Margo Price called a concert she gave on Tuesday, December 9, "one of the most important gigs of my career," according to a release. It was not for a huge audience, but definitely a crucial one. That concert was presented by Price and her band for more than 400 female inmates at West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning. More specifically, it was performed for those in the Women's Therapeutic Residential Center, which is part of the Penitentiary.
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Why This Concert Was So Important
The show's meaning transcended mere entertainment alone. It brought disparate people together, hopefully increased awareness of complex aspects of the prison system like recidivism and mental health issues, and helped to uplift these women through the sublime power of song. Judging from Price's brimming enthusiasm, it did all that and much more.
The show was done in conjunction with the Tennessee Innocence Project. Price was accompanied by Joyce Watkins, 78, who spent nearly three decades in prison for a serious crime she never committed. Today, Watkins is an activist and spokesperson. She knows this kind of dire and unfair situation all too well.
Price, 42, was intensely moved by what happened the day she staged the concert. In fact, she intends to drop a live LP and a documentary about this deeply personal and transformative music-based event.
What Price Said About the Experience
Per the release via her Substack, "Rawdoggin' Reality," Price wrote, "I've never felt that kind of emotional, receptive energy from an audience before. They needed to hear the music, and I needed to deliver it."
Price went on further. It feels like she could barely encapsulate the thrilling, epiphany-like quality of the occasion. "They sang along, stomped, and clapped in time with the drums.. but more than anything, they listened. Deeply. They took in every lyric, felt it in their bones, laughed when it was right, and lived the songs with us."
The country singer added, "For about sixty minutes, we all became one with the music. There was undulation, dancing, cheering, smiling, weeping. I was moved to tears more than once, and even now, thinking back, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude."
Margo Price is nominated for two 2026 Grammys for her LP, Hard Headed Woman. Wining would be great, but probably nothing will compare to the elation and wonder Price felt at that Tennessee prison.
