Color Me Country™ Artist Grant Fund

In December of 2020, The Rainey Day Artist Fund partnered with me to create the Color Me Country Artist Fund to build on the work I do with Color Me Country Radio on Apple Music. The mission is the same: to support the underrepresented voices of BIPOC artists in country music that, for too long, have lived outside the spotlight and off the airwaves.

 

 

Linda Martell

 

Last year marked 50 years since the debut album by Linda Martell, the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry and to chart a song on the Billboard Country Chart. Her album, Color Me Country, was the foundation upon which I, and everyone after her, have built their careers. Because of racism and sexism, Linda was blacklisted and pushed to the margins of country music history. The more I learned of Linda’s story, the more I realized that I could have very easily found myself in the same position, had it not been for resources and opportunity.

It was then I decided that no other artist should face this fight alone or have to leave the business simply because of a lack of financial help. The work with Color Me Country — both the radio show and the artist fund — are my love letter to every artist of color whose names we’ll never know who made it possible for me to first step on that Opry stage in 2008.

In its first three months, the CMC AF raised over $15,000 and distributed 21 grants to BIPOC country music artists, several of whom have also been honored with inclusion in CMT’s Next Women of Country program. And we’re just getting started.

We have recently partnered with Newport Festivals to administer the fund, but make no mistake, the mission is still the same…                                                                                

                                                                 Click here to apply for a Color Me Country Artist Grant 

                                                       Click here to make a donation to the Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund. 

 

Recipients of the Color Me Country Artist Grant

From top left to right: Ashlie Amber, Chapel Hart, Kris Londyn, Micah McClendon, Tristan McIntosh, Kären McCormick, Kendra Neece, Lizzie No, Camille Parker, Valerie Ponzio, Kathryn Shipley, Haeley Vaughn, Sacha, Michael B. Whit, Julie Williams, Delila Black, Neffy, D’Orjay the Singing Shaman, Star De Azlan, Crystal Shawanda, Kam Franklin, Madeline EdwardsJett Holden, PetrellaTae Lewis, Queen Esther, Lenworth Poyser, Joe West, Roberta Lea, Lilli Lewis, Dayanara Fernandez, Roger Dale, Stephanie Jacques, Frankie Staton, Valierie Hawkins, “Nitty Gritty” Greg Roberts, Debbii Dawson, Natalie Jean, Setche Kwamu-Nana, Yote Mills, Odiss Kohn, Timmy Dunn, Joy Clark, Julia Cannon, Anthony Pace, Tylar Bryant, The Kentucky Gentlemen, Charly Lowry, Audrey Tucker, Ashleigh Brae, Tony Evans Jr.