Eric Church To Play Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam - Rolling Stone

On June 10th in Nashville, Marty Stuart will host his 14th annual Late Night Jam, a wildly eclectic gathering of legends, superstars and up-and-comers who play into the wee hours at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Today, Stuart announced exclusively to Rolling Stone Country the "superstar" of this year's lineup: Eric Church. The current arena headliner will make his second appearance at the intimate, freewheeling concert.

"I was fortunate enough to play the Late Night Jam early on in my career, and enjoyed the whole vibe and experience," Church tells Rolling Stone Country. "I love Marty and his guys and I can't wait to join an already fantastic lineup."

Church, who first performed at the Late Night Jam in 2007, joins veterans Jimmy Webb, Charley Pride and Connie Smith, along with buzz acts EmiSunshine and Church's frequent touring partners Brothers Osborne. Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, a disciple of Chet Atkins, was also added to the bill today.

Stuart calls the evening "a music lover's dream." In a lengthy email to Rolling Stone Country, he described the Jam's allure.

"Over the years I've always made sure that new artists were given a spot on the show. One of the people I heard early on in his career was Eric Church. I liked him and his music. As I remember the audience did too. I get to have an 'I told you so' moment at this year's show," Stuart says. "Eric has gone on to become a white-hot country superstar."

The Late Night Jam, held the week of CMA Music Festival, doubles as a benefit for MusiCares, the Recording Academy's musician support charity. As such, Stuart says the artists all donate their time and efforts. "Everyone gets paid the same: nothing," he says.

With a 10 p.m. start time, the sprawling show often runs well past midnight. Last year's event featured artists like Travis Tritt, LeAnn Rimes and soul man Sam Moore.

Says Stuart: "It's gonna be a fiddle-tune friendly night of square dancing, rocking, rolling, hillbilly singing, gospelizing, Telecaster-driven circus of soul and twang coming to you from the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville."

By Joseph Hudak