Upcoming “house guests” include Josh Turner, Emi Sunshine, Brown & Gray,
Autumn McEntire, Smithfield and more

Canadian Country music singer, songwriter Lindsay Ell; two-time Grammy-nominated artist James Slater; Hilary Williams, daughter of country legend Hank Williams Jr., and  identical twins Chandra and Leigh (The Watson Twins) joined rising acts Gabe Dixon, Philip Creamer and Emily West for a star-studded Nashville House Concert on Thursday.

The night kicked off with the It Is What It Is house band performing “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts, the theme song to “Friends.” Host Storme Warren then welcomed renaissance piano man, James Slater, who serenaded the crowd with his familiar hits including the Grammy-nominated “In My Daughter’s Eyes” – a Country classic recorded by Martina McBride.

Slater also has had songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Lorrie Morgan, Mark Wills, and many more. Lastly, he thanked his mother for not allowing him to give up piano at 14-years-old.

Tackling the Nashville House Concerts songwriter challenge tradition were West and Slater, who teamed up to write a song using words provided by the audience like armadillo, tie dye, excruciating, cheetah, tavern, javelin, and bride. At one point, Slater joked and said, “I don’t even know how to spell that word.”

Referred to as “The duchess of Davidson County” by Warren was Season 9 runner-up of America’s Got Talent, Emily West. She looked classically elegant wearing a knee length leopard print dress with a 50s inspired hairstyle. Her flawless vocals and melodic sound captivated listeners during the performance of her latest single “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” accompanied by The Whiskey Wolves of the West.

“Music heals” seemed to be the recurring theme of the night especially for singer, songwriter Williams who recalled her near-death experience in 2006. After more than a decade of putting her thoughts into lyrics, Williams new album “My Lucky Scars” was born. She gave credit to her family, friends and Niki Taylor (who was also in a terrible car accident) for continuing to inspire her to follow her musical journey.

Hilary Williams shares the journey behind her album ‘My Lucky Scars.’ Photo by Derrick Minyard.

Also, hailing from Dallas, Texas, was rock musician Creamer who is known for his nostalgic and timeless sound. Warren quotes, “If you like Queen, David Bowie, The Beatles and Roy Orbison then you will enjoy this next artist Philip Creamer. Thanks to musicians like him, rock n’ roll will never die.”

Continuing the momentum was identical twins Chandra and Leigh Watson of The Watson Twins, whose beauty and charm resonated with the audience. Pianist and vocalist, Gabe Dixon also performed and shared with audience members that at age 23 he turned down a job offer to go on tour with Paul McCartney to follow his solo career.

Lastly, came female shredding guitarist, Ell, who joked with audience members that the show would still go on without her after her guitar came unplugged on stage during her guitar solo. She also thanked her fans from the bottom of her heart for her last song of the evening, the radio friendly hit “Criminal.”

“It’s crazy how one song can change your life and life has definitely changed after this song,” said Ell.

Every performance of the monthly Nashville House Concerts showcases a diverse blend of talent from chart-topping artists, music legends, rising stars and accomplished songwriters and includes musical performances, imaginative interviews, surprise guests and unpredictably funny experiences.

Upcoming “house guests” include Josh Turner, Emi Sunshine, Brown & Gray, Autumn McEntire, Smithfield and more with individual show line ups to be announced soon.

Presented by Coca-Cola with partners Chef’s Market, Music City Light, NASH Icon 95.5 FM and NASH 103.3 FM, Nashville House Concerts take place the first Thursday of each month through June 2019.

The show is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. CT.