Free Concert, Fireworks, $8 Cruises And More Scheduled Honoring 25 Years Of Crusing The Cumberland
General Jackson Showboat’s Silver Anniversary Includes Exciting 4th of July Weekend Events!
Nashville, Tenn—( June 18, 2010 )A true Music City icon—and one of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center’s most visible and popular attractions—is celebrating a milestone this year, and to commemorate the occasion, a concert featuring country heartthrob Chuck Wicks, a fireworks show, $8 excursion cruises and more are planned for Friday, July 2, 2010, at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The festivities honoring the General Jackson’s 25th anniversary sponsored by Coke Zero are free and open to the public. In conjunction with the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau’s annual Music City July 4th: Let Freedom Sing! event, guests will have plenty to see and do in Nashville for the Independence Day weekend.
“We are celebrating a big milestone with the General Jackson’s 25th anniversary. Our showboat is actually only one of a few still in operation today, and we want to commemorate this occasion in a big way with all of our fans,” said Pete Weien, senior vice president and general manager of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. “We are excited to partner with the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau for our free concert featuring Chuck Wicks and fireworks show. This event is just the beginning of a weekend jam-packed with exciting activities in Music City for the 4th.”
“The General Jackson Showboat has set the highest of standards for riverboat cruising for 25 years,” said John R. Groundwater, executive director of the Passenger Vessel Association, which represents the owners and operators of dinner cruise vessels, sightseeing and excursion vessels and more. “Like its namesake, the General Jackson has become a Nashville icon, conjuring up thrilling images of steamboat life on America’s western rivers of old. This 25th anniversary is a major milestone for this magnificent vessel and for the city in which it sails.”
The General Jackson Showboat, built by Jeffersonville, Indiana-based Jeffboat, was launched April 20, 1985 and was christened July 2, 1985 in grand style. Crowds gathered on the riverbanks of what is now known as Riverfront Park to watch the 300-foot authentic paddlewheeler make its majestic appearance into Music City. That event, commemorated by some of Nashville’s most popular and well-known stars, including Grand Ole Opry icon Porter Wagoner and Thelma Gaylord, of the family who owned and directed the then Opryland Hotel, started a tradition in Music City that, 25 years later, is only beginning.
“The Gaylord Opryland family is not only celebrating the silver anniversary of the General Jackson but the reemergence of this great vessel following the flood that devastated our city last month,” Weien said. “The General Jackson is one of five Gaylord properties affected by the floodwaters. We have certainly endured many changes and challenges over the past 25 years, but one thing is for certain: We are returning bigger and better than ever before.”
In honor of the reemergence of the city from the historic flood, the General Jackson is hosting an appreciation cruise for Hands on Nashville volunteers. The nonprofit organization founded in 1991 refers or places 38,000 volunteers to projects in more than 30 area service agencies and schools. Thousands of volunteers from Hands on Nashville have participated in the recovery efforts in Music City, and volunteers will be treated to a brunch cruise the morning of Friday, July 2, 2010.
The concert featuring Chuck Wicks will begin at 8 p.m. on the stages of Riverfront Park. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The first 1,000 guests to the concert will receive a complimentary General Jackson 25th anniversary commemorative T-shirt. The fireworks will begin immediately following the concert at the same location.
Wicks, a country singer who took the charts by storm with his top 5 debut single “Stealing Cinderella” in 2007, is a crafted songwriter who has penned several songs with award-winning writers including Rivers Rutherford, Monty Powell and Wendell Mobley. He caught the nation’s attention when he appeared on ABC’s smash hit Dancing with the Stars in 2008. His new, follow-up album was released in May 2010 and includes “Hold That Thought,” which is already climbing the charts.
Also as a part of the General Jackson’s 25th anniversary event are several other exciting opportunities:
- ‘80s Night Party Cruise on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. The General Jackson started cruising in the middle of what has been described as the “most radical decade,” and the boat is throwing one radical party! Break out those leg warmers, parachute pants, high-top sneakers and big hair for a fun-filled night of ‘80s music and fun on the Hurricane Deck aboard the General Jackson!
- Celebrity Captains. Some of Middle Tennessee’s most beloved celebrities are helping the General Jackson commemorate its 25th anniversary by serving as “Celebrity Captains” throughout the week: Charlie Chase, radio and television host best known for his work on The Nashville Network’s Crook & Chase, on Wednesday, June 30, 2010; Lelan Statom, Emmy-award winning meteorologist for Nashville’s WTVF-TV station, on Thursday, July 1, 2010; and Philip Gibbons, award-winning radio host for Cookeville’s WGSQ-FM, the Country Giant, on Friday, July 2, 2010.
- $8 excursion cruises throughout the afternoon of Friday, July 2, 2010. These cruises, offered at the same rate as cruises from 1985, are the perfect way for guests to experience the General Jackson for the first time or for those who have previously ridden it, to get reacquainted with the iconic showboat. And no “birthday party” would be complete without birthday cake and punch, complimentary to all ticketholders for these excursion cruises. Tickets are available onboard the boat, which will be docked downtown for its 25th anniversary event on Friday, July 2, 2010.
- Walk-through exhibit, available throughout the remainder of the summer. While onboard, guests will have the opportunity to visit an exhibit with photos, artifacts and more collected during the boat’s 25-year existence. This walk-through exhibit, located in the Heritage Hall aboard the General Jackson, is free to the public.
- Memories contest. Fans are also able to enter a contest to win free tickets aboard the General Jackson. The contest is in search of the best memories that have been made on the General Jackson. Those memories can be e-mailed to gjackmemories@generaljackson.com by 5 p.m. on July 2, 2010. Five entries will be selected, and winners will receive a voucher good for them and a guest to an evening cruise on the legendary boat. Full contest details are available on www.generaljackson.com/25.
- Vacation packages for the General Jackson are available at participating hotels on Music Valley Drive.
In its schedule, the General Jackson is currently featuring two country music shows. For midday cruises, audiences of all ages will love Tim Watson’s Fiddlin’ Around, a high-energy country music and comedy show that features the fantastic fiddle playing, down-home humor and winning personality of its star, Tim Watson. Country Music USA presented by Sam Adams is the evening cruise option and features some of Music City’s most energetic and talented performers showcasing songs made popular by country legends like Hank Williams, Sr., Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, as well as the biggest stars from today, such as Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood. The cruise includes a prime rib dinner.
Media interested in interviews or photos/video of the General Jackson should contact Ann Dee McClane-Bunn in Gaylord Opryland’s media department for more information.
For more information on the concert, memories contest, vacation packages or tickets, please visit www.GeneralJackson.com or call 615-458-3900 between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
About The General Jackson Showboat
The General Jackson Showboat is the largest of its kind in the world. Available for midday and evening cruises year-round, the General Jackson Showboat offers exceptional dining and entertainment including country music, parties and special-event cruises. The General Jackson is owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.generaljackson.com.
# # #
Media Contacts:
Ann Dee McClane-Bunn, 615-305-8718
amcclane-bunn@gaylordhotels.com
Richard Rittenberry, 615-812-5275
rrittenberry@generaljackson.com
