INTRODUCTION

A TRIBUTE BUILT ON MEMORY NOT NOISE

There are tribute concerts designed to impress — and then there are those designed to remember. Gone But Not Forgotten belongs to the second kind. This is not an event chasing spectacle or headlines. It is a gathering shaped by gratitude, reflection, and the understanding that music does not disappear when a voice goes quiet. It stays — in stories, in influence, and in the people who still carry it forward.

On February 28, at Skipper’s Smokehouse, WMNF brings together a community of listeners and musicians to honor several towering artists whose absence was felt deeply in 2025. This is not about recreating the past. It is about acknowledging the weight of it.

WHY THIS NIGHT MATTERS

The artists remembered at Gone But Not Forgotten shaped American music in ways that do not fade with time. They wrote songs that outlived trends. They played notes that traveled farther than charts could track. And they gave listeners language for things that were difficult to say out loud.

The evening honors the spirit and legacy of artists such as Todd Snider, Steve Cropper of Booker T and the MGs, Raúl Malo, Sly Stone, Ace Frehley, and the towering presence of Ozzy Osbourne. Each name represents a different corner of the musical map — folk, soul, Americana, funk, rock — yet all are connected by authenticity.

THE HEART OF THE NIGHT TODD SNIDER

At the emotional center of this tribute is TODD SNIDER, a songwriter whose work blended AMERICANA, FOLK, ROOTS ROCK, and sharp witted storytelling into something unmistakably his own. Born in Portland, Oregon, Snider later became a defining voice of the East Nashville songwriting community — not because he chased recognition, but because he told the truth plainly.

Songs like While We Still Have a Chance now land differently. They feel less like commentary and more like reminders. Snider’s music asked listeners to pay attention — to people, to time, to moments that slip past if we are not careful. That message is precisely why this tribute exists.

A PLACE THAT UNDERSTANDS MUSIC

Choosing SKIPPER’S SMOKEHOUSE as the venue is not incidental. It is a room that understands music as conversation, not product. A place where songs are allowed to breathe, where silence between notes still means something. For seasoned listeners, that setting matters as much as the performers.

Doors open at 5:00 PM, not to rush anyone, but to allow the evening to unfold naturally — the way good music always has.

NOT A MEMORIAL BUT A CONTINUATION

What makes Gone But Not Forgotten resonate is that it refuses to frame these artists as frozen in time. Instead, it treats their work as living influence. Their songs continue to shape writers, players, and listeners who may never have met them — but know them intimately through sound.

This is not nostalgia repackaged. It is relevance without volume.

WHY OLDER LISTENERS FEEL THIS DEEPLY

For those who have lived long enough to watch music cycles come and go, this night carries particular weight. It recognizes that artistry is not measured by algorithms or attention spans. It is measured by endurance. By whether a song still speaks when the room is quiet.

And these songs still speak.

A PROMISE KEPT

Gone But Not Forgotten is more than a title. It is a commitment. A promise that the voices we lost in 2025 will not be reduced to footnotes or playlists. They will be remembered the way they deserve to be remembered — together, out loud, and with respect.

Some nights are meant to entertain.
Others are meant to honor.

This one does both — and reminds us that while voices may fade, music never truly leaves.