By Patrick Luce Jul 6, 2006, 17:30 GMT
Heart-warming stories and riveting musical performances are the heart and soul of summer’s hottest TV special “CMA Music Festival: Country Music’s Biggest Party” - which airs Monday, July 24 (9:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.
“CMA Music Festival is a phenomenon unlike any other and the special aims to capture it all – the unique interaction and relationship between the artists and their fans along with full-tilt performances by some of our format’s most compelling stars,” said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese.
Added to the list of artists appearing on the special are Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Sara Evans and Miranda Lambert. Several of today’s top hit makers are already scheduled to perform including Brooks & Dunn, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Hank Williams Jr. Additional artists will be announced soon.
Although some of country music’s top performers are scheduled to appear, the CMA Music Festival is about more than the music. For 35 years, the cornerstone of the annual event has been the relationship between the artists, the fans and their mutual love for the music. The special was taped in Nashville June 8-11 during the Festival - a four-day love fest attended by more than 161,000 Country Music enthusiasts from around the world.
In one segment during the special, Brad Paisley hijacks a van-load of surprised visitors for his own personalized tour of Music City. Paisley’s humor is evident, but the real treat comes when the van stops to pick up a special guest driver. Sara Evans befriends a love-struck 24-year-old from Buffalo, N.Y., who enlists Evans’ help when he wants to ask his girlfriend to marry him during the Festival. Evans takes the proposal to the next level inviting the young couple on stage during her performance at LP Field with thousands of Country fans on their feet screaming their approval.
“What we love about our artists is their accessibility and sincere desire to connect with the fans,” Genovese said. “And what comes across is that anything can happen at CMA Music Festival and you never know who you are going to see, or what could happen next.”
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