In honor of the landmark 60th anniversary of the FHU Benefit Dinner, supporters of Freed-Hardeman University are invited to join a very special celebration at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, Thursday, January 16, 2025. This year’s event will feature a performance by award-winning country group Shenandoah and a conversation with legendary star Clint Black. Black will also perform a short acoustic set for attendees.
“As we celebrate 60 years of the Benefit Dinner in the Ryman Auditorium, the home of country music, we are thrilled to welcome two amazing artists,” said FHU President David R. Shannon. “The opportunity to gather with the FHU family in this iconic venue, enjoying both insightful interviews and memorable performances, is truly exciting.”
GRAMMY®, CMA and ACM Award-winning hitmakers Shenandoah, fueled by Marty Raybon’s distinctive vocals and the band’s skilled musicianship, are celebrated for delivering such hits as “Two Dozen Roses,” “Church on Cumberland Road” and “Next to You, Next to Me” as well as such classics as “I Want to be Loved Like That” and the GRAMMY® winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart” duet with Alison Krauss. To date, the group has sold millions of albums worldwide and has over 300 million on-demand streams.
The band is no stranger to Freed-Hardeman, having previously used its campus as the filming location of the music video for their song “In My Book,” released in 2023. Several FHU students were featured in this national video.
Clint Black first achieved superstardom as part of country music’s famous “Class of ’89” and reached number one with five consecutive singles from his triple-platinum debut, “Killin’ Time.” Black wrote or co-wrote every one of his more than three dozen chart hits, including “A Better Man,” “Killin’ Time,” “When My Ship Comes In,” “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” “Summer’s Comin’,” “Like the Rain” and “Nothin’ But the Taillights,” part of a catalog that produced 22 number one singles and made him one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the modern era.
Black has sold over 20 million records, earned more than a dozen gold and platinum awards in the U.S. and Canada including a GRAMMY®, landed nearly two dozen major awards and nominations, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition to touring throughout North America, Black hosts his own television talk show “Talking in Circles With Clint Black” on Circle TV.
FHU’s largest fundraising event of the year provides supporters with an opportunity not only to help bridge the financial gap that many students face with rising tuition costs but also to hear some of the nation’s leading personalities and entertainers.
From a rather humble beginning in 1965, the Benefit Dinner has grown into an event that typically raises more than $1 million each year for student scholarships. For many years, it has even been the largest single night fundraiser in the state.
Led in the early years by the Freed-Hardeman College Advisory Board, the dinner primarily featured preachers, educators and church leaders. In 1979, the dinner raised more than $100,000 for the first time when legendary radio commentator Paul Harvey spoke.
Since then, a parade of notable Americans including nationally known entertainers, athletes, news commentators and state and national government leaders have spoken. Governors, senators and former presidents have visited the FHU campus. The 2001 dinner featuring Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf was the first to reach the million dollar mark, setting a new standard for future dinners. Over the last 60 years, this dinner has raised more than $36 million and helped thousands of students enjoy the benefits of Christian education.
Due to current large-scale renovations to Loyd (soon to be renamed Dryden) Auditorium, in conjunction with the FHU NEXT campaign for campus improvements, this anniversary event will go “on the road” to embrace the musical and historical legacy of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. This location, originally conceived as a religious venue, also once hosted the famous Hardeman Tabernacle Sermons, a series of gospel sermons preached by FHU namesake and former president N.B. Hardeman. Because of this year’s location, a dinner will not be included as part of the event, but attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous unique food options available in Nashville.
Forever Communications is the premier media sponsor for the event. Tickets and sponsorships are currently available. General admission tickets are $150. Sponsorships begin at $600. Those interested in more information may call 731-989-6017. Tickets may be purchased at fhu.edu/give/benefitdinner.