On Friday, August 30, ABC’s GMA3: What You Need to Know celebrates Black voices in country music. The show features a performance by Don Louis, interviews with The War and Treaty, Rhiannon Giddens, and Cleve Francis, and discussions with Charlene Polite Corley and Amanda Martinez about diversity in country music.
Don Louis is a singer and songwriter from Commerce, Texas. He was on his way to a pro football camp when injuries forced him to hang up his cleats and pursue a music career. His song “Neon You” has garnered over a million streams.
The War and Treaty is an American husband-and-wife duo consisting of singer-songwriters Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter. Their debut studio album, Healing Tide (2018), received critical acclaim, and their sophomore album, Hearts Town (2020), featured a collaboration with American singer Emmylou Harris. The duo has received two Grammy nominations and was the first black duo to be nominated for the Country Music Association Award and Academy of Country Music Award for Duo of the Year.
Rhiannon Giddens is an American musician known for her eclectic folk music. She is a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a country, blues, and old-time music band, where she was the lead singer, fiddle player, and banjo player. Giddens has released five solo albums and has collaborated with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi on two albums.
Cleve Francis is an American country music singer, songwriter, and cardiologist. He began his music career as a folk and blues singer in the late 1960s while studying at the College of William & Mary. He has recorded nine albums, including three for Liberty Records, and has charted four times on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Charlene Polite Corley is a VP at Nielsen, a company that provides audience measurement and marketing optimisation services. Amanda Martinez is an artist and actress known for her work in various galleries and TV shows. They will discuss the challenges of diversity in country music.
GMA3: What You Need to Know airs Friday, August 30, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. on ABC.
