Gala to honor legacy of late president and CEO Jack Galmiche

St. Louis, MO — August 23, 2019 — Nine Network’s biennial Pioneer Spirit Gala will take place Saturday, September 21, at 6:00 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton.

The gala will honor the legacy of Jack Galmiche, president and CEO, who passed away suddenly in April, celebrate Nine’s 65th birthday, and feature a “Sparkle and Twang” theme tied to the September premiere of Ken Burns’ new epic documentary, Country Music.

Great music, food, storytelling, and some down-home fun are on tap as is a discussion with special guest—country music legend and historian—Marty Stuart. With an extensive collection of country music memorabilia and a lifetime of stories, Stuart appears throughout the Ken Burns’ series. The gala will end with a performance by Marty Stuart, along with His Fabulous Superlatives.

The documentary series premieres on Nine PBS at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 15.

“At the heart of every great country music song is a story,” says Ken Burns. “As the songwriter Harlan Howard said, ‘It’s three chords and the truth.’ The common experiences and human emotions speak to each of us about love and loss, about hard times and the chance of redemption. As an art form, country music is also forever revisiting its history, sharing and updating old classics and celebrating its roots, which are, in many ways, foundational to our country itself.”

Tickets, tables, and sponsorships for the gala are available at nineNet.org/gala. All proceeds benefit the Nine Network.

The fun continues the next day when Marty Stuart headlines the Nine Network’s 65th birthday concert on September 22 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Ticket information is at nineNet.org/birthdayconcert.

Nine Network’s 65th Birthday Weekend is supported in part by the Steward Family Foundation, Polarity, Emerson, Ameren, Boeing, Express Scripts, and Webster University.

The Nine Network of Public Media is a multifaceted organization creating a network of individuals and organizations empowered by public media to strengthen civic life. One of the nation’s most watched public television stations, Nine Network offers the people of the St. Louis region multiple ways to explore the world and become engaged in civic life. Nine’s platforms include four distinct broadcast channels (Nine PBS, Nine World, Nine Create and Nine PBS KIDS®), the Nine Center for Public Engagement, the Public Media Commons, social media, and multiple websites accessible at nineNet.org. Nine Network’s rich legacy of serving the community was launched in 1954 and continues through our vision of a strong and healthy community working together through public media and our mission of igniting the spirit of possibility.