NASHVILLE, TN — The renowned Medical Musical Group to celebrate Veterans’ Day in Nashville on Friday, November 10 at 7 pm at the Grand Ole Opry House. America’s premiere chorale and symphony orchestra comprised of musically gifted doctors, nurses, volunteers and others in the medical field will be joined by a variety of celebrity guest performers whose mission is to inspire a world of peace, hope and inspiration through music. Country recording artist and tv personality, Jessie James Decker and world-class entertainer Deana Martin will join the acclaimed group of over 200 musicians and vocalists as special guests. Hosting the evening at the Grand Ole Opry House will be Circle TV network host, Runaway June’s Natalie Stovall alongside iconic tv and radio host Storme Warren.
The concert will be Patriotically themed around Veteran’s Day with title, “AN AMERICAN RESURRECTION: Yes, I’ll Rise Again!” to benefit children of military families who battle cancer at Vanderbilt, St. Jude’s, and Shriners Hospitals, as well as raise awareness about veteran’s physical and mental health. Well renowned musicians and directors from the group include Victor Wahby (Senior Conductor), Joe A. Fitzpatrick (Chorus Master), and Joseph Car (Associate Conductor) who share the passion for helping veterans and promoting patriotism. With discounted tickets for veterans and senior citizens, the whole family can celebrate all who have served at one of the most prestigious concert halls with tickets available for all ages five and up. A limited number of tickets will be made available to veterans at no cost through Vettix.com.
In MMG concerts you don’t need to ask if there is a doctor in the house! Award-winning Medical Musical Group is considered by many to be the world’s premier integrated medical chorale and symphony orchestra. Core members are “healers” – doctors, nurses, and community volunteers from Veterans and other US medical centers and schools all over the USA. MMG’s mission is to perform “Music with a Message” – of healing, hope, inspiration, patriotism at home, and peace and international brotherhood and sisterhood overseas. They deeply cherish America’s veterans and share a genuine and heartfelt concern for their issues. Many MMG performances were broadcast on TV, as too will be the Grand Ole Opry House concert. Medical Musical Group received the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Bob Hope Award for its service to veterans, and particularly, its Veteran’s hymn.
Singer, songwriter, TV personality, fashion designer, beauty and lifestyle influencer/entrepreneur and 2x New York Times best-selling author, Jessie James Decker has emerged as a multi-platform juggernaut juggling fashion brands like her personally designed Kittenish line with three retail stores and growing, along with her television hosting duties. Signed to Warner Music Nashville, Jessie’s passion for music has made the multi-talented artist one of music’s true breakout firebrands. The singer’s authentic style immediately captivated listeners everywhere on her 2009 self-titled debut. She continued to keep it real with her second studio album, 2017’s Southern Girl City Lights, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Now it’s onto a new musical chapter of growth and empowerment with her new single “Should Have Known Better” and The Woman I’ve Become EP, out now. Jessie lives with her husband, retired NFL player Eric Decker, and their three children, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Deana Martin is a world-class entertainer who is equally comfortable with a celebrated symphony, at a legendary concert hall, or on an intimate cabaret stage with a swinging jazz quintet. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, a gifted actor, a vocalist of incredible depth and passion, and a licensed pilot. When talent is part of the family pedigree it can sometimes be difficult for an artist to forge an individual path, Deana Martin has successfully navigated that tricky terrain.
Egyptian-born Dr. Wahby is one of those truly authentic Renaissance Men. His is an amazing track record of peak achievements in multiple, diverse fields of human endeavor. So, it is challenging to try to encapsulate it in one brief account. Despite the fact that he did not earn a formal musical degree, Dr. Wahby describes himself as a “life-long learner” of music. He started his music education with Joseph El-Sisi, the Vienna- trained conductor of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. Later, he tutored with several distinguished conductors in Beirut, Lebanon; London, England; Chicago, IL; and Washington, DC. Dr. Wahby directed full house MMG performances at major Concert Halls all across the USA, e.g. Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, DAR Constitution Hall, Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theatre, Las Vegas Hilton “Elvis” Theater, Kennedy Center, Peabody Conservatory, San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, Schlesinger Concert Hall, Strathmore Hall. Also, at the White House, the US Congress, the Pentagon, and for the United Nations — as well as in over 30 foreign nations. Dr. Wahby says “We come to the Opry House with a sense of awe and profound respect. It is hallowed ground for us”. He has programmed a variety musical show akin to the Capitol concerts, but — with the lions share dedicated to country music.
Joe Fitzpatrick has served as the Worship and Music Pastor at Nashville First Baptist since May 2009 after having served for twenty years as Worship Pastor for Park Hill Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Previously he has served churches in Jacksonville, Florida, Fort Worth, Texas, and in Oklahoma. He holds degrees in trumpet, voice, and conducting from Oklahoma State University (BME) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MCM). Mr. Fitzpatrick is a Past-President of The Southern Baptist Church Music Conference and the world-renown Grammy and Dove Award-nominated recording/touring ensemble, The CenturyMen. He is a member of and featured soloist with The Nashville Symphony Chorus and was just recently appointed to the position of Tenor Section Leader. He sings with the Tennessee Baptist Men’s Chorale and completed a two-year term serving as their President in November 2021. He has also served as President of The Arkansas Master’Singers Men’s Chorus and served as a host for the Metro Music Conference and Getty Music Sing Conferences. You may see him from time to time singing The National Anthem at various Nashville area professional and university sporting events. He sang the role of Kaspar in Gian Carlo Menotti’s one- act opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, with the Nashville Symphony.
Associate conductor Dr. Joseph Car has been a member of the MMG for many years. He also was in internal medicine practice for twenty years at the Hometown Healthcare Clinic in Spencer, IN. Dr. Car began his musical career on piano and trumpet and was student conductor of his high school, and of the Franklin and Marshall College Bands. During his senior year in college, he enrolled in an independent study of music theory and conducting in association with a visiting scholar program at Millersville (PA) University. While at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia he continued his studies with faculty from The Curtis Institute and performances with the Philadelphia Doctors Orchestra. After establishing a medical practice in Chicago he continued his studies with mentors in Chicago and performances with the Northside Symphony Orchestra and the “Do It Yourself Messiah Orchestra.” Dr.Car has studied orchestra and wind band conducting with faculty from Indiana University, Northwestern University, Temple University, North Texas State University, The Rose City Chamber Orchestra, and the Bohuslav Marinu Philharmonic Orchestra, Zlin, Czech Republic. In addition to his duties with the MMG, Dr. Car is the Associate Conductor of the Bloomington Community Band and is a member of the Percussion section of the World Doctors Orchestra, Berlin, Germany.
