The Power of the Purse® will be a celebration of The Women’s Fund through the voices and lyrical anthems of songwriters – Aimee Mayo, RaeLynn, and Regina McCrary, hosted by moderator Jennifer Vickery Smith.

AIMEE MAYO

Aimee Mayo is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and author.  Her songs have spent twenty-six weeks in the #1 spot on the Billboard charts including megahits, “Amazed” and “This One’s For The Girls.” Her songs have been recorded by some of the most successful recording artists of our time including Backstreet Boys, Sara Evans, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw among countless others. Aimee is one of the few females to receive both BMI’s Country Song of the Year, and BMI’s Country Songwriter of the year, putting her in the company of music icons Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Loretta Lynn.

Aimee channels her troubled childhood and an abusive marriage into her newly published memoir, Talking to the Sky. Fifteen years in the making, Talking to the Sky is a harrowing and hilarious story of believing in faith over fear and resilience when faced with adversity. 

RAELYNN

After her success on Team Blake in the wildly popular season two of NBC’s The Voice, RaeLynn moved to Nashville to pursue her country music career.  Her debut single, “God Made Girls,” was a top ten smash at country radio. Her album WildHorse topped the Billboard Country Music Albums chart in 2017, signaling that RaeLynn was a force at radio and in the heartland like no other. Since her arrival in Music City, RaeLynn has scored two Academy of Country Music nominations, Platinum and Gold singles, while touring alongside heroes and friends Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Garth Brooks and Florida Georgia Line. Her most recent EP on Round Here Records, Baytown, showcases her undeniable gift of storytelling alongside her engaging personality and ability to connect with global audiences with nearly 60 million streams.

RaeLynn credits growing up in Baytown, Texas, outside of Houston, to her eclectic musical influences which range from “hip-hop to Houston Rodeo.” A fierce advocate for those struggling with diabetes, RaeLynn created The RaeLynn Diabetes Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in 2016. Her career showcases one of perseverance and an unashamed and empowering voice for women all over the world.

REGINA MCCRARY

Regina McCrary is the daughter of the late Rev. Samuel McCrary – the lead singer of the legendary gospel quartet, The Fairfield Four, which began recording in the 1920’s.  The 90-year- old vocal group was featured in the film “O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?” 

At age seven, Regina began her music career traveling with Nashville’s BCM Mass Choir as one of its soloists, where she was nominated for a Grammy as a teenager.  In addition to her expansive recording and live performance work with Bob Dylan, she also performed with Elvis (at age 12), toured with Stevie Wonder (at age 19), shared the stage with Aretha Franklin, and has worked with Johnny Cash, Patty Griffin, Dr. Bobby Jones, Buddy Guy, Dr. John and many others. 

As an actress, she toured for 4 years with Tyler Perry.  She’s an author of A Mother’s Prayer and a playwright.  As a member of  The McCrary Sisters, she continues spreading her family legacy of innovative gospel music.  Nashville’s Americana godfather, Buddy Miller, has called The McCrary Sisters “a national treasure.”

JENNIFER VICKERY SMITH

From Dolly Parton to Tim McGraw, and many of Christian music’s brightest stars, Jennifer Vickery Smith has interviewed some of Music City’s most popular and intriguing music artists as a freelance entertainment reporter and producer.  Her work has been seen on Fox News, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, EXTRA, Good Morning America and locally on WSMV Channel 4 News. 

Jennifer teaches a class about Nashville’s rich music history at Brentwood Academy and enjoys travelling in her RV affectionately known as “Dolly”  with her husband and two sons.