On Tuesday night, country rock’s most soulful sideman, Texas native Mickey Raphael, took center stage alongside a dozen legendary and superstar artists at the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville.

A longtime harmonica player with Willie Nelson and The Family, Raphael has been celebrated by artists such as Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons, Margo Price, Amos Lee, Waylon Payne, multi-instrumentalist Bill Evans, award-winning performer and producer T Bone Burnett and Shelby Lynne.

The star-studded cast performed a live set of two dozen songs that impressed many in attendance.

Proceeds from the event benefited the Outlaw State of Kind and Chris and Morgane Stapleton Charitable Fund and supported various causes.

“Plays well with others”

To kick off the celebrations, Raphael read a career-prognostic note from his kindergarten report card:

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“Mickey is an important part of the group who plays well with others,” his teacher wrote.

The evening came about because Brooklyn Bowl brand and venue owner Peter Shapiro wanted to book Raphael for his first headlining night two years ago.

The offer was humiliating.

“I had no ambition to do this, but over time it occurred to me that if I hadn’t even tried, I would end up on my deathbed wondering why I never took the gig,” Raphael said early Tuesday afternoon during an interview with The Tennessean.

He shyly turned to his beloved friends and bandmates based in Nashville and Music City, including Stapleton, one of the country’s biggest stars.

“I didn’t want to bother him, so I politely asked him if he would join us for the evening,” Raphael said. “He replied, ‘Yes, we’ll see’ – and then he did it!”

A vibrant, spiritual evening at the Brooklyn Bowl

Whether Stapleton performed “Georgia On My Mind,” Isbell performed “Pancho and Lefty,” Price performed a spirited version of the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You,” Lynne sang “Night Life,” or Gibbons performed ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your,” “Lovin ‘”, a living spirituality, guided and united the evening.