Jeff JohnsonThe Chris Young Cafe at the singer’s alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University, is officially open.
On Tuesday, the university in Chris’ hometown of Murfreesboro hosted the grand opening of the newly renovated cafe. It’ll serve as an entertainment venue on campus, where students can learn and refine their skills in music business, audio production, songwriting, lighting and rigging, and more. The Cafe can accommodate 240 people post-pandemic and 74 people during the pandemic to allow for social distancing. It features an elegant stage and a portrait of Chris on the wall. The singer also donated microphones, soundboards and other equipment from his previous tours.
“This is a huge honor,” Chris said during the grand opening, thanking MTSU for providing him with a “breadth of musical knowledges” including jazz education and learning how to sing in multiple languages.
Representatives from the university also unveiled a plaque in front of the Cafe commemorating Chris’ career.
The hitmaker hopes that student artists use the Cafe as a safe space to learn and display their talent through live performances, comedy shows and radio broadcasts. “I hope everyone finds a use for this space,” he said. “This means the world to me.”
The Grammy nominee christened the stage with the debut live performance of his current single, “Famous Friends,” a duet with Kane Brown that will be featured on his upcoming album.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
