Laine Hardy of American Idol fame is gearing up for a special 21st birthday with a livestream concert on Sunday, September 12, benefiting Volunteer Louisiana and The Louisiana Museum Foundation. Hardy is from Livingston, Louisiana, and the winner of the 17th season of the popular televised talent show.
“Hurricane Ida hit hard in my home state,” said Hardy. “So many people have been impacted and we wanted to find a way to help. I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday than playing a show for everyone.”
The event will take place at the home of the New Orleans Jazz Museum in the historic Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter and kicks off at 7 p.m. CT. For more information on how to tune in, visit here. Following the devastation that Hurricane Ida brought to Louisiana, Hardy felt a strong calling to give back to his community.
“Laine Hardy is a true Louisiana ambassador,” said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “He could have celebrated the release of his first album anywhere, but chose to celebrate at the New Orleans Jazz Museum because of his love of this state, the people and our unique culture. His desire to help his fellow Louisianans and bring awareness to the recovery efforts following Hurricane Ida truly shows the outstanding character of this young man, and further exemplifies why we are fortunate to have him represent our state.”
Hardy was six when he picked up his first guitar and later joined his brother playing in local clubs and bars for upwards of six hours a night, inspired by artists ranging from Luke Combs and Elvis Presley to Mark Broussard. After winning American Idol in 2019, Hardy focused on songwriting and touring, headlining shows in Denver, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Lexington and more. Laine’s 2020 “Ground I Grew Up On” virtual tour made 20-plus online stops, with views at 2 million and counting. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday, August 28, and just kicked off his Monster Energy Outbreak headlining tour with dates running through the end of the year. Tickets and information may be found here.
Hardy’s long-awaited 11-song debut album, Here’s To Anyone, will debut on September 17. Produced by Michael Knox (Jason Aldean), some of Nashville’s biggest hitmakers are represented on the project which includes “Authentic,” “Memorize You,” “Ground I Grew Up On,” “Tiny Town,” and more. The album is available to pre-order.
While Louisiana is home, Nashville is where Hardy was destined to be. There, he met his producer Michael Knox and the pair went to work on Laine’s 2020 music releases including his single “Tiny Town” (Michael Tyler), and tracks “Ground I Grew Up On” (Brandon Kinney, Josh Thompson, Brett Beavers), “Let There Be Country” (Jason Afable, Steve Moakler, Tim Nichols), “Other LA” (Laine Hardy, Andy Sheridan, Erik Dylan and Dan Isbell) on Buena Vista Records/Industrial Media’s 19 Recordings. The songs, which earned Hardy a Taste of Country RISER designation, tell the stories of Hardy’s childhood on the bayou where on an average day you’ll find him fishing, riding his four-wheeler, spending time with his family and dogs, and feasting on jambalaya or his grandmother’s traditional Korean kimchi.
Volunteer Louisiana, the state service commission for Louisiana, was established in 1993 under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and strives to promote national service and volunteerism throughout the state. With funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service and the state itself, Volunteer Louisiana oversees AmeriCorps state service programs, plus identifies needs and opportunities to grow national service and volunteerism to meet critical community needs. National service is about getting things done, strengthening our communities, encouraging civic responsibility and expanding opportunity. We encourage you to learn more about Volunteer Louisiana, who we serve and opportunities for you to serve in your community. Learn more at volunteerlouisiana.gov.
The New Orleans Jazz Museum celebrates jazz in the city where it was born. Through dynamic interactive exhibits, multigenerational educational programming, research facilities and engaging musical performances, the music New Orleans made famous is explored in all its forms. Housed in the historic Old U.S. Mint, strategically located at the intersection of the French Quarter and the Frenchmen Street live music corridor, the New Orleans Jazz Museum is in the heart of the city’s vibrant music scene. Through partnerships with local, national and international educational institutions, the New Orleans Jazz Museum promotes the global understanding of jazz as one of the most innovative, historically pivotal musical art forms in world history. Learn more at nolajazzmuseum.org.
