© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Jewel fell in love with words at an early age. It's a love affair that continues today. "I was fascinated by words and how more can be said than what is in the actual words," the singer/songwriter said. "Being raised in such a remote region, reading was a source of entertainment. I read philosophy, the classics, poetry . I just loved it."

Growing up on a ranch in rural Alaska provided an awesome setting for this young woman as she began writing songs at 15. While most folks would consider it a hardship to live in the wilderness with no running water or indoor plumbing, Jewel embraced the lifestyle and used it as a cornerstone for her songs and art.

She learned about the craft of performing from her parents, both of whom were recording artists. By the time she was 6, she was traveling by dog sled to their shows in remote areas of the state. The 8-year-old became a duet partner with her father after her parents divorced, and by the time she was 15, she was performing solo.

During spring break from the Interlochen Center for the Arts, a private arts school in Michigan, the 16-year-old took off for two weeks to Mexico, where she performed on street corners and soaked up the culture she found there. The experience completed the picture that would inspire the singer/songwriter to pen tunes about the land, the family values she learned in Alaska and the emotions that come from experiencing life. Jewel could not have made up a background better suited to becoming a Country singer.

Her path detoured from the Country realm, though, after she moved to San Diego and through a series of circumstances found herself living in her car.

"I became homeless after I got fired from my job because I wouldn't have sex with my boss," she said. "I almost died from blood poisoning because I had bad kidneys. I fell into this bad poverty cycle, and I couldn't get out.

"It wasn't like I was an artist trying to make my dream work," she explained. "I started writing songs and performing because that would give me money so I could live. Then a radio station put a bootleg recording of mine on the radio and my first label heard it."

That label, Atlantic Records, signed Jewel close to her 19th birthday and issued her debut album, Pieces of You, in 1995. When it sold only 3,000 copies during its first nine months of release, Jewel hit the road to take her music to the people.

The people responded: A year later, she had a major hit with "Who Will Save Your Soul," a song she'd written three years earlier during her travels in Mexico. Two other singles, "You Were Meant for Me" and "Foolish Games," pushed album sales to more than 11 million units and earned Jewel acclaim as one of the major singer/songwriters of her time.

Despite her success at alternative radio, Jewel always thought that her writing fit the Country Music mold, with her chief inspirations including Merle Haggard's lyrics and Loretta Lynn's sassy songs, such as "The Pill" and "Fist City."

"When I first came around, the only opening for me was alternative radio, which was a wide-open, anything-goes kind of format," she said. "Country radio right now is an open format. You have your traditionalists like George Strait, or your pop-sounding entertainers like Rascal Flatts. It's the spirit that keeps it unified. I think any one of my songs would have been a great hit for the Country market."

Jewel's instincts about her music were justified when Merle Haggard called and asked her to sing on For the Record: 43 Legendary Hits, his 1999 compilation of No. 1 singles. "I was shocked and flattered that he knew who I was," she admitted. "I did two songs with him, 'Silver Wings' and 'That's the Way Love Goes.' Then he asked me to be on the CMA Awards show with him."

Soon Jewel was coming to Nashville on a regular basis. She talked with Atlantic about doing a Country album, but they were not open to the idea. Finally she left the label "because I felt so strongly that Country Music was home for me."

Nashville embraced her right away. She was invited to co-host USA Network's "Nashville Star" talent show in 2007. There she met John Rich of Big & Rich, who suggested they write together. At the time, Jewel had already started pulling songs together for what would become her first Country album, Perfectly Clear - and after playing some of them for Rich, he realized that the material was already in place and instead offered his services as her co-producer.

On a whim, they hired a band, with whom they cut 10 tracks in two days. "I knew exactly what I wanted this album to sound like," Jewel said. "Some of the songs date back to when I was 16 and 18. That's how long I've known about making a Country album."

Rich and Jewel, judges on the current season of "Nashville Star," now on NBC-TV, proved to be a strong match in part because of their similar thoughts about recording. "I believe in the story of the song," she said. "My ego should get out of the way and so should the producer. John cares about songwriting, so what we both did was let the song tell its story."

That was enough to persuade Rich to commit as well to Jewel. "She is one of the greatest singer/songwriters of any genre and one of the most uniquely creative people to work with in the studio," he noted. "It was a serious honor to work with someone of her caliber."

Released June 3 from The Valory Music Co., Perfectly Clear includes 11 songs, all but one of which Jewel wrote or co-wrote. Their lyrics document her continuing love for words, from the title track's wistful reference to "five years worth of kisses packed in your bag" to "Love is a Garden," on which she compares love to planting seeds in a garden that she will "feed with kisses." The sole cover, the Lisa Carver/Liz Rose-penned song "Till it Feels Like Cheating," is included because, as Jewel relates, "it sounded like a song I should have written." It has the same sensibility as "Garden," with the singer pleading, "Kiss me like we're about to sin."

Jewel strives constantly to hit the balance between the arty song that no one will ever hear and the throwaway hit that has little meaning. Keeping in mind the fact that Haggard, Lynn and her other favorites are remembered because "they came from a perspective that no one else had at the time," she aims to achieve a perspective in her work that is similarly unique yet accessible.

"I wouldn't trade anything," she insisted. "I'm proud that my first song, 'Who Will Save Your Soul,' was not about what most 15- and 16-year-olds would write about. I was dealing with pretty big social issues. I saw a lot of contradictions, brutality - but also a lot of beauty.

"Writing helps you focus on becoming more hopeful and work harder instead of becoming complacent," she continued. "I remember reading those great writers who wrote during the Russian Revolution and finding that their passions empowered me. I'm proud of my life and proud that I've made beauty out of my life. I think it's given me a gift I wouldn't have gotten otherwise."

Jewel is adamant that she is exactly where she is supposed to be right now and that she's found a home in Country Music. "There are two reasons to do this: You love art and you struggle every day to be great at it, and to be famous," she summed up. "At the end of the day, I have to be true to my music and tell the story to the best of my ability."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

One can't easily picture Ansel Brown in a suit, briefcase in hand, building a budding career as an advertising executive in Charlotte, N.C. What's easier to imagine, when listening to the rowdy up-tempo tracks, saloon weepers and professions of faith on his debut album, is the day enlightenment struck and he realized, in his own words, "I'm supposed to be a Country singer."

This epiphany rings true throughout You're Just Smoke, released in May by IPAK Records. Steeped in mainstream Country influences, vibrant with dramatic gestures that draw from the wells of Bryan Adams and Billy Joel as much as Alabama and Garth Brooks, and tuned to modern tastes by producer Cliff Downs, it does offer clues to parts of Brown's background that are nearly as unexpected as his ad dalliance.

The party-down number "Waikiki Cowboy," harks back to his upbringing in Hawaii, where he moved with his family after age 10 and earned his first significant performing experience as a member of the Hawaiian Children's Choir.

That's just the beginning: Brown has led a youth ministry, coached Pop Warner Youth Football and booked frequent shows at children's hospitals into his increasingly busy schedule. These pieces come together to the strains of Country Music, on the three originals and 11 outside tracks of You're Just Smoke and especially on the debut single, "Mine's Bigger," which Brown delivers with a cockeyed grin and a swaggering bravado.

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

MUSICAL HERO
"My mom's mother. She was an incredible pianist."

INFLUENCES
"(non-musical influences) Mom and Dad, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln and Zig Ziggler; (musical influences) Collin Raye, Garth Brooks, Sting, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Alabama and George Strait."

HOMETOWN
"Greenville, S.C."

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"Faith Hill or Carrie Underwood (equally)."

PET PEEVE
"People who don't respond to a text message."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
"My car - I control where I go."

LUCKY CHARM
"My faith is all the luck I need."

SONG YOU'D LIKE TO COVER
"'Purple Rain.'"

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN YOUR BIOPIC
"John Corbett."

SONG YOU WISH YOU WROTE
"'Live Like You Were Dying.'"

WORD OR PHRASE YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING OVER AND OVER
"I can do it."

MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU RELIVE IF YOU COULD
"High school - I would do it all right this time."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"What Would Have Happened If I Didn't Try?"

WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS, WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU
"That I made a difference."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association,® Inc.

A sweeping dichotomy surfaces at the close of Alan Jackson's latest album, Good Time. "If You Want to Make Me Happy," the penultimate track, is set in a barroom awash in jukebox laments and mind-numbing alcohol. The closer, "If Jesus Walked the World Today," is a buoyant gospel piece that contemplates Jesus' appearance and behavior were he to re-emerge in 21st-century America. These two songs juxtapose the polar themes of Country Music: the Saturday-night sinner and the Sunday-morning saint.

So how does Jackson feel about this?

"I never think about that kind of stuff until you writers bring it up," he said.

That's one reason why Jackson, who has branded himself in a lyric as "just a singer of simple songs," remains a force nearly two decades after signing his first recording contract with Arista Nashville. Like Merle Haggard and Hank Williams before him, Jackson addresses blue-collar themes in easy-to-grasp language while tackling ideas that slip beneath surface concerns to the root of human existence. These ideas are so obvious to him that he doesn't waste any time thinking about the depth of his observations.

