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Charlies Daniels, Wynonna bring down the house for military veterans at Operation Yellow Ribbon

Kim Chaudoin | 


 
Wynonna Judd
Retired Gen. Tommy Franks
Legendary fiddler and country music icon brought down the house Tuesday night (March 29)  with a performance of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” performed with bluegrass band, The Grascals, at the second annual Operation Yellow Ribbon benefit concert for Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Program.
 
Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon Program offers eligible Post 9/11 GI Bill veterans and their family members an undergraduate degree tuition-free or a graduate degree tuition-free or at a greatly reduced tuition rate.
 
In addition to Daniels and the Grascals, Montgomery Gentry and Wynonna Judd performed and General Tommy Franks (Ret.) delivered a closing message before a crowd of 2,500 active military, veterans, family and supporters in Allen Arena.
 
Last year’s event raised enough money for the Yellow Ribbon Program to help it grow from 32 participating veterans to 75 in the 2010-11 school year. This year’s goal is to enroll 100 veterans for the 2011-12 school year.
 
Lipscomb’s veterans liaison David Hughes announced that Lipscomb will now partner with the Sentinels of Freedom Foundation to bring disabled veterans to earn their degree at Lipscomb tuition-free. The first recipient, a Marine who suffered a brain injury, will be the first to attend in the coming fall.
 
The night was packed with heartfelt performances, with Wynnona performing bluesy versions of “No One Else on Earth” and Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Daniels once again moved the crowd with a new song he wrote describing the sacrifices of young men overseas in combat zones.

 

 

The Tennessee National Guard presented the colors. Bluegrass band The Grascals performed.
Duo Montgomery Gentry performed. Charlie Daniels played his legendary hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" with The Grascals.
Charlie Daniels was declared a "colonel" by the Tennessee National Guard commander. Thousands of military veterans, active military, their families and supporters attended the concert.
Lipscomb announced the recipient of a Sentinels of Freedom scholarship to the university. Lipscomb's Jazz Vocal Ensemble perofrmed Irving Berlin patriotic tunes.