Chasing Legacy | ONC2023

Chapter 2: Don't Rain On My Parade

HARLOWE

While the tart but sweet lime wedges from my club soda perform cartwheels inside my mouth, I imagine taking a paintbrush to color today in sunny yellow smiles. Like Van Gogh's Sunflowers. He painted them to express a visual for gratitude and that's precisely what I'm feeling. Enjoying a bath, I happily soak in both. Yesterday was such a wholesome day.

The Heartland Foundation Do Good Gala was back and in Nashville for the first time in its existence. The organization as a whole believes in lifting lives through the power of music. Yearly awards are given to the most deserving artists during a liveshow. While in the same week a gala is being held to shine the spotlight on the grant recipients from the Foundation. It goes without saying they have strong ties within the industry of country music. Ultimately, that's how I received a call.

Like the Golden Globes have their famous children as Ambassadors, the Heartland Foundation asked me to be their social media reporter for the Do Good Gala. Who doesn't lend a hand when your help is asked for charity? I agreed to take the job on the spot. Deciding to push my luck, I scored a place in the musical lineup for one of our own artists. Inspired by Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans who once graciously sang Great Is Thy Faithfulness during the ACM Awards, I suggested Noli Robinson could sing Amazing Grace during the Do Good Gala.

Noli is a singer-songwriter that my father signed to Nickel Recording & Publishing after she completed a teaching stint at the Berklee Campus in Valencia and a marvelous holiday in Paris. Or so she says. To introduce her from our label, she had cut the hymn. To this day, it holds significance to her. Telling the Foundation that story, wrapped my suggestion in a bow.

Additionally, I knew partaking in the event as a host would give me the chance to present myself and let people know that I had more capabilities than being a 'Famous Daughter.' Speaking to artists like Mickey Guyton, Maren Morris, Trisha Yearwood, Carly Pearce and Keith Urban showed off my wit and integrity. Especially the chat I had with Trisha was a blast. She teased me about the fact that she released four albums before I was even born. When we said our goodbyes, she confessed to me she was a fan of Music City's Triptych. And that, during the band's heyday, she had a crush on my dad, Harrison.

Take that, Garth!

The funny conversation with Trisha spurred me on to speak with Deacon Blye. Besides the fact that he's the reigning popular Prince of Country and the winner of this year's Heartland Award for Song of the Year with Definite Scar, the guy is signed to the record label my parents' former bandmate had created. That made me curious to ask for his take on it when he's confronted with me, their daughter.

When I found Deacon in the backstage area of the theater, he was three royal sheets in the wind. Egged on by his friend, which made the scene more pathetic.

"How professional at a charity gala," I muttered. In my head, I went through a risk assessment to establish if I dared to interview a drunk Deacon. Opting out, because it could've reflected poorly on me, I turned around to leave as quietly as I came. Almost making it out of there, Deacon abruptly called me out.

"If it isn't Nashville's Sweetheart, click your heels three times and go home."

The dismissal in his voice was evident. He wasn't the only one who dismissed me straight away. Being born to renowned musician parents with former and recent successes, fans and haters seemed to think I'm being waited on hand and foot. That I'm a moocher. To them, it was, and still is, impossible to consider that I actually developed an inquisitive brain and a dynamic personality. I was used to these assumptions. For some reason though, I decided to stand up for myself this time. I circled back to square off against Mr. Popular.