Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated and Dove-award-winning
executive/producer/composer, Tony McAnany, will host pre-event activities for the 50th Annual Nashville Gas
Christmas Parade, Saturday, December 7. Thousands of parade fans are expected to attend this free event.
Beginning at 9:00 a.m. outside the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, McAnany will introduce an all-star
cast of artists to perform songs from the recently released Let’s Roll: Together in Unity, Faith and Hope. The
recording from TMB Records was inspired by Todd Beamer and the other passengers aboard the United Airlines
Flight 93 and benefits the Todd M. Beamer Foundation.
“It is truly an honor to be part of such an exciting event,” says McAnany. “Let’s Roll is meant to inspire people to
take courage in all they do. I hope the album will bring peace and unity during the holidays and beyond.”
McAnany, who was a close friend of Todd Beamer and wrote 14 of the 18 songs on Let’s Roll, will introduce live
performances of songs from the CD by country artists Lila McCann and Shane Minor. He will also introduce
singer/songwriter James Curlin, Dove Award nominated Mark Schultz and Multi-Platinum selling dc Talk member
Michael Tait, all to perform Christmas classics at the event. The show will further feature pound-for-pound the
World’s Strongest Man, Dennis Rogers, who will perform to the title track of Let’s Roll, recorded by dc Talk.
“We added a variety of exciting pre-parade entertainment this year in recognition of our 50th anniversary,” says
John Clark, vice president of Tennessee operations at Nashville Gas. “The fact that we can highlight some of the
artists who are working with the Todd M. Beamer Foundation makes this addition to our usual activities very
special. We encourage families and friends in the area to join us before the parade to make this a very special
day.”
The parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. following the Let’s Roll pre-parade event at the Gaylord Entertainment Center
and incorporate lower Broadway, 2nd Avenue North and the Woodland St. Bridge, ending at The Nashville
Coliseum. Lonestar, the CMA and ACM vocal group of the year for 2001, will serve as the parade grand marshal.
The parade is co-sponsored and broadcast live by WKRN (ABC), News 2.
Let’s Roll, a star-studded collection of original songs, features an impressive roster of artists who donated their
talents, including dc Talk, Lila McCann, 38th Parallel, James Curlin, Nicole C. Mullin, Wynnona, Yo Yo Ma, Shane
Minor, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jennifer Knapp, Phil Keaggy, Jody McBrayer (Avalon), Selah, Chaka Khan, Out of
Eden, Mark Stuart (Audio Adrenaline), Plumb, Jonathan Pierce, Street called Straight, Anointed, Congressmen J.C.
Watts and Tom DeLay, among others.
All the proceeds from Let’s Roll will benefit The Todd M. Beamer Foundation. The organization strives “to equip
children experiencing family trauma to make heroic choices every day.” Beamer’s widow, Lisa, now author of the
book, “Let’s Roll,” created the foundation in honor of Flight 93 and “to extend Todd Beamer’s legacy of character,
faith and courage.”
Let’s Roll: Together in Unity, Faith and Hope was released September 10, 2002, and is available at retail outlets
everywhere through EMI/Chordant distribution.
