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Join us to celebrate the past 25 years of LeAnn's career with all the hits, from her first release, "Blue", to her brand new album, "god's work". New London (May 3, 2023) – The Garde Arts Center is proud to share that LeAnn Rimes will perform with opener Braiden Sunshine at the Garde Theater at 325 State Street in New London on Friday, May 19, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. as part of the story…so far tour. Tickets range from $39-$85 and are available at https://gardearts.org/events/leann-rimes/. LeAnn Rimes is an international multi-platinum selling acclaimed singer and ASCAP award-winning songwriter. She has sold more than 48 million units globally, won 2 Grammy® Awards; 12 Billboard Music Awards; 2 World Music Awards; 3 Academy of Country Music Awards; 2 Country Music Association Awards and one Dove Award. At 14, Rimes won “Best New Artist” making her the youngest solo artist to take home a Grammy® Award, and at 15, she became the first country artist to win “Artist of the Year” at the Billboard Music Awards. In 2022, LeAnn was presented with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award, which is an award presented to genre-spanning songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Out of the 63 singles she has released throughout her expansive career, LeAnn’s ballad “How Do I Live” holds the record as Billboard’s Hot 100 all-time #1 hit by a female artist and currently ranks #6 on Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time: Hot 100 Songs” list. The last couple of years have been quite a resurgence for LeAnn. In 2022, the world-renowned singer had a big year including the release of her 19th album god’s work (EverLe Records via Thirty Tigers/ The Orchard). The album was listed as #9 on Variety’s “The Best Albums of 2022.” Passionate about using her voice to help heal the world, LeAnn was honored with the Ally of Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign for her over 20 years of support of equal rights, the 2019 HOPE Award for Depression Advocacy, and 2009 ACM Humanitarian Award, among other recognitions. She continues to channel her voice in new ways, releasing CHANT: The Human & The Holy (EverLe Records / Thirty Tigers) in 2020, which spent 5 weeks at #1 on iTunes New Age Chart, as well as her iHeartRadio mental health and wholeness podcast, Wholly Human. Wholly Human, which currently has three seasons, previously reached #2 on iTunes Health & Fitness Chart, placed in the Top 35 overall for podcasts worldwide and was named as one of the 15 best mental health podcasts that educate and empower listeners by Good Housekeeping. ABOUT BRAIDEN SUNSHINE: Braiden Sunshine is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter from Lyme Connecticut. Captivated by music early on in life, Braiden started performing professionally at 8 years old and by the age of 14 had already performed at over 350 shows with his bands. At age 15, Braiden auditioned for and was a Semi-Finalist on NBC’s ‘The Voice’. Since season 9 of ‘The Voice’ in 2015, Braiden has been routinely speaking at Middle and High schools for assemblies and workshops. He finds that the most gratifying part of his entire career as a musician is giving back to the community, and helping other kids follow their dreams! Whether he's singing a powerful heartfelt ballad, a soothing and winding story, or a funky blues progression to get down to, you always feel the intention and emotion that Braiden brings to the table. Recently, Braiden has been in the studio, preparing to release a few new singles coming early this summer to all major streaming services. When he isn't writing or recording his own music, he is doing the same with his new band ‘The Soul Factory’, a 9-piece soul and funk band. He is incredibly honored to have the opportunity to open for the fantastic LeAnn Rimes in his home music scene of New London at the Garde Arts Theater Center, and is excited for what's next! ABOUT THE GARDE ARTS CENTER The Garde Arts Center, founded in 1985, is Southeastern Connecticut's nonprofit home for the performing arts, cinema, and education. Its diverse presenting program includes touring Broadway musicals, dance, opera, symphony orchestra, contemporary music, variety acts, school time performances, film, and civic events. In 2022, the Garde singly received the Outstanding Historic Theater in America award by the League of Historic American Theaters. Located in the heart of downtown New London, the Garde Arts Center saved, restored, and now operates the historic 1425-seat Moroccan-designed Garde Theater, built in 1926 as a movie place and vaudeville theater. The Garde owns a city block of adjacent buildings which include the 100-seat Oasis Room, the Garde, Mercer, and Meridian Buildings, and a cottage that houses the Title IX Bookstore. Learn more at https://gardearts.org/.