Dollywood to Showcase 'Class of 2016' from Big Machine Records

The sounds of country music's next generation take center stage at Dollywood Sept. 18-20, when four new artists with Big|Brave Machine Records "Class of 2016" are introduced to park visitors in shows throughout the weekend.

Big|Brave Machine Label Group Weekend allows the powerhouse record label to showcase its next generation of hit makers as they begin their ascension up the charts. While The Band Perry concert is a separately-ticketed event, concerts by members of Big|Brave Machine's "Class of 2016" are included with Dollywood park admission.

From Nashville, Tennessee, Levi Hummon has songwriting in his blood. Regularly co-writing with his father, who happens to be a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, Hummon has written with a number of greats, including 2014 Academy of Country Music Songwriter of the Year Shane MacAnally. Hummon currently is writing and recording his first full-length album.

Seth Alley hails from Sparta, Tennessee and considers himself a storyteller. The progression to songwriter, therefore, only made sense. He formed his first band at 14, and began commuting to Nashville in search of a record deal. Now with Big|Brave Machine Records, Alley is set to play the Grand Ole Opry on Sept. 12, just days in advance of his Dollywood appearance.

Tucker Beathard started playing drums and guitar at 10-years-old. Now 20, Beathard is working on his debut album and has booked shows with country superstars including Dierks Bentley, Eric Church and Keith Urban. He had an early immersion into songwriting through his father, a two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year.

Tara Thompson was raised in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and moved to Nashville as a teen, where she quickly became a featured act in Nashville's premier honky tonks. A talented songwriter, Tara recently enjoyed opening several shows for her relative, country music legend Loretta Lynn, before thousands of fans.

In addition to The Band Perry, Big|Brave Machine Records' all-star lineup includes Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, Ronnie Dunn, Reba, Martina McBride and Steven Tyler.

The Band Perry highlights Dollywood's Showcase of Stars, a concert series designed to benefit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Parton announced the return of the concert series in March as part of the Dollywood's 30th anniversary season. Parton, whose last benefit concert at Dollywood was in 2005, kicked off the series with four sold-out concerts Aug. 8-9 at D.P.'s Celebrity Theater, and raised $500,000 in the process. Showcase of Stars offers guests the experience of great performances in an intimate setting, while allowing them to simultaneously support a worthy cause. Kenny Rogers is set to perform as part of the concert series on Sunday, Sept. 27.

For more information about Dollywood, please visit www.Dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.

About The Dollywood Company: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 150-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood's Splash Country; Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Cabins; and Dollywood's DreamMore Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry's highest accolade; winner of nearly 30 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 24 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). In 2014, Dollywood was named a top three theme park by USA Today. Dollywood, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015, is open nine months a year (late March through early January) and offers rides and attractions, shows, and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood's Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the country's most beautiful waterparks and named 2009's Must-See Waterpark by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Cabins offers luxurious cabin accommodations overlooking Dollywood. The 300-room Dollywood's DreamMore Resort provides guests spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood's Splash Country. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.

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