"No matter what he's done," said Joe Galante, Chairman, Sony BMG Nashville, "whether it???s been 'Chattahoochee' or 'Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),' you have this conversation with him about 'these brilliant lyrics - where did this come from?' 'I don't know.' 'And this theme you have in this album?' 'No, I just think they're good songs.' 'OK, so do we.' I really think it's just about what the muse is at the moment, and then it moves him to go there. "That muse is geared strongly to the issues and concerns that face the average heartland Joe because Jackson, despite the money and fame he's amassed, is still one of them.

"Part of the reason is obviously because of where he comes from - his family ties, his family roots back in Newnan [Ga.], plus being surrounded by Denise and his three daughters," suggested Keith Stegall, producer of Good Time and all but one of Jackson's other albums. "They manage to have a pretty normal, down-to-earth lifestyle."

Good Time reiterates this fact. It embraces the escape that most people long for in the island-themed "Laid Back 'n Low Key (Cay)." It infuses his mechanical background into the truck setting of "Country Boy." It faces death in the questioning of "Sissy's Song." It looks at love in the romantic "Right Where I Want You" and, in a humorous take on the wake of making love, "Nothing Left to Do." And it leans heavily on nostalgia with "I Wish I Could Back Up," "1976" and "I Still Like Bologna," in which Jackson accepts digital technology and wheat bread while maintaining his appreciation for a previous era.

"You look at all the different ways that life has changed - the Internet, satellite TV, cell phones," he said. "It's hard to come to grips with all of it sometimes. But I wrote the song to show that I'm OK with where things are, even though it's not so bad the way things were, either. I eat healthier than I used to - I usually have wheat bread on my sandwiches - but I still like bologna on white bread. That's why I used that title. It's kind of nice once in a while to do things the old way. That doesn't mean it's better - just means it's nice to do it that way."

Jackson's album is in some ways a return to his old way of doing things. In contrast, his two previous albums were departures from his usual output. Like Red on a Rose marked the only time that he had recorded with a producer other than Stegall. With Alison Krauss at the console, it put a more fragile spin and cast darker textures on his music. And Precious Memories was a gospel album that hinged on classic hymns, recorded primarily as a gift to his mother.

Shaking up the routine proved a good way to invigorate everyone involved in the recording process for Good Time. "Going back to this album, there was a renewed energy," Jackson noted. "I had it, and I could tell Keith was excited to be back at it. The musicians even seemed more inspired, or energetic, than usual. That's not to say that they're not always right there, but they seemed happy to get back to playing some traditional Country Music, or at least my style of that."

"It seemed like everybody was just rarin' to go," said session musician Bruce Watkins, who played acoustic guitar and banjo on Good Time and has played regularly on Jackson's albums since 1989. "Being reunited as the team that originally played on all the hits that he had, everybody got all this adrenaline going, and I could see it in the smile on Alan's face too."

Jackson was definitely enthused. He typically puts off writing most of his new material until an album deadline approaches. That was the case with Good Time too, but when he put pen to paper, the songs fell out with unusual ease. In the end, Jackson recorded more than 20 songs and ultimately included 17 on his 17th album, Good Time. And for the first time in his career, he wrote them all - without a co-writer.

Some of his inspiration may have come from feeling he had something to prove. The two previous albums, according to Galante, "threw people for a loop. They went, 'I'm not sure about this. Is Alan not making records anymore?' All the crap that you would expect to show up showed up. It wasn't a surprise, but it lingered a little bit longer than I expected. I think it put a little more pressure on him on this record to come back and deliver what he did deliver."

Since making his debut album in 1989 with Here in the Real World, Jackson has delivered with extreme consistency. He's weathered several stylistic periods within Country Music, all the while remaining true to his roots. According to Galante, he still plays music by The Carter Family and Vern Gosdin on his bus, confirmation that while other acts reflect more current and pop-oriented influences, Jackson continues to be moved by the historic and honky-tonk sounds on which Country Music was built.

"We just did a series of focus groups," Galante said. "We were talking about Alan Jackson. They were all women we were talking to, and we said, 'What comes to your mind when you think about Alan Jackson?' And the words came up: 'classic' and 'timeless.' That's what it is. They get the sense this man stands for something. He has a great sense of humor, and he has a great heart and soul, and they get it. He doesn't have to come out and talk about it. They get it just because of the way he approaches everything."

Jackson's approach is why he's taken aback at time by efforts to analyze his music. The three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year applies the same integrity represented in "Small Town Southern Man" to his own work, which is built on observations about the people and the world around him. The depth is there in his writing, but it rises from a multitude of simple images that he's pieced together.

"When I was making this record," he mused, "I was thinking all these songs and the sounds on there are pretty much like I wanted to do when I came to Nashville. It was the same thing, Country Music and songs of this nature, and so I still enjoy creating the music, for the most part, more than the rest of my career. I get tired of the interviews and the TV and the awards stuff and all that, but I still like making the music."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association,® Inc.

Fiddler/singer/songwriter/actress Amanda Shaw's New Orleans roots display proudly throughout her Rounder Records debut album, Pretty Runs Out, in her street-strut pas de deux with Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews on "Brick Wall," the low-down jazzy blues of her solo on "What's Wrong with You?" and the foot-stomp Cajun feel "French Jig" and "McGee's Medley."

Shaw wrote five of these 13 tracks and recorded all of them while in her mid teens. Now 17, she projects an appeal through her music that combines elements of humor and youthful verve with the precocity that earned her the distinction at age 7 of being the youngest artist to guest with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Shaw was in elementary school when she made her national television debut on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." She was 14 when she won Best Female Entertainer honors at the annual Big Easy Entertainment Awards. In 2004, she and producer Scott Billington worked diligently on repertoire for Pretty Runs Out and recorded demos at the legendary Ultrasonic Studio, which was subsequently lost to Hurricane Katrina. They recorded Pretty Runs Out at the Piety Street Studio in the Upper Ninth Ward at the end of 2006.

Like her hometown, Shaw's music covers a wide range - all the way to crunchy, guitar-amped rock on "Woulda Coulda Shoulda." The Crescent City is all about roots, and the rock/Cajun/Irish blend of her "Reels: The Gaspé Reel/Sam's Slammer/ Imogen's Ridge" medley makes clear where Shaw's heart is, no matter how far her explorations take her from this point - even onto the sprawling IMAX screen as star of "Hurricane on the Bayou."

IN HER OWN WORDS:
MUSICAL HERO: "There are so many: Denis McGee, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Chrissie Hynde, Loretta Lynn . Mostly, though, I have to say the wonderful musicians of New Orleans."

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER: "The song I'm currently trying to write."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORATION: "The one that gets me there on time - which, for me, would be 10 minutes late."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY: "Amanda Shaw: Pretty Runs Out."

LEGACY: "I hope people say, 'She lived a happy life and was a well respected artist . even though she is a bit klutzy at times.'"

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

CMA Music Festival hit an all-time high attendance record in 2008 with a 9.4 percent increase over 2007 during the four-day Festival, Thursday through Sunday, in Downtown Nashville.

"Even with gasoline prices around $4 a gallon and weak economic conditions around the country, we saw an increase in our attendance on every level from local and regional participation to those fans that traveled from around the world," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. "I believe that speaks to the strength of the event, the popularity of our artists, the dedication of our fans, and the entertainment value of the Festival."

The average daily attendance in 2008 was 52,000. By comparison, in 2007 the average daily attendance was nearly 48,000.

"We made a decision this year to announce our attendance as a daily average rather than a four-day aggregate so people are not overwhelmed by a huge number and potentially turned off from attending the Festival because they are concerned about parking or moving around downtown," Genovese said. "It is actually much easier than people think and we want to communicate that in a new way." 

Fans definitely enjoyed themselves and made it known at the Box Office. Tickets for CMA Music Festival 2009, which will be held June 11-14, went on sale Saturday and Gold Circle four-day ticket packages sold out in a record 15 minutes. By Sunday, advance sales bested sales during the same period in 2007, by 4.2 percent.

"You know you are giving the fans what they want when they put down their hard-earned money for an event and we haven't even announced who will be performing," remarked Genovese.

Increased sales of four-day ticket packages and single concert tickets contributed to the growth, as well as record attendance at CMA Music Festival's free areas - including the McDonald's®-Dr Pepper® Family Zone, Fun Zone, Chevy(tm) Sports Zone and Chevy Plaza.

Surprise appearances are a hallmark of this event. And 2008 didn't disappoint. The first night at the VAULT(tm) Concert Stage at LP Field included an unannounced appearance by reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Rascal Flatts. On Friday, Keith Urban delighted the crowd - and one fan in particular - when he leapt from the stage, sprinted into the stands and autographed his guitar for a stunned fan. Jessica Simpson made several unannounced appearances including the Wednesday Block Party, the Fan Fair Hall and at LP Field. Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn also made an unexpected appearance to sign autographs for fans.

"We love giving our fans something special and unexpected," Genovese said. "It is amazing to hear the stadium erupt in applause when an unannounced guest steps out on that stage."

