GRAMMY®-Winning Artists Albert Lee and Cindy Cashdollar to “Play It Forward” with Benefit Concert for NAMM’s Museum of Making Music

Annual gala event aims to raise funds in support of vital community outreach programs in San Diego County

CARLSBAD, Calif. – August 7, 2017 – On Saturday, September 9, NAMM’s Museum of Making Music (MoMM) will welcome GRAMMY® award-winners Albert Lee and Cindy Cashdollar for a live benefit concert. Lee, an acclaimed guitarist, and Cashdollar, a dobro and lap steel guitar/steel guitar virtuoso, will appear for a once-in-a-lifetime pairing of musical innovation and inspiration, all in support of access to music education. The duo will perform as part of the MoMM’s “Play it Forward” annual fundraising gala, which furthers the museum’s mission to offer educational immersion opportunities, exhibitions, hands-on experiences and live performances that inform and inspire guests as they learn how musical instruments impact popular culture and connect lives.

“Live performance reminds us of the transformational nature of music,” said Carolyn Grant, Museum of Making Music Executive Director. “It allows us to directly and viscerally experience the sounds and melodies that are woven into fabric of our society; sounds that help to define our identity as well as our place in history. We are excited to welcome our guests to experience this stellar performance. By attending this concert they are also helping the Museum continue its work to enhance the lives of thousands of people through music.”

Donations raised at the gala will also help offset the museum’s annual operating costs as it continues to provide access to visitors wishing to discover a century of instrument innovations that shaped American popular music. With its display of over 500 vintage instruments and hundreds of audio and video clips from industry luminaries, the museum offers a unique, memorable and educational adventure to more than 40,000 visitors each year. Additionally, the museum’s year-round music education programs are crucial to thousands of children, adults and seniors in San Diego County. The Museum’s signature programs include the funding of a scholarship that enables fixed-income adults and seniors the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, as well as the museum’s annual Title One Fieldtrip Program that provides free access to the museum for low-income students from Carlsbad and the neighboring communities of Vista, Oceanside, San Marcos and Escondido.

Event Details:
Albert Lee and Cindy Cashdollar Benefit Concert in support of NAMM’s Museum of Making Music
Saturday, September 9
7:00 p.m.

Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall
5775 Morehouse Drive
San Diego, CA 92121

Tickets: $35-75

Purchase here: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/playitforwardevent

Known for his deft fret work, hybrid picking technique, and lighting speed, Albert Lee is one of the foremost and celebrated guitarists alive today. His musical career began in his home country of England, where in the 1960s, he played with bands such as The Crusaders and The Thunderbirds, later bringing his musical talents across the pond and recording with the likes of Joe Cocker and Emmylou Harris. He released his first solo album in 1976, featuring the top hit “Country Boy,” and would later go on to work with Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Everly Brothers, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, and other musical legends.

Having enjoyed an equally rich career, Cindy Cashdollar has played dobro, steel guitar and lap steel alongside the likes of Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many others. Her time with premier western swing group Asleep at the Wheel helped her introduce the classic sounds of the non-pedal lap steel to enthusiastic audiences worldwide, and eventually earned her five GRAMMY® Awards. In 2011, Cashdollar became the first woman inducted into the Texas Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and the following year, was inducted to the Texas Music Hall of Fame. Photos of the artists are available for editorial use:

Currently, the Museum of Making Music is displaying a “Summer of Innovation” gallery, as well as selected Graham Nash photography, both being hosted through the end of August.

Media Contacts:
Chalise Zolezzi / chalisez@namm.org / 760-438-8007
Jeanne O’Keefe for MoMM: JOKeefe@lippingroup.com / 323-965-1990

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