Nashville is renowned for its musical legacy, even earning the nickname of Music City USA. Now, the home of the legendary Grand Ole Opry has honoured one of its greatest musical exports by giving Jack White the first-ever Music City Ambassador Award.
As the name of the award suggests, it recognizes the Nashville resident who brought the most international attention to the city's music scene in the past year. White is clearly a worthy recipient: in the past 12 months, scarcely a week has gone by without a new announcement from his label Third Man Records.
The award was voted on by the Nashville Music Council and it was presented to White by Mayor Karl Dean at the Third Man Records facility on Saturday morning (April 16).
Dean told the Tennessean that White was the "overwhelming choice" for the award. The mayor went on to explain, "I think he's special for a variety of reasons. His music spans over several different genres. He made a decision to come to Nashville after he achieved a great deal of success. He came here with all of his creative energy, plus this entrepreneurial spirit, and he is invested in the community."
White was born in Detroit and was long considered a pivotal player in that city's garage rock scene. This award shows just how much White has been embraced by the music community in his new city.
The award presentation was meant to be followed by an outdoor live performance from Jerry Lee Lewis, but weather conditions meant that it had to be delayed to the following afternoon (April 17). Also this weekend, Lewis performed inside of the Third Man facility for a limited-edition live album to be released through the label.
As the name of the award suggests, it recognizes the Nashville resident who brought the most international attention to the city's music scene in the past year. White is clearly a worthy recipient: in the past 12 months, scarcely a week has gone by without a new announcement from his label Third Man Records.
The award was voted on by the Nashville Music Council and it was presented to White by Mayor Karl Dean at the Third Man Records facility on Saturday morning (April 16).
Dean told the Tennessean that White was the "overwhelming choice" for the award. The mayor went on to explain, "I think he's special for a variety of reasons. His music spans over several different genres. He made a decision to come to Nashville after he achieved a great deal of success. He came here with all of his creative energy, plus this entrepreneurial spirit, and he is invested in the community."
White was born in Detroit and was long considered a pivotal player in that city's garage rock scene. This award shows just how much White has been embraced by the music community in his new city.
The award presentation was meant to be followed by an outdoor live performance from Jerry Lee Lewis, but weather conditions meant that it had to be delayed to the following afternoon (April 17). Also this weekend, Lewis performed inside of the Third Man facility for a limited-edition live album to be released through the label.
