Cafe style” for Big Night With Women in the Round, sponsored by SouthGroup Insurance and Visit Mississippi. This annual special event will raise funds to support the music education initiatives of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. Additional support by Entergy, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Needle Specialty Products, Regions, Robinson Electric, and SuperTalk Mississippi.
“We are thrilled to welcome back to the Sanders Soundstage the four original Women in the Round — Ashley Cleveland, Karen Staley, Pam Tillis, and Tricia Walker — for a memorable evening of songs and stories,” said Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. “These four incredibly talented women have made significant contributions to the American music landscape with the hit songs they’ve written for artists such as Faith Hill, Patty Loveless, Taylor Swift, and more, and we can’t wait to celebrate these amazing artists and their careers on July 2.”
“At SouthGroup, we’re proud to once again sponsor ‘Women in the Round’ at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi,” said Brett Boykin, President and Owner of SouthGroup Cleveland. “This event is truly one of my favorites every year—not only because of the amazing talent it brings together, but because it allows us to support music education in our community. It’s an honor to be part of something that inspires and uplifts through the power of music.”
Women in the Round, a part of the Museum’s Big Night program series, will take place on Wednesday, July 2. Tickets for the fundraiser will be available to GRAMMY Museum Members during a presale ending June 11 for $100 each. After the presale ends, tickets will be open to the public and will be $125 regardless of membership status. The ticket includes a pre-event reception starting at 6 p.m. Funds raised from the event will go directly to support the education programs of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. A limited number of tickets will be available. For ticket information, contact GRAMMY Museum Mississippi at (662) 441-0100, or visit grammymuseumms.org.
In 1985, four successful songwriters—Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch, Don Schlitz, and Paul Overstreet— performed the first “in the round,” moving from the Bluebird’s stage to a circle in the middle of the room, taking turns playing each other’s songs. The format was instantly popular. In 1988, four female songwriters, Tricia Walker, Karen Staley, Ashley Cleveland, and Pam Tillis, decided to see if they could conjure the same magic.
Ashley Cleveland, Karen Staley, Pam Tillis, and Tricia Walker were the original members of the talented foursome that was the first female “in the round” group at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, one of the world’s preeminent listening rooms. The first “in the round” session took place in 1985 when four successful songwriters — Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch, Don Schlitz, and Paul Overstreet — formed a circle in the middle of the Bluebird room and took turns playing each other’s songs. The format was an instant hit and in 1988 these four female songwriters decided to see if they could create the same magic — and that they did.
Since their first show together in 1988 they have continued to perform together for select dates over the years. This performance at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi will feature the songwriters swapping stories and taking turns playing their songs and accompanying each other instrumentally and with harmony vocals.
Ashley Cleveland is a three-time GRAMMY® and two-time Dove Award winner who has released eight critically acclaimed albums. God Don’t Never Change features songs rooted firmly in a “…host of traditions — Black spirituals, folk songs, 18th century hymns, gospel blues, and jubilee.” The disc was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2010 for Best Traditional Gospel Album. Cleveland resides in Nashville with her husband, Kenny Greenberg, and their three children: Rebecca, Henry and Lily.
A native of West Virginia who was raised in Pennsylvania, Karen Staley is a 30-year veteran of the Nashville music industry and has been involved in virtually every facet of the business, from songwriting and performing to touring, recording and producing. Staley’s hits have collectively sold more than 20 million albums, singles and downloads. Staley is one of the original mainstays at the Bluebird Café, the now iconic listening room popularized by the ABC TV show “Nashville.” She is also one of the pioneers of the “In The Round” format for shows. Her songs have not only been recorded by modern stars like Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Trick Pony, Terri Clark, and Tracy Byrd, but also by legends such as George Jones, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, and Brenda Lee. As a guitar player and background singer, Staley has toured with Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Terri Clark, and Russ Taff. Staley is also a sought-after studio session singer as well as demo producer. Staley’s songs have been nominated for Dove, GRAMMY and International Bluegrass Awards. Staley won the ACM Song of The Year award with Tracy Byrd’s classic “The Keeper of the Stars,” which was also featured on CMT’s “100 Greatest Country Love Songs of All Time” TV special.
As the child of country music royalty, Pam Tillis was determined from a young age to find her own way in music as a singer and songwriter. Her album, Put Yourself In My Place, yielded two No. 1 hits and two Top 5 singles in its first year when the album was certified gold. Tillis followed with three platinum albums on Arista Records. She achieved six No. 1 songs during this time, including “Shake the Sugar Tree”, “Mi Vida Loca,” “When You Walk In The Room,” “In Between Dances,” “Don’t Tell Me What To Do,” and “Maybe It Was Memphis.” Tillis is a two-time GRAMMY winner and six-time nominee. She has received three CMA Awards, including Female Vocalist Of The Year in 1994. She is also a proud member of The Grand Ole Opry.
Tricia Walker is a singer and songwriter whose songs are steeped in the passion, pain and grace of the American South. Born and raised in Mississippi, Walker has become one of the clearest voices of her own time and place. Her music has been recorded by Faith Hill, Patty Loveless and Alison Krauss, whose performance of Walker’s “Looking in the Eyes of Love” earned a GRAMMY. A recording artist herself, Walker’s album, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter Eye, is a collection of songs with a continued perspective of the South with lyrics and melodies that reflect her folk, R&B, and storytelling influences.
ABOUT GRAMMY MUSEUM MISSISSIPPI
Developed by the Cleveland Music Foundation—a nonprofit organization founded in 2011—the 28,000-square foot GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is housed near the campus of Delta State University, home of the Delta Music Institute’s Entertainment Industry Studies program, which features the most unique audio recording facilities in the South. Affiliated with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation™, GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is dedicated to exploring the past, present, and future of music, and the cultural context from which it emerges, while casting a focused spotlight on the deep musical roots of Mississippi. The Museum features a dynamic combination of public events, educational programming, engaging multimedia presentations, and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a Mississippi-centric area that introduces visitors to the impact of Mississippi’s songwriters, producers, and musicians on the traditional and modern music landscape.
For more information, visit grammymuseumms.org.
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