And it all benefits children and music education in Nashville. The artists and celebrities participating in CMA Music Festival donate their time. They are not compensated for the hours they spend signing autographs and performing. In appreciation of their exhaustive efforts, CMA donates half the net proceeds from the event to music education on their behalf through a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education called "Keep the Music Playing."

To date, CMA has donated more than $1 million on behalf of the artists who participate in the Festival - including $368,500 from the 2006 CMA Music Festival and $655,600 from 2007 CMA Music Festival. Several students groups participated in the Festival including drum corps from Antioch and Overton High Schools, who marched in "The Fourth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade." In addition, 800 students were given tickets to attend Saturday night through the generosity of HCA/TriStar.

CMA Music Festival is - and always will be - about the fans and their relationship with the artists and the music. The theme is universal and in 2008 Festival attendees came from every state and 28 foreign countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Latvia, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom (which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

The Festival got underway Wednesday with Grand Marshall James Otto leading the way for "The Fourth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade" with an estimated crowd of 12,000 spectators. Following the procession, the fun kicked into high gear with "The Third Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party" on the Chevy Plaza at the Sommet Center. Keith Anderson, Luke Bryan, Joe Nichols, James Otto, Phil Stacey, Chris Young, and Zac Brown Band performed for an estimated crowd of 6,000 according to police.

Nightly Concerts on the VAULT(tm) Concert Stage at LP Field 
In all, 36 acts participated in the star-packed Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field. The lineup Thursday included Jewel, Montgomery Gentry, Kellie Pickler, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and acoustic performances by Luke Bryan and Jennifer Hanson. 

Pre-show activities included the presentation of the Stars and Stripes by the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Station Nashville Color Guard and a fly over with FA-18s from The Bengals of VMFA (AW)-224 from Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C., a tradition that was a crowd pleaser all four nights. Lyric Street recording artist and season six "American Idol" finalist Phil Stacey sang the national anthem, and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean officially welcomed fans to Music City for the 37th annual event, which began as Fan Fair® in 1972.

Fans were treated to performances Friday by Faith Hill, Jack Ingram, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban. Julianne Hough performed with Turner's band. Jake Owen and Ashton Shepherd performed acoustic sets.
           
Though the evening marked Hill's first performance at the Festival in 10 years, she insisted that her appearance felt like a family event. "Well, it's a short drive," she joked. "And my kids are at home, so I kind of feel like I'm off tonight."

Saturday's lineup rocked the house with Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Craig Morgan, and Kenny Rogers. Jason Michael Carroll, Jamey Johnson, and Darryl Worley delivered acoustic performances.

Sunday's lineup featured Bucky Covington, Billy Ray Cyrus, Sara Evans, James Otto, Randy Travis, and Dwight Yoakam. Phil Stacey, John Stephan and Chuck Wicks performed acoustically.

Yoakam last appeared at the Festival 20 years ago when he performed with personal friend and mentor Buck Owens. "It's great to be here at CMA Music Festival," he said. "It's been a long, long time." Then, referring to the many giants of Country Music who had played at CMA Music Festival, he added, "It hasn't been a very succinct journey to this point for me, but the shoulder I'm standing on is theirs."

Greased Lightning® Riverfront Daytime Stages
Fan favorites Phil Vassar and Jo Dee Messina got the 2008 CMA Music Festival off to an energetic start Thursday morning during the kick-off concert at Riverfront Park. Fans were waiting before dawn to see the powerhouse performers.

The dual stages bustled throughout the four days with a rich array of performers from both major and independent record labels. In all, 106 acts performed more than 34 hours of concerts. 

truTV(tm) Fan Fair® Hall
The state of continuous commotion that's been the standard for the truTV(tm) Fan Fair Hall was back in force with 408 artists and celebrities appearing at the Nashville Convention Center. Exhibit booths sold out with 110 exhibitors. Attendance over the four days was more than 53,000. For the first time, single day tickets to the Fan Fair Hall were available for purchase Saturday and Sunday.
 
"This is my first time at CMA Music Festival. I'm really impressed with the way fans form friendships here. I definitely want to become a part of this community over the next several years," said Taylor Young, 27, of Mountain View, Calif.

As in previous years, dedicated fans camped out on the street outside of the Exhibit Hall starting at 8:00 PM, not only in hopes of being the first in line for autographs when the doors opened the following morning, but also to share in what has become a special tradition for this group. "I came down here at 5 this morning and found there was already a long line to get in," said Sam Pfeiffer, 36, of Arlington, Va., on Thursday morning. "I guess I'll have to make it earlier tomorrow, but that just adds to the sense of adventure."

Their dedication paid off. Aaron Tippin surprised the assembled fans and signed autographs around 2:00 AM Thursday following his performance at The Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam.

Country superstar Alan Jackson made his first appearance in the Fan Fair Hall since 1998 Friday signing 300 autographs in two hours with his wife and author Denise Jackson.

Teen sensation Taylor Swift signed in the Big Machine Records booth Saturday from the time the doors opened at 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM - with no break. She signed 900 autographs, the longest consecutive signing since Garth Brooks' marathon 23 hour signing in 1996.

Kix Brooks made a surprise appearance in the Fan Fair Hall signing approximately 500 autographs in three hours at the Brooks & Dunn booth - after signing another 100 in the Borders® booth. Carrie Underwood signed 400 autographs in four hours and Wynonna signed for five hours. Other popular artists included Jessica Simpson, Kellie Pickler, Sara Evans, Julianne Hough, Lady Antebellum, Bucky Covington, Billy Gilman, Emerson Drive, Joe Nichols, James Otto and Chris Young.

Mary Kay® presents Acoustic Corner, which launched in 2004 as a showcase for independent artists, featured 30 solo or group performers. The area on the second floor of the Convention Center hosted a steady stream of fans.

Premiere on the Air
CMA's official radio partner, Premiere Radio Networks, brought 20 of Country radio's top-rated stations from markets including Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Louisville, Nashville, Norfolk, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, D.C., and overnight syndicated radio program "After MidNite with Blair Garner" to Nashville for three days of remote broadcasts from the Convention Center. More than 75 artists and celebrities participated in the remotes reaching 10 million listeners.

In addition, Premiere also teamed up with several ABC Television Network affiliates to bring the excitement of the event to cities across the country. Jack Ingram and the stars of ABC Daytime joined on-air personalities for the first-hand reports to several markets including Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Seattle. 
 
"With the new television studio added to the service we've been offering to radio at CMA Music Festival, we expect to help participating stations reach an audience of more than 13 million this year," said Ilycia Deitch Chiarmonte, Senior Director of Events for Premiere Radio Networks.
 
Borders® 
Borders had locations at the Exhibit Hall, Riverfront and LP Field. The Top 5 selling CD titles belonged to (in order) Alan Jackson, Taylor Swift, Joe Nichols, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Young - who all signed in the Fan Fair Hall during the Festival. Other bestselling artists included Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen, Kellie Pickler, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Whiskey Falls, and Stephen Cochran. 

"One of the goals with this event is to help build a marketing platform for developing artists," Genovese said. "With the variety of artists on the list, it tells me that our fans are discovering new music at CMA Music Festival and they aren't waiting until they get home to buy it."

CMA Music Festival Merchandise
The official CMA Music Festival merchandise line was very popular with attendees. According to Music City Merchandise, which designs and produces the collection, onsite sales were up nearly 11 percent over 2007. A popular item this year was a T-shirt that listed all announced performers for the Nightly Concerts. Music City Merchandise, which had booths at the truTV Fan Fair Hall, Greased Lightning Daytime Stages, McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone, the Sommet Center, and VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field, has been CMA's merchandise partner for the past 14 years.

Chevy(tm) Sports Zone
CMA's free Chevy Sports Zone was a huge hit with participants and fans looking for fun and friendly competition. More thank 100 celebrities, artists and athletes participated in Chevy Sports Zone activities during the four days.

"The Field & Stream Celebrity Total Outdoorsman Challenge presented by Mobil 1" was a highlight Thursday with Country Music artists and other celebrities showing off their outdoor skills with contests in archery, fly casting, bait casting, and air rifle and attempting to beat the two-time Total Outdoorsman Challenge Champion Paul Thompson, who also joined the competition. In an upset that had people buzzing, Daniel Lee Martin beat Thompson for the First Place seat. Martin's prizes including a televised hunting trip and new BowTech bow. On Friday, the Field & Stream held local and regional Total Outdoorsman Challenges. Cory Jones finished first out of nine competitors in the local qualifier, winning an all-expense paid trip for two to the 2008 CMA Awards and moving on to the regional qualifier. Also moving on to the regional qualifier were Scot Marcin, Paul Hughes, and Martin (who was invited to compete in the regional qualifier based on his scores from Thursday). Nineteen outdoorsmen competed in the regional qualifier Friday afternoon. Chris Nischan and Martin had the best scores and will compete in Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge National Championship, Sept. 5-7 in Springfield, Mo.

The fur was flying during the DockDogs® Competitions Presented by Outdoor Channel. Competitions took place in the DockDogs' 25,000 gallon mobile pool. During the Celebrity Challenge on Sunday, Outdoor Channel host Mike Pawlawski and his canine partner Quasi won with a distance of 24 feet, 10 inches, setting a new record for the DockDogs Celebrity Challenge. The Outdoor Channel's Tiffany Lakowsky and Bo won the silver medal with a distance of 20 feet, 5 inches. Trick Pony's Keith Burns and Cheyenne took home the bronze leaping for 19 feet, 11 inches. Also placing in the top tier were CMT's Katie Cook and Rachel Reinhart from the band Gloriana.
 
The Celebrity Sports Challenge Presented by Glaceau Vitaminwater® Hosted by Steve Azar proved to be a fan favorite with an amazing array of sports champions and celebrities competing along with Azar and other artists. Five teams competed, each identified by the color of their jersey. In the end, victory was awarded to the Navy team, which included Todd Armstrong, Steve Azar, Aaron Benward of Blue County, former NFL linebacker Steve Cole, Tennessee Titans punter Craig Hentrich, and Ken Purvis.

The Outdoor Life Calling for Conservation Competition took place Friday.  Hosted by Shoot Straight TV's Chad Schearer, this game-calling contest highlights the launch of a new conservation program: Outdoor Life's "Project Save-A-Stream," a nationwide program dedicated to cleaning up our waterways. Professional and celebrity callers competed to determine the best turkey and big game calls.

Two winners were selected: Julie Ingram was the audience favorite, based on volume of applause, but the judges gave the official first prize to Trent Willmon, along with an Alberta Canada Black Bear Hunt and a check for $1,000 to donate to the conservation organization of his choice.

The first ever CMA Music Festival BBQ Championship took place Saturday and Sunday. Teams from across the nation competed in four categories (pork ribs, pork shoulder, beef brisket and chicken) for a chance to win a share of more than $17,000 in cash and prizes to be distributed to category winners.

The Grand Champion of the CMA Music Festival BBQ Championship, the Lotta Bull BBQ team from Marietta, Okla., will receive $2,500, a CMA Awards trip package for two including accommodations, an invitation to take part in the prestigious KCBS-sanctioned American Royale competition, and eligibility to participate in the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (better known as "The Jack") in late October in Lynchburg, TN.

The CBR/RFD-TV Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge was held Saturday with artists squaring off against champion bull riders to see who could make the eight seconds. The event was hosted by Tuff Hedeman, five-time World Champion and President of CBR. The winning team was professional rider Jake Littlefield and Jason Brown.

The Fiesta Celebrity Grilling Challenge was held Saturday with host Lee McWright, Executive Chef for Fiesta Gas Grills. Artists and celebrities were paired with professional chefs in a culinary competition. The winning team was Mark Wills and Chef Jason Brumm of the Nashville restaurant Radius10.

Sunday's "Third Annual New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race" had artists and celebrities revved up with contestants racing against the clock through an obstacle course on a New Holland Boomer(tm) compact tractor. The winner was singer/songwriter Darby Ledbetter with an astounding time of .47 seconds. Trent Willmon was second with .51, followed closely by Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board, with a time of .52 seconds.
 
Chevy Plaza 
The Chevy Plaza free area on the Sommet Center plaza buzzed with activities featuring vehicle displays, interactive consumer experiences, games, and the Chevy Ride & Drive event. The Chevy Stage featured 33 daily performances. Visitors were also able to test-drive an Avalanche, Cobalt Sport, HHR, Impala SS, Tahoe Hybrid, all new Malibu, Aveo, Equinox Sport or one of two Silverados (1500 and 2500 HD). The number of test drives topped 1,000 and Chevy provided 34,700 giveaway items including hats, shirts, mugs, playing cards, and more.

McDonald's®-Dr Pepper® Family Zone
Growing in popularity each year since it was introduced in 2001, the free McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone was buzzing during CMA Music Festival with activities for youngsters and the young at heart.

The Family Zone was a popular destination Sunday for the McDonald's Family Picnic, with McDonald's providing free sandwiches to the first 500 attendees.

For the second year, top high school vocalists from across the nation were in Nashville to compete for the prestigious title "Music City Rising Star." The Music City's Rising Star Youth Vocal Soloist Competition was held in the McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone with 129 students from 25 states competing. The Top 5 finalists were announced Saturday on the Greased Lightning Daytime Stages. Winners from first to fifth were Jernie Talles, 14, of Fort Pierce, Fla., Morgan Grotheer, 17, of Savannah, Ga., Kaley Caterton, 15, of Waco, Texas, and Anna Brooke Higdon, 17, of Sevierville, Tenn.

CMA Celebrity Close Up Presented by Great American Country
The inside track is what CMA Celebrity Close Up is all about with a lively question and answer format hosted by media personality Lorianne Crook. And she treated the record-breaking audience of more than 3,400 over two sessions to a bit of insider information with guests Bucky Covington, Sara Evans, Joe Nichols, Jake Owen, Taylor Swift, Randy Travis and Gretchen Wilson. 

Great American Country (GAC) was the presenting sponsor of the celebrity gab sessions, which were taped for two future television broadcasts by the same name on the Country Music-themed cable network. The first episode is scheduled to air Saturday, July 19 (9:00 PM/ET) and the second episode will air Saturday, July 26 (9:00 PM/ET). Schedule and times subject to change. 

"The participating artists are really in their element in front of a live crowd of fans, and we always see a side of them we never expected," said Sarah Trahern, GAC Senior VP of Programming.  "Answering questions directly from their fans really gets to the heart of who they are, and the featured artists tell us they enjoy themselves as much as the audience does."
 
CMA Music Festival After Hours(tm) Presented by CMT(tm)
The fun never ends. Sixteen clubs participated in CMA Music Festival After Hours presented by CMT offering drink specials and activities for festival goers and Nashvillians.

"The Official CMA After Hours Kick-Off Concerts" were held at the Hard Rock Outdoor Stage with performances by The Clark Brothers, Whiskey Falls, and Mark Wills. Hard Rock Café Nashville's Stub Hub Songwriters in the Round returned to the After Hours lineup for its second year providing fans a glimpse into the stories behind the songs.

ABC Daytime
Drama is a staple of both Country Music lyrics and daytime television series, and the artists and actors met at the crossroads during 2008 CMA Music Festival when the ABC daytime stars of "All My Children," "One Life to Live," and "General Hospital" made their return at the Festival.

Daytime actors that attended CMA Music Festival included Bobbie Eakes ("Krystal Carey") and Ricky Paull Goldin ("Jake Martin") from "All My Children;" Kassie DePaiva ("Blair Cramer") from "One Life To Live;" and Bradford Anderson ("Damian Spinelli"), Rebecca Herbst ("Elizabeth Webber"), and Jason Thompson ("Dr. Patrick Drake") from "General Hospital".

ABC Block Party
The ABC Block Party hosted by "Bachelor" alum Bob Guiney on Saturday included a performance by Country artist Marcel, appearances by the Daytime stars including a performances by Kassie DePaiva and Bobbie Eakes, a question and answer session with two-time "Dancing With the Stars" champion and emerging Country star Julianne Hough, and trivia contests where winners received "Dirty, Sexy Money" that could be redeemed onsite for ABC merchandise.

Media Coverage
More than 750 journalists from more than 200 domestic and international media outlets were credentialed for 2008 CMA Music Festival. Among the domestic outlets at CMA Music Festival were ABC.com, ABC Radio Networks, Amazon.com, AOL, Associated Press, CMT, Country Weekly, GAC, Getty Images, In Touch Weekly, KidzBop.com, MSN, OK Magazine, Outdoor Channel, People, Premiere Radio Networks, Reuters, The Tennessean, USA Today, and US Weekly, International media from 14 countries were credentialed as well, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Among the 49 international outlets represented were Bayerischer Rundfunk/Bayern 3 (Germany), BBC Radio Lancashire (UK), Country Music Channel (Australia), Disney Tribune (France), Maverick Magazine (UK), The Music Network (Australia), Personalities Magazine and ptvireland.com (Ireland), Queensland Country Life (Australia), RTL (France), and more.

Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a key element to the marketing, fan experience and financial support of the Festival. Nearly 70 partners gave out more than 300,000 product samples.

VAULT was present in the Fun Zone and title sponsor of the LP Field concert stage. "The CMA Festival was a great event for VAULT - we definitely got it done and then some," said Neil Golson, VAULT Brand Manager. "We were able to spread the word about this fantastic brand, and quench the thirst of tens of thousands of Country Music fans over the course of the long weekend."

Greased Lightning Cleaning Products passed out more than 36,000 trial size samples of their cleaning product.

"Country Music fans continue to amaze," said Craig LaPointe, Event Manager for Greased Lightning. "With Greased Lightning's involvement at the Festival since the inception of the Riverfront stages in 2001, 2008 proved to be the perfect place for Greased Lightning to call attention to our newest promotion, wesponsoranything.com. This year's tremendous turnout and fan appreciation laid the exciting groundwork for the 2009 CMA Music Festival possibilities."

truTV distributed 800 gas cards and 11,000 key chains and mint tins to fans. Fans also recorded DVDs in front of a green screen that made it look like they were on an oil rig. 

Tetley Tea distributed 30,000 wet samples in the Fun Zone and 20,000 dry samples in the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall.

With temperatures in the 90s, Blue Bell Creameries was a popular spot in the Fun Zone, where they handed out 20,000 ice cream samples. And there was a lot of puppy love in the Chevy Sports Zone with 16,000 Waggin' Train Dog Treats samples handed out in the Fun and Sports Zones..

CMT passed out 2,200 foam fingers for the Super Fan sections at LP Field. CMT also provided an artist photo for every fan who passed through their autograph line at the Fan Fair Hall. They made autograph hunting easier by handing out 2,500 sharpies and produced 1,500 "Can You Duet" CDs for fans who sang in the Can You Duet booth.

McDonald's was a first-time sponsor in the McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone in 2008. They distributed 20,000 coupons for Southern Style chicken sandwiches and biscuits, 11,000 coupons for iced coffee, 11,600 servings of McDonald's Apple Dippers, and 10,300 servings of McDonald's Fun Cookies. They also provided 560 Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches, 720 Cherry Pies and 560 apple Dippers Sunday during the free McDonald's Family Picnic.

"McDonald's' participation in the 2008 CMA Music Festival was a terrific opportunity to connect to our customer's passion for Country Music," said Ted Bertuca Jr., a local McDonald's Owner/Operator.
 
"I found the CMA Festival to be the total entertainment package - great music combined various fun and interesting activities. That, together with eclectic downtown Nashville, it offered something for everyone! What I found most impressive, was how nice the crowd was," said Cathy Kolumbus, Senior Brand Manager, Tetley USA. "Everyone we spoke to was genuine and seemed to be having a great time, despite the heat."

2009 CMA Music Festival Tickets 
2009 CMA Music Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14, in Downtown Nashville and tickets are available now. Tickets for 2009 CMA Music Festival were available to Music Festival attendees during the event and available nationally today. The Gold Circle section is already sold out and tickets are selling at a rapid pace, 4.2 percent ahead of 2008 sales figures and 29 percent ahead of 2007 sales.  Fans are encouraged to order early for best available seating.

To order tickets, call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378); visit www.CMAfest.com to download an order form to fax or mail; visit www.ticketmaster.com to buy online or charge-by-phone at 615-255-9600. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable. Four-day ticket package categories correspond to a different level of seating at LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted FREE.

2009 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL FOUR-DAY TICKET PACKAGE PRICES

LEVEL                                    ADULT                 12 & YOUNGER
Gold Circle (Floor)                  SOLD OUT           N/A
Floor Level                              $175                   $123
Lower Level                            $155                   $109
Club Level                               $145                   $102

ABC Television Special - Monday, Sept. 8
As previously announced, the Festival was filmed for a two-hour television special "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" scheduled to air on the ABC Television Network Monday, Sept. 8 (9:00-11:00 PM/ET). Hosting the special for the first time will be two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion Julianne Hough, former "American Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler and reigning CMA Horizon Award winner Taylor Swift. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer. Gary Halvorson is the Director. The special was shot in high definition and will be broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

This is the fourth year the special will air on ABC. The primetime special debuted on the CBS Television Network in 2004.
 
Both the concerts and the interaction between the artists and fans will be captured in the special with heart-pounding performances interspersed with heart-warming encounters between the artists and their avid admirers. Taped exclusively for the special, cameras followed the stories of several Festival attendees, who had their dreams come true when they were granted a once-in-a-lifetime meeting and personal encounter with their favorite Country stars.

On the Web
The Second Annual Fan Social was held at Buck Wild Saloon on Saturday, where a maximum capacity crowd of MySpace and Facebook social-networking friends met in-person. Capitol Records Nashville recording group Lady Antebellum, who performed at the first of these gatherings in 2007, returned with an acoustic performance. Lyric Street artist Trent Tomlinson performed and participated in an autograph session.

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

The 2008 CMA Music Festival gets bigger and better with music, sports, food and fun. There is so much to do and see at this four-day festival that it takes seven days to get it all in.

The fun begins tonight!

Worldwide Event

On Tuesday (3:30-6:00 PM) at The Second Fiddle on Broadway, Robert Reynolds hosts the AristoMedia Global Showcase. Artists participating include Victoria Banks (Canada), Jason Blaine (Canada), Adam Harvey (Australia), Jetty Road (Australia), Tracy Killeen (Australia), Amber Nicholson (Canada), Felicity Urquhart (Australia), and Mark Wells (Australia).

This event is free and open to the public.

Country Hit Parade
"The Fourth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade" will be held Wednesday (2:00 PM) featuring Country Music artists and celebrities riding in Chevy Corvette convertibles and Silverados. James Otto is the Grand Marshal and other participants include Deborah Allen, Katie Armiger, riders from Championship Bull Riding, Erika Jo, Crystal Gayle, The Grascals, Jeff Griffith, Indian Rodeo, Lonestar, Jason Meadows, Mountain Heart, Michael Martin Murphey, several of NASCAR's top drivers, One Flew South, The Roys, Phil Stacey, Keni Thomas, Trent Tomlinson, Rhonda Towns, Kyle Wyley, and Chris Young. Other participants include the Antioch High School Marching Band and Drill Team; the Overton High School drumline; the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee riding on their float; the Boy Scouts of Middle Tennessee, and various Southeast Region Chevy Youth Baseball teams. In addition, a caravan of Corvette enthusiasts will join the parade.

Beginning at the corner of Broadway and Sixth Avenue North, the procession will travel down Broadway; turn right on Third Avenue South; proceed down Third Avenue South until turning right on Demonbreun; proceed up Demonbreun to Sixth Avenue, and end at the Sommet Center.

Immediately following the parade, "The Third Annual CMA Block Party" will take place at the Chevy Music Stage (3:00 PM) on the Chevy Plaza at the Sommet Center (Fifth Avenue South and Broadway). Performers include Keith Anderson, Zac Brown Band, Luke Bryan, Joe Nichols, James Otto, Phil Stacey, and Chris Young. 

Bring On the Night
An official part of CMA Music Festival this year is "Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam" on Wednesday (10:00 PM) at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Stuart's seventh annual event, benefitting MusicCares and CMA's Keep the Music Playing education campaign, features performances by Charlie Daniels, Mike Farris, Dallas Frazier, Kostas, Kathy Mattea, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Rich, Connie Smith, The SteelDrivers, Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, Sunny Sweeney, Gretchen Wilson, and surprise guests.

A separate ticket is required for the Late Night Jam and can be purchased at www.ryman.com.

The Fun "Officially" Begins
The 2008 CMA Music Festival officially begins Thursday and continues through Sunday with hundreds celebrities and artists, 100 hours of concerts, 30 hours of autograph signings, family activities, sporting competitions, grilling and barbequing contests, interactive exhibits, giveaways games, and much more.

"CMA Music Festival is the ultimate destination for music lovers," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. "Fans come back year after year to experience all of the fun and excitement that the Festival and the City of Nashville have to offer. From our daily concerts on the Greased Lightning® Riverfront Daytime Stages, to the truTV(tm) Exhibit Hall, our free stages in the Zones, the After Hours parties, and of course the nightly concerts on the VAULT(tm) Concert Stage at LP Field, our lineup is amazing. CMA Music Festival is a music lover's dream."

"Keep the Music Playing"
And it all aids music education for public school students through the benefit program "Keep the Music Playing." The artists who participate in CMA Music Festival are not compensated for the hours they spend performing and signing autographs. To show its appreciation, CMA contributes half the net proceeds from the event on behalf of the artists. To date, CMA has contributed more than $1.1 million to support music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools.

"Rollin' on the River"
Phil Vassar and Jo Dee Messina will kick off four days of non-stop concerts with their high energy shows at the Greased Lightning Riverfront Daytime Stages on Thursday (10:00 AM). Joining them during the opening show will be Deborah Allen, Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll, and Chuck Wicks. And that is just the beginning.  Over the course of the Festival, more than 100 artists are scheduled to perform on the banks of the Cumberland River.

Artists include Charlie Allen, Bill Anderson, Keith Anderson, Katie Armiger, Jeff Bates, Bellamy Brothers, John Berry, Bo Bice, Lee Brice, Dean Brody, Lane Brody, T. Graham Brown, Zac Brown, Laura Bryna, Tracy Byrd, Carolina Rain, Carters Chord, Mark Chesnutt, Eric Church, Stephen Cochran, Cowboy Crush, Crossin Dixon, Star DeAzlan, Drew Davis Band, Whitney Duncan, Eli Young Band, Emerson Drive, Erika Jo, Flynnville Train, Jimmy Fortune, Ashley Gearing, Billy Gilman, Josh Gracin, Adam Gregory, Jeff Griffith with Joe Stampley, Andy Griggs, Greg Hanna, Jennifer Hanson, Heartland, Ty Herndon, The Honky Tonk Tailgate Party featuring Buddy Jewell, Ray Scott, Trent Willmon and Mark Wills, Randy Houser, Rick Huckaby, Con Hunley, Emma Mae Jacob, Sarah Johns, Jamey Johnson, Jypsi, James LeBlanc, LoCash Cowboys, Lonestar, Lost Trailers, Rockie Lynne, Raul Malo, Jeremy McComb, Neal McCoy, Mindy McCready, Jason Meadows, Justin Moore, Lorrie Morgan, Megan Mullins, Mel McDaniel, Richie McDonald, Michael Martin Murphey, Minnie Murphy, David Nail, Heidi Newfield, Joe Nichols, Oak Ridge Boys, Jamie O'Neal, Jake Owen, Rissi Palmer, Danielle Peck, Telstra winner Jasmine Rae, Eddy Raven, Rio Grand, The Road Hammers, Mica Roberts, The Roys, Crystal Shawanda, Ashton Shepherd, TG Sheppard, Phil Stacey, Jeffrey Steele, Fisher Stevenson, Doug Stone, Sunny Sweeney, Mel Tillis, Aaron Tippin, Rhonda Towns, Trailer Choir, Jimmy Wayne, Emily West, Whiskey Falls, Bryan White, Darryl Worley, Billy Yates, and Chris Young.

The concerts are hosted by a variety of celebrities and broadcast personalities including GAC host Suzanne Alexander, GAC and WSM-AM personality Bill Cody, 95.5 The Wolf's Jim Day, CMT's "Gone Country" contestant and "American Idol" finalist Diana Degarmo, WUBL/Atlanta's Slam Duncan, WGSQ-FM personality Phillip Gibbons, Country Aircheck's Lon Helton, GAC Radio's Donna Hughes, Tennessean columnist Beverly Keel, WSIX midday jock Newman, WKRN News Channel 2's Brad Schmitt, co-host of FOX 17's "Tennessee Mornings" Kelly Sutton, 103.3 WKDF's Becca Walls, "Country Music Across America's" Storme Warren, singer/songwriter Billy Yates, and the stars of ABC Daytime.

Single-day tickets for the Greased Lightning Riverfront Daytime Stages will be sold the day of each show at the gate for $16 each. Children 6 and younger are admitted to the Daily Concerts at the Greased Lightning Riverfront Daytime Stages free of charge with a paying adult, making this a very family-friendly destination during the Festival.

Party Under the Stars
LP Field will become VAULT Country with samples of the hybrid energy soda available as fans exit the stadium. The Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field (home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans) feature the biggest names in Country Music, emerging stars and surprise guests. Fans have a front-row shot from the popular Photo Line, which is in constant motion in front of the stage during the performances.

Pre-show activities opening night (7:30 PM/CT) include the presentation of the Stars and Stripes by the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Station Nashville Color Guard and a fly over with FA-18s from The Bengals of VMFA (AW)-224 from Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C. Lyric Street recording artist Phil Stacey will sing the National Anthem and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will officially welcome the fans to Music City. Performers include (artists and schedule subject to change):

Thursday (7:30 PM) - Jennifer Hanson, Montgomery Gentry, Kellie Pickler, Luke Bryan, Jewel, Taylor Swift, and Sugarland.

 Friday (7:45 PM) - Ashton Shepherd, Jack Ingram, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Jake Owen, and Faith Hill.

Saturday (7:45 PM) - Jason Michael Carroll, Craig Morgan, Little Big Town, Jamey Johnson, Rodney Atkins, Darryl Worley, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, and Kenny Rogers.

Sunday (7:45 PM) - Chuck Wicks, James Otto, Bucky Covington, Randy Travis, John Stephan, Sara Evans, Billy Ray Cyrus, Phil Stacey, and Dwight Yoakam.

Hosts for the Nightly Concerts are "General Hospital's" Bradford Anderson, CMT personality Allison DeMarcus, "One Life to Live's" Kassie DePaiva, "All My Children's" Bobbie Eakes, "All My Children's" Ricky Paull Goldin, "General Hospital's" Rebecca Herbst, standup comedian Killer Beaz, "General Hospital's" Jason Thompson, and GAC and XM personality Storme Warren.

The Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field feature state-of-the-art production and fireworks at the conclusion of each show. The fireworks display is generously sponsored by VAULT on Thursday, June 5; Greased Lightning on Friday, June 6; and Chevy(tm) on Saturday, June 7. 

Tickets for each nightly show at LP Field can be purchased at a cost of $40 for reserved seating and $30 for general admission. Single night tickets can be purchased in advance through the CMA Music Festival Box Office at The Sommet Center Box Office, 501 Broadway, Nashville, Tenn., or toll free at 1-800 CMA-FEST (262-3378). Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster at (615) 255-9600, www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket price does not include applicable handling fees.

Single night concert tickets will also be sold during CMA Music Festival at the LP Field ticket office beginning Wednesday. The single night concert ticket is only good for that night's performance at LP Field.

truTV(tm) Fan Fair® Hall
The lifestyle exhibits and autograph booths in the Nashville Convention Center are a traditional favorite. Entrance into the truTV Fan Fair Hall is included in the four-day ticket package. For the first time ever, individual daily tickets will be available for Saturday and Sunday, for $20 per day, plus applicable handling fees. The tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378); or onsite during the event at the box office at the Sommet Center. Artists scheduled to sign autographs include legends, today's hitmakers and tomorrow's hopefuls.

Performers and celebrities scheduled to appear in the truTV Fan Fair Hall include Curtis Alan, Charlie Allen, Deborah Allen, Suzanne Alexander, Bill Anderson, Keith Anderson, Lynn Anderson, Katie Armiger, Sam Bass, Jeff Bates, Bo Bice, Bonnie Lou Bishop, Bluefield, Bonner Bolton, Lee Brice, Lane Brody, Jason Brown, Brownell & Richey, Luke Bryan, Laura Bryna, Sarah Buxton, Tracy Byrd, David Byrnes, Caitlin & Will, Don Campbell, Carolina Rain, Jason Michael Carroll, Cash Creek Band, Mark Chesnutt, Billy Childers, Eric Church, Steven Clawson, Will Clements, Stephen Cochran, Austin Cody, Bill Cody, Dan Colehour, Elizabeth Cook, Katie Cook, The Coppolas, Brad Cotter, Bucky Covington, Cowboy Troy, Timothy Craig, Candice Crain, Crook & Chase, Stephen Dale, Justin David, Star De Azlan, Deepstep, Diana DeGarmo, Kassie DePaiva, Drew Davis Band, Eric Durrance, Eli Young Band, Emerson Drive, Ralph Emery, Erika Jo, Jace Everett, Donna Fargo, Joey & Rory Feek, Flynnville Train, Crystal Gayle, Freddie Gill, Billy Gilman, Josh Gracin, The Grascals, Jack Greene, Ben Gregg, Adam Gregory, Jeff Griffith, Angela Hacker, Jennifer Hanson,Vince Hatfield, Heartland, Tuff Hedeman, Amanda Henkel, Ty Herndon, Katelyn Hobson, Lucas Hoge, Shelby Horner, Hot Apple Pie, Julianne Hough, James House, Randy Houser, Rick Huckaby, Con Hunley, Jack Ingram, Julie Ingram, Emma Mae Jacob, Buddy Jewell, Jamey Johnson, Ben "Cooter" Jones, Zona Jones, Jypsi, Christian Kane, Cooper Kanngiesser, Sage Keffer, Kentucky Headhunters, Johnny Knapp, Mikel Knight, David Kroll, Lady Antebellum, James LeBlanc, Ladden Ledbetter, Zane Lewis, Little Big Town, Little Texas, Jake Littlefield, Lonestar, The Lost Trailers, Sherry Lynn, Marshal Reign, Daniel Lee Martin, Joey Martin, Kim McAbee, Cody McCarver, Jeremy McComb, Neal McCoy, Rich McCready, Mel McDaniel, Steve McGranahan, Jason Meadows, Charlotte Medley, Jo Dee Messina, Barry Michael, Ronnie Milsap, Travis Moody, DeAnne Moore, Justin Moore, Moore & Moore, Lorrie Morgan, Brooke Morton, Mountain Heart, Michael Martin Murphey, Mustang Creek, David Nail, Josh Newcom, Heidi Newfield, Joe Nichols, Nick Nicholson, David Paul Nowlin, One Flew South, Jamie O'Neal, Todd O'Neil, James Otto, Jake Owen, Ashlee Page, Danielle Peck, Michael Peterson, Reunionaires, Amber Rhodes, Steve Richard, Riders In the Sky, Rio Grand, The Road Hammers, Julie Roberts, Mica Roberts, The Roys, Sammy Sadler, David St. Romain, Travis Sellers, Kevin Sharp, Crystal Shawanda, Ashton Shepherd, Thom Shepherd, TG Sheppard, Martha Sides, Wesley Silcox, Wade Sims, Damon Smith, Daniel Smith, Skyla Spencer, Phil Stacey, Fisher Stevenson, Paul Stout, Sunny Sweeney, Taylor Swift, Keni Thomas, Mel Tillis, Aaron Tippin, Trent Tomlinson, Rhonda Towns, Trailer Choir, Carrie Underwood, Jessica Cayne Urick, Rusty Van Sickle, Phil Vassar, Jenna von Oy, Taylor Ware, Darren Warren, Storme Warren, Jimmy Wayne, Well Hungarians, Emily West, Whiskey Falls, Bryan White, Jonalee White, White Acre, Chuck Wicks, Rachel Williams, Trent Willmon, Mark Wills, Gretchen Wilson, Blake Wise, Nicole Witt, Steven Woolsey, Darryl Worley, Wynnona, Billy Yates, Chris Young and many others. Artists are subject to change.

A popular feature of the truTV Fan Fair Hall is Mary Kay ® Presents the Acoustic Corner.  This area, on the second floor of the Nashville Convention Center in Room 209, offers independent artists a place to showcase their talent. Open daily (Thursday and Friday 11:00 AM -5:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday (11:00 AM - 3:15 PM), Mary Kay Presents Acoustic Corner is free for all four-day ticket holders.  Artist performance times will be posted on-site daily.

Artists scheduled to perform at Mary Kay Presents the Acoustic Corner include Cash Creek, Will Clements, Austin Cody, Dan Colehour, Cowboy Joe & The Babcocks, Timothy Craig, James Taylor Curtis, Justin David, Kassie DePaiva, Jace Everett, Chris Gray, Ben Gregg, Dennie Hall, Sage Keffer, Jimmy Kish the Flying Cowboy, Miko Marks, Marshal Reign, Brooke Morton, Mustang Creek, Todd O'Neill, Ashlee Page, Thom Shepherd, Damon Smith, TelluRide, Brandi Thorton, Rhonda Towns, Jenna von Oy, Well Hungarians, Rachel Williams, and World's Greatest Fishing Band. Artist lineup is subject to change.

Zoned Out
Chevy(tm) Sports Zone is the place for sporting fun, friendly competitions between celebrities, athletes, and more. Located in the parking lot at the corner of Demonbreun and Fifth Avenue (behind the Sommet Center), the Chevy Sports Zone is open Thursday through Saturday (11:00 AM-5:00 PM) and Sunday (11:00 AM-4:00 PM). Admission is free to the public.

On Thursday the "Ultimate K9s Sports Show presented by Waggin' Train Dog Treats" will entertain fans with three shows (11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM). John Misita and his amazing K9s are the premiere Frisbee dog entertainers in the world with a show full of cutting edge, high flying acrobatics. Misita adopted all of his dogs, and their show promotes the importance of pet adoption and healthcare.

Also on Thursday (12:30 PM-3:30PM), "The Field & Stream Celebrity Total Outdoorsman Challenge presented by Mobil 1" will certainly be a highlight. Country Music artists and other celebrities will get to show off their outdoor skills with contests in archery, fly casting, bait casting, and air rifle and attempt to dethrone the two-time Total Outdoorsman Challenge Champion Paul Thompson. Celebrities scheduled to compete include Rhean Boyer of Carolina Rain, Kevin Fowler, Greg Hanna, Daniel Lee Martin, Jeremy McComb, Rusty Tabor, Bryan White, Mark Wills, and more.

NASCAR fans can get autographs from some of the sport's hottest drivers in the Chevy Sports Zone on Thursday (2:30 PM-3:30 PM). Jason Keller (No. 11 America's Incredible Pizza Chevrolet/CJM Racing), Brad Keselowski (No. 88 NAVY Chevrolet/JR Motorsports), David Stremme (No. 64 Atreus Homes and Communities Chevrolet/Rusty Wallace Racing), and Scott Wimmer (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet/Richard Childress Racing) will all be on hand to sign autographs and meet their fans. 2008 World Series of Asphalt Champion Logan Ruffin will be signing as well. In addition, FLW pro fisherman Luke Clausen and Larry Nixon will be signing and sharing fishing tips.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday (1:00 PM and 3:00 PM), DockDogs Competitions Presented by Outdoor Channel will take place. The competitions will take place in the DockDogs' 25,000 gallon mobile pool. Up to 30 dogs will compete each day in three different events: Big Air® - long jumping for dogs, where dogs compete for longest distance jumped from the end of the dock; Extreme Vertical® - the high jumping equivalent where dogs attempt to grab a bumper at increasing heights; Speed RetrieveT - a speed event where the dog is timed from a "go" signal until a bumper is retrieved at a point a specific distance from the edge of the dock. On Sunday, the winners from Thursday-Saturday will compete for the chance to move on to the United States Championship to be held in Minnesota in the summer. On Sunday (2:00 PM/CT), the DockDogs Celebrity Challenge will team artists and canines for high flying competition. Competitors include CMT's Katie Cook, Julie Roberts, Phil Stacey, Trent Willmon, Mark Wills, and more.

On Friday (11:00 AM-1:00 PM), the Celebrity Sports Challenge Presented by Glaceau VitaminWater® Hosted by Steve Azar will be held in the Chevy Sports Zone. The Sports Challenge is a fan favorite with an astounding array of professional athletes and celebrities competing alongside artists in friendly competitions.  Particiapants include:
. Terry Ahola, U.S. Olympic Ski Team Member
. Deborah Allen, artist
. Bradford Anderson, star of "One Life to Live"
. Jessica Andrews, artist
. Rob Bironas, kicker for the Tennessee Titans
. Bomshel, artist
. Chad Brock, artist
. Jeremy Cain, linebacker for the Tennessee Titans
. Rocky Calmus, NFL linebacker (Tennesee Titans/Indianapolis Colts)
. Carolina Rain, artist
. Steve Cole, former NFL linebacker (Cleveland Browns/Philadelphia Eagles)
. John Castellanos, star of "The Young and The Restless"
. Brad Cotter, artist
. Jim Fitzpatrick, actor
. Colt Ford, artist
. MJ Garrett, from MTV's "The Real World"
. Craig Hentrich, NFL punter (Tennessee Titans/New York Jets/Green Bay Packers)
. James House, artist
. Angela Jerman, LPGA golfer
. Ray Lloyd, professional wrestler
. Steve Lundquist, member of the U.S. Olympic swim team
. Jesse Mahelona, NFL defensive tackle (Tennessee Titans/Atlanta Falcons)
. Marcel, artist
. Brad Mates, of Emerson Drive
. Jason Meadows, artist
. John Adam Murph, artist
. Josh Stamer, linebacker for the Tennessee Titans
. Keni Thomas, artist
. Gino Torretta, NFL quarterback (Minnesota Vikings/Detroit Lions)
. Kevin Turner, NFL running back (New England Patriots/Philaelphia Eagles)
. Two Foot Fred, Muzik Mafia personality
. Gary Valentine, actor
. Jimmie Van Zant, artist
. Bryan White, artist
. Wild Bill, "AM Choppers Show" personality
. Wolf, American Gladiator

At 12:00 PM/CT on Friday, Field & Stream will hold their Total Outdoorsman Challenge local and regional qualifying events in the Chevy Sports Zone. Outdoor enthusiasts will test their skills in archery, air rifle and bait casting skills.  The local qualifier champion will receive an all-expense paid trip to the 2008 CMA Awards for two. 

Also on Friday (2:00 PM), the Outdoor Life Calling for Conservation competition will take place. Hosted by Shoot Straight TV's Chad Schearer, this ultimate game-calling contest will highlight the launch of a new conservation program: Outdoor Life's "Project Save-A-Stream," a nationwide program dedicated to cleaning up our waterways. This is a new nationwide program to clean up our waterways. Schearer will lead professional and celebrity callers, including singer Jason Brown, in a contest to determine the best turkey and big game calls. Throughout the coming year, Outdoor Life's "Project-Save-A-Stream" will lend support to water clean-up projects around the country. To nominate a waterway in your area to receive assistance, please visit OutdoorLife.com.

Saturday (11:00 AM-5:00PM) and Sunday (11:00 AM-3:00 PM) in the Chevy Sports Zone, the first ever CMA Music Festival BBQ Championship will take place. Teams from across the nation will compete in four categories (pork ribs, pork shoulder, beef brisket and chicken) for a chance to win a share of more than $17,000 in cash and prizes to be distributed to category winners. The Grand Champion of the CMA Music Festival BBQ Championship will receive $2,500, a CMA Awards trip package for two including accommodations, an invitation to take part in the prestigious KCBS-sanctioned American Royale competition, and eligibility to participate in the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (better known as "The Jack") in late October in Lynchburg, TN. Thirty teams are ready to compete including Lotta Bull (the 2006 KCBS
Team of the Year, featuring head chef Mike Davis); Bigbrig.com (three-time Memphis in May World Champion, featuring head chef Paul Hood); Moonshiners (2007 Jack Daniels World Champion, featuring head chef Chad Hayden); Ulcer Acres (considered the "Reverend of BBQ," featuring Head Chef Randy Twyford); and Buttrub.com (a multiple award winning team at barbeque contests, featuring head chef Byron Chism). Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Tony Conway, Executive Producer of the CMA Music Festival will be among the judges. The winner will be announced Sunday at 3:00 PM.

Country artists can try their hand at bull riding on Saturday (11:00 AM-12:00 PM) during the CBR/RFD-TV Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge. Artists will square off against champion bull riders to see who can make the eight seconds. Hosted by Tuff Hedeman, five-time World Champion and President of CBR, other participants include Jason Brown, Ladden Ledbetter, Jake Littlefield, Josh Newcom, Danny Rivera, Travis Sellers, Wesley Silcox, Trent Willmon, and Steve Woolsey.

Also on Saturday (2:00 PM-4:00 PM) the Chevy Sports Zone will be the location for the Fiesta Celebrity Grilling Challenge. Hosted by Lee McWright, Executive Chef for Fiesta Gas Grills, artists and celebrities will be paired with professional chefs in a culinary competition. Judges include Emma Feigenbaum, Everyday Food Associate Editor and co-host of PBS television series "Everyday Food," and Kay West, food critic, freelance journalist and People correspondent. Competitors include:
. Jason Brumm, owner of radius10 restaurant (Nashville)
. Lorianne Crook, co-host of RFD-TV's "Crook & Chase"
. George Harvell, chef at the Loveless Cafe
. Jamie O'Neal, artist
. Mel Tillis, artist
. Karl Trohaska, chef  at Sheraton Hotels Nashville
. Brian Uhl, Executive Chef at Sunset Grill, Midtown Café and Cabana (Nashville)
. Mark Wills, artist

On Sunday (11:30 AM), "The Third Annual New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race" will take place. During this event, Country Music artitsts and celebrities will race against the clock through an obstacle course on a New Holland Boomer(tm) compact tractor.  In addition to Peterson, participants include:
. Alvarado Road Show, artist
. Rob Bironas, kicker for the Tennessee Titans
. Billy Block, host of "Western Beat"
. Mark Collie, artist
. Kerry Collins, NFL quarterback (Carolina Panthers/Tennessee Titans)
. Joey Feek & Rory Martin Feek, contestants from CMT's "Can You Duet"
. Jimmy Fortune, 2008 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
. Greg Hanna, artist
. Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board
. Chuck Leavell, Rolling Stones' keyboardist
. Darby Ledbetter, National Guard member
. Zane Lewis, artist
. Daniel Loper, tackle for the Tennessee Titans
. Robert K. Oermann, Country Music historian/journalist
. Danny Rivera, artist
. Michael Roos, offensive tackle for the Tennesee Titans
. Ray Scott, artist
. Keni Thomas, artist
. Jimmie Van Zant, artist
. Trent Willmon, artist
. Billy Yates, artist

The McDonald's®-Dr Pepper® Family Zone is designed for young children as well as the young at heart. This free area, located at the Hall of Fame Park at Fifth Avenue South and Demonbreun Street in front of Hilton Hotel, is open Thursday-Saturday (11:00 AM-5:00 PM); Sunday (11:00 AM-4:00 PM).

At the McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone, kids can climb inflatables, participate in interactive games, arts and crafts, and more, while everyone can enjoy the exhibits, displays, food sampling and giveaways from Coca-Cola®, Dr Pepper, the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, Space Chimps, and Strawberry Shortcake.

CMA Music Festival's younger fans can enjoy live music and stage shows at the Family Zone's Main Stage. Performers slated to appear include Adam and the Couch Potatoes, Katie Chance, Eve and Mare, Grandbob, Tim Hannig's Pro-Kids Show, The Hollow Trees, Kid Fiddlers, Little Nashville, PBS' Miss Lori, Zak Morgan, Nashville Zoo Rainforest Show, Ronald McDonald Show, Dennis Scott, Strawberry Shortcake Show, Taylor Ware, and The Zinghoppers.

For the second year, top high school vocalists from across the country will compete for the prestigious title "Music City Rising Star." Performances will take place Thursday-Friday, on the Main Stage in the Family Zone Plaza. The Grand Champion "Music City Rising Star" will be announced Sunday on the Greased Lightning Riverfront Stages and will perform later that day on the McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone Main Stage. The winner of this competition will receive one free private session with Linda Davis.

On Saturday (10:30 AM-3:00 PM), the 25th Annual YWCA Celebrity Auction will take place. Hosted by Steve Virginia with appearances by Katie Armiger, Jason Michael Carroll, Tennessee Titan Cortland Finnegan, Lady Antebellum, Sherry Lynn, Heidi Newfield, GAC host Storme Warren, and Brent Young, this popular event will feature a special videotaped message from Martina McBride and signed items from Trace Adkins, Alabama, Jason Aldean, Keith Anderson, Asleep at the Wheel, Rodney Atkins, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Terri Clark, Jessi Colter, Bucky Covington, Billy Currington, Billy Dean, Little Jimmy Dickens, Vince Gill, Josh Gracin, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Danielle Peck, John Prine, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny Rogers, Blake Shelton, Phil Stacey, Taylor, Swift, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Phil Vassar, Gretchen Wilson, Darryl Worley, Wynonna, and more.

On Sunday (11:30 AM-1:30 PM), McDonald's will provide free lunch to the first 500 guests at the McDonald's Family Picnic.

The Carl Black Chevy booth is the place to go to meet and get autographs from celebrities and artists. Scheduled to appear are Big D & Bubba, Luke Bryan, Crossin Dixon, Adam Gregory, Justin Moore, Heidi Newfield, David St. Romaine, Ashton Shepherd, and Emily West.

Other Family Zone activities include character visits from Wow! Wow! Wubbzy and The Cabbage Patch Kids; and exhibits from Carl Black Chevrolet, Chevy(tm) Safe Kids, Coca-Cola®, and more.

The Fun Zone, located on Broadway between First Avenue South and Third Avenue South, will keep families excited and busy for hours while they enjoy interactive games, activities, celebrity appearances, product samples, giveaways, and more. Cool off on the Nashville Shores Water Slide. Get grilling tips, watch fun cooking demos from Fiesta Gas Grills and register to win a FREE grill. You can also stop by booths from others sponsors including Blue Bell Creameries, The Catfish Institute, CiCi's Pizza®, Facecard, Greased Lightning Cleaning Products, MARTHA WHITE FOODS, Tetley® Iced Tea, VAULT and Waggin' Train.

On Thursday (10:30 AM-12:00 PM), Super 8 will host an autograph signing with famous NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte and will have a register-to-win drawing for an autographed guitar. Super 8 is also sponsoring the "Super 8 Top 8," where attendees can vote at the Super 8 booth for their favorite performances from any of the CMA Music Festival concert stages. The top eight performances will be revealed at LP Field before Sunday night's concert.

Also in the Fun Zone, the USO will partner with CMA and Borders® for "Music Outreach." Borders will collect CDs, books and DVDs purchased by customers to be sent to the troops. Collection areas for these items will be set up at Borders' stores at the truTV Fan Fair Hall, Greased Lightning Riverfront Stages, and at LP Field. All items collected will be donated to the USO for distribution to troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas locations. Tours of the Mobile USO unit will be offered to the general public. There also will be a hospitality area for troops and their families set up in the canteen location. Visitors will have the chance to demonstrate their support for the troops through written greetings via the USO's "Hello! From the Homefront" program.
 
New this year in the Fun Zone is the Hard Rock Outdoor Stage. Free and open to the public, this stage will showcase an array of Country Music artists including Brittini Black, Ash Bowers, Brother Trouble, Jason Brown, The Clark Brothers, Colt Ford, Gloriana, Bailey Grey, Indian Rodeo, Zane Lewis, Cody McCarver, Jason Meadows, Shawna Russell, Two Timers, Whiskey Falls, Mark Wills, Tommy Joe Wilson, The Wrights, and Kyle Wyley.

Put Some Drive In Your Country
The Chevy Plaza, at Fifth Avenue South and Broadway, is free and open to the public. Here fans can participate in the Chevy Ride & Drive Friday through Sunday and test drive some of the hottest Chevy cars and trucks.

In addition, there will be live daily concerts on the Chevy(tm) Stage. Artists participating in the daily concerts include Deborah Allen, Band of Heathens, Sonny Burgess, The Grascals, The Greencards, Hot Apple Pie, James House, Jedd Hughes, James Intveld, Sierra Hull, Kingbilly, La Familia, Little Joe, Lucky Bucks, Bobby Marquez, Daniel Lee Martin, Augie Meyers, Chase Mitchell, Cory Morrow, Mountain Heart, Gary Nichols, One Flew South, Noe Palma, Michael Peterson, Rueben Ramos, Charlie Rich, Jr., Riders in the Sky, Julie Roberts, SteelDrivers, Trent Summar, Keni Thomas, Dan Tyminski, and Michelle Wright.

XM Satellite radio will be broadcasting live each day from the Chevy Plaza.

CMA Celebrity Close Up presented by GAC(tm)
Back by popular demand, The CMA Celebrity Close Up Series presented by GAC, Great American Country Television Network will return to CMA Music Festival for a sixth consecutive year. Hosted by television personality Lorianne Crook, these sessions give fans an in-depth glimpse into an artist's life and personality. Two sessions are scheduled at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Session One: Thursday (1:30 PM-3:00 PM) with Taylor Swift, Randy Travis and Gretchen Wilson.

 Session Two: Thursday (4:00 PM-5:30 PM) with Bucky Covington, Sara Evans. Joe Nichols, and Jake Owen.

CMA Celebrity Close up presented by GAC is a separately ticketed event. Ticket prices are $12 in advance or $17 the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Fans can also visit www.ticketmaster.com or stop by the Ryman Auditorium Box Office to purchase tickets.

CMA Music Festival After Hours presