Miracle on Broadway
Miracle on Broadway was an annual Christmas benefit concert by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson. Presented by Live Nation, the first of a planned annual series of benefit concerts was held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on December 20, 2014 and featured musicians Reba, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Kacey Musgraves, Hayley Williams, Chad Gilbert, Charles Esten, Meghan Trainor, Martina McBride, Kix Brooks, and Deborah Allen performing renditions of various Christmas songs and tracks from Clarkson's Christmas album Wrapped in Red. The concert raised over US$500,000 ticket sales and donations for four charities based in Nashville: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Monroe Harding Children’s Home, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Thistle Farms. Clarkson had also announced plans to turn Miracle on Broadway into an annual benefit concert and planned to hold one in Bridgestone Arena on December 18, 2015. However, this concert was cancelled due to Clarkson's health complications during her second pregnancy. The 2016 concert was held on December 16, 2016.
Background
During the 2014 fall season, Clarkson conceived the idea of organizing a benefit concert during a rush-hour commute from Nashville to Hendersonville, Tennessee while preparing the release of her seventh studio album Piece by Piece. She had originally planned to organize a small concert for an intimate audience. But upon presenting the idea to her manager Narvel Blackstock, the concept developed into an arena concert featuring prominent musicians who at some point had lived in Nashville. Together, they invited Reba McEntire, Clarkson's mother-in-law and Blackstock's wife. She recalled, "I figured if I got, everyone would have to say yes. I've never asked an artist to do anything other than sing with me which a lot of people had said no and it hurts my feelings, which is okay." Clarkson later invited a various set of musicians: Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Kacey Musgraves, Hayley Williams, Chad Gilbert, Charles Esten, Meghan Trainor, Martina McBride, Kix Brooks, and Deborah Allen. She revealed, "I basically guilted people into it. And it was a very brave thing for me." Dolly Parton, whom she had also invited, had to turn down the offer due to scheduling conflicts. Clarkson had also revealed that other recording artists had also turned down the offer for the same reason but promised to participate for a 2015 concert. On the September 5, 2015 date of her Piece by Piece Tour at the Bridgestone Arena, she announced that the 2015 edition of the benefit concert would be held on December 18, 2015. She later announced that the concert in 2015 had been cancelled because of her health problems but promised to hold another concert in 2016. The concert in 2016 was held on December 16 and the guest musicians included Reba McEntire, Ronnie Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, RaeLynn, Charles Esten, The SteelDrivers and more.Clarkson, who was raised in modesty prior to winning the television competition American Idol in 2002, has cited that the main objective for Miracle on Broadway was to raise funds for Nashville charities as a means to give back to the community. She recalled, "We grew up in a duplex and a trailer. We grew up working really hard. We don't want to punish for being born into a family with money, but we want to make sure that they are a part of things like this from the get go. You can't grow up in your little world. There's a whole world out there, and there's people that are in need and to know how lucky they are." Blackstock had originally proposed to hold the concert for the 2015 Christmas season, but Clarkson insisted to hold it in 2014, after down-scaling the promotional campaign for her Christmas album Wrapped in Red in 2013 due to her then-pregnancy. Inspired by the title of the 1947 holiday feature Miracle on 34th Street, she named the concert as Miracle on Broadway after the Broadway Street, a major avenue and Bridgestone Arena's primary address in Nashville. Proceeds from the fundraising will be sent to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee for distribution to four Nashville charities: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Monroe Harding Children’s Home, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Thistle Farms. Clarkson remarked that the four charities were not randomly selected, saying "I have visited each of these organizations, and come to know the people who run them and volunteer and the people they serve. I am so grateful and proud to call Nashville home."