PERFORMANCES & APPEARANCES

SHERYL CROW
Songwriter, activist and rock star

Songwriter. Activist. Rock star. Woman. Champion. Mother. Nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow is many things, but at the core, she remains a creative spirit channeling her talents into music that lifts people up, brings them together, and speaks to the truths on the horizon. Twenty-five years after winning her first Grammy, as well as Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “All I Wanna Do,” the Kennett, Missouri-born guitarist/vocalist/creative thought about all she’d done, the places she’d been, the lives that’d touched hers – and saw the rich tapestry her journey had become. Crow’s is a career beyond dreams, with songs that defined the third wave of feminism, a rockist’s ability to sweep the pop charts without losing any edge and enough wide-open Midwestern joy to captivate the world. In 2019, Crow released her critically acclaimed album THREADS via The Valory Music Co., a collection of collaborations made with and in tribute to artists with whom Crow has musical connections. And in turn, she seeks to inspire people through her music and songs, especially the younger generation. “The passion and ability of our young people to dig deep and express themselves energizes and encourages me endlessly,” Crow says. “It thrills me to see their passion and will to change the world.”

MICKEY GUYTON
Historic Grammy® Award nominee for Best Country Solo Performance for “Black Like Me”

The Arlington, Texas native released her critically acclaimed EP Bridges this year which includes “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”, hailed by Variety as “country music’s song of the year”, as well as, “Black Like Me,” which was named NPR Music’s No. 4 song of 2020.  Mickey also received a historic Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for “Black Like Me” making her the first Black female solo artist to be nominated in any country category.

TORI KELLY 
Multi-GRAMMY Award winner, singer-songwriter Tori Kelly

Since making her debut with 2015’s Unbreakable Smile – a widely acclaimed album that entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2 – Tori has lit up the pop landscape with her breathtaking vocals and full-hearted songwriting, amassing nearly 3 billion combined global streams to date. With her 2018 passion project Hiding Place, the L.A.-based artist continued to captivate audiences and took home two prizes at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards: Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song for the hit single “Never Alone.”

On her powerfully personal 2019 album, Inspired By True Events, Tori offered up her bravest and most bracingly candid work to date. In August 2020, Tori released Solitude, a five-song EP that she recorded at home during quarantine. Tori closed out the year by teaming up with Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Scooter Braun as executive producers to bring listeners her first ever Holiday album, A Tori Kelly Christmas.

RASCAL FLATTS
The most awarded country group of the last decade

Hailed as one of the most influential groups in modern country history, Rascal Flatts are a chart-topping trio created by vocalist Gary LeVox, multi-instrumentalist Jay DeMarcus and guitarist Joe Don Rooney. Since their founding in 2000 and subsequent breakout with the Top 5 hit, “Prayin’ for Daylight,” the band has gone on to infuse country’s traditional mainstream with smooth-pop textures, arena-rocking energy and faithful positivity, impacting countless fans and fellow artists along the way. They’ve racked up 17 Number One hits, over 23.4 million albums sold, 35 million digital downloads, 2.2 billion streams worldwide and 4.4 billion streams solely on Pandora, while also selling over 11 million concert tickets and earning more than 40 trophies from the ACA, ACM, AMA, CMA, People’s Choice and more,. country group of the past decade.

LADY A
Multi-Platinum, seven-time Grammy® award winning country trio

For a band like Lady A – the country trio of Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott – the metaphor of life as an ocean comes natural. After more than a decade in the spotlight, they’ve ridden its waves and weathered its storms, learning just how easily it can swallow you up. But between “Need You Now” (a 9X-Platinum record setter), starting families and exploring their own uncharted musical territory, they’ve also discovered another, more beautiful side to the squalls and swells. Now with their seventh studio album, the group embraces everything the OCEAN of life has to offer.

THE WAR AND TREATY
Eclectic, soulful, husband-and-wife duo, one of Nashville’s breakout acts

Since forming in 2014, The War And Treaty have amassed a following as eclectic as their sound itself, a bluesy but joyful fusion of Southern soul, gospel, country, and rock-and-roll. Known for a live show nearly revival-like in intensity, the husband-and-wife team of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter endlessly create an exhilarating exchange of energy with their audience, a dynamic they’ve brought to the stage in opening for the legendary Al Green and touring with the likes of Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell..

With their debut EP Down to the River arriving in 2017, they released Healing Tide a year later and earned immediate praise from outlets like NPR.  At the start of 2020, the duo won over new fans by taking the stage at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, performing alongside icons like Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Gary Clark Jr., and Common in a multi-artist tribute. The duo’s new album Hearts Town has earned critical raves from the likes of Newsweek, Rolling Stone and NPR Music. They are slated to go on tour with John Legend in 2021.

DADDY YANKEE
Multi award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and producer

Global music icon, Daddy Yankee is a Reggaeton pioneer. Named one of the “Most Influential Hispanics” by both Time Magazine and CNN, in 2019 his global hit “Con Calma” became the #1 Most Watched Video” on YouTube generating over 2.1 billion views. His latest single “Que Tire Pa’ Lante” has generated over 740 million views on YouTube Music and peaked No.1 on both Billboard Latin Airplay and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts, as well as No. 1 at radio in Mexico. Last December, he broke attendance records for selling out 12 shows of his “Con Calma Pa’l Choli” concert series in Puerto Rico, and also opened the first ever reggaeton museum in the world. In 2020, he became the most nominated artist for Premios Lo Nuestro 2020 and won seven Billboard Latin Music awards being among the top winners of the night. In December, Daddy Yankee kicked off the Holiday season giving a new experience to his fans worldwide by releasing  “DY2K20”, a digital version of his unforgettable 12 sold-out shows “Con Calma Pal’ Choli, driving over 1.2 views in the first hour.

SHANOLA HAMPTON
Star of ‘Shameless’ on Showtime

Star of Showtime’s iconic, award-winning series, Shameless, Shanola has also starred in Through the Glass Darkly and was last seen in the TV ONE romantic comedy Three’s Complicated, which she also co-produced. Hampton has previously guest starred and recurred on a wide variety of television shows, including “Miami Medical,” “Criminal Minds,” “Stalker,” “Related,” “Scrubs,” “Strong Medicine,” and “Reba.”

LAURIE HERNANDEZ
Olympic Gold and Silver medalist, 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team.

Laurie Hernandez earned Olympic Gold and Silver medals as a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team. Laurie is a second generation American, her grandparents are Puerto Rican, making her the first U.S. born Latina to make the U.S. team since 1984. Following her win at the Summer Olympics, she earned another title, champion on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. In 2017, Laurie became an inductee into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame and was recognized as the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports Biggest Kid. Most recently, Laurie served as a cohost of America Ninja Warrior Junior, and as the voice of Valeria on Nickelodeon’s Middle School Moguls. Laurie is the author of two books; “I Got This: To Gold and Beyond” chronicling her journey thus far and a children’s picture book “She’s Got This,” each appearing on the New York Times Best Sellers list. When not in the gym, Laurie serves as Global Ambassador for Stomp Out bullying and travels the country inspiring young gymnasts and speaks to the next generation about following your dreams. Laurie will go for the gold again at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

EMERIL LAGASSE
Chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author

The Grand Marshal of the 2008 Rose Parade, Emeril Lagasse, is known to food-loving Americans everywhere.  His mastery of Creole and Cajun cuisine led to a wide variety of cooking TV shows including ‘Emeril Live’ and ‘Essence of Emeril.’ His signature catchphrases include, “Kick it up a notch” and “Bam!” Lagasse is the chef-proprietor of 11 restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Miramar Beach, Florida.

MATT LEINART
2019 Rose Bowl Hall of Fame inductee, former NFL player

Matt Leinart was one of the most celebrated quarterbacks of the last 20 years of college football. The USC signal caller led the Trojans to a pair of Rose Bowl Games, including a 28-14 victory over Michigan in the 2004 Granddaddy of Them All. In the win, Leinart won MVP by throwing three touchdowns and running for another. In his second Rose Bowl Game, Leinart completed 73-percent of his passes and threw a touchdown pass, but the Trojans lost to Texas in the 2006 BCS National Championship, 41-38. Leinart finished his college career with a 37-2 record in games he started and won the Heisman Trophy in 2004. The two-time All-American was selected 10^th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft and played six seasons in the NFL. Leinart had his USC jersey retired and was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, followed by an induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

RITA MORENO
Emmy®, Grammy®, Oscar® and Tony® (EGOT) award winner

A Grand Marshal in the 2020 Rose Parade, Rita Moreno, has received four of the most prestigious awards in show business: an Academy Award®, a Tony Award®, two Emmy® Awards, and a GRAMMY® award. Rita has also received a Kennedy Center Honor and a Peabody Award. Her credits span more than six decades, beginning on Broadway at age 13. In addition to her film, stage, television and concert accomplishments, Moreno gives her voice to important causes, including racial equality, hunger, early childhood education, as well as health issues like HIV, breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

VIN SCULLY
Voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than 65 years

The Grand Marshal of the 2014 Rose Parade, Vin Scully, is a Hall-of-Fame broadcaster and was the “Voice of the Dodgers,” who kept generations of sports fans enthralled with his lyrical and vivid announcing style. Dubbed “the poet laureate of baseball,” Scully would blend statistics, storytelling and history to heighten the drama of every crucial play and elevated even routine at-bats with his wry descriptions and deep love of the game.

DASCHA POLANCO
Star of Netflix hit, “Orange is the New Black”

Dascha also is known for her acting work in “When They See Us,” “The Irishman,” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” and “Joy.”

Her achievements have been recognized by numerous awards, including the ALMA Awards, HOLA Awards, and The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (Lupe Award). Huffington Post recognized her as one of the Latinas to be “Breaking The Mold,” and The Hollywood Reporter named her one of the 40 Young Latino Powerhouses in Hollywood.

She continues to use her influential platform to help others in need, promoting and flourishing her mission of “Self Lovery” and being a LatinX in Hollywood.

GARY SINISE
Actor, philanthropist and 2018 Rose Parade Grand Marshal

Actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise, who is most famously known for his portrayal of Lt. Dan Taylor in the landmark film Forrest Gump, was the 2018 Rose Parade Grand Marshal.  Among his numerous film and television roles, it was his portrayal of Lt. Dan Taylor, which formed an enduring connection with servicemen and women throughout the military community. Gary’s involvement with veterans has included volunteer work for the USO, performances with his band, the Gary Sinise & Lt. Dan Band entertaining troops around the world, and the creation of the Gary Sinise Foundation which was formed in 2011 with the mission to honor America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need.