Three Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees will share an evening of songs and stories on October 10, with proceeds supporting students pursuing education at the SWVA Higher Ed Center.
Music will help open doors for students this fall as three of Nashville’s most celebrated songwriters come together in Abingdon.
The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center Foundation will present the Richard Leigh & Friends Memorial Scholarship Concert on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Grand Hall at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Richard Leigh will be joined by fellow songwriters Tony Arata and Roger Cook for an intimate evening featuring memorable music and the stories behind it. All three performers are members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Leigh is best known for writing “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” recorded by Crystal Gayle, which earned him a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Song. Arata wrote the Garth Brooks hit “The Dance,” while Cook’s acclaimed catalog includes “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” and “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.”
Together, the three songwriters will offer guests a rare opportunity to experience familiar songs from the perspective of the people who created them.
At the heart of the concert is a shared commitment to expanding educational opportunities in Southwest Virginia. Proceeds will support memorial scholarships for students pursuing education through programs offered at the Higher Ed Center.
The scholarships honor the legacies of Rachel Fowlkes, Joe Johnson, Bob Jones, Bob Keene, Sam Neese, Pat Callebs, and David and Roberta Looney. Each scholarship supported by the concert will be awarded to a student pursuing education at the Center.
Scholarships can ease the financial cost of continuing an education and help students remain on track toward their goals. Through this event, the Foundation will carry forward the legacies of those being honored while investing in students and the future workforce of Southwest Virginia.
Tickets are $40 per seat, and a limited number of private tables may be reserved for $1,000. Advance purchase is encouraged.
Those who cannot attend the concert can still support students by making a gift to the memorial scholarship effort.
Learn more, purchase tickets or make a scholarship gift at www.swcenter.edu/richardleigh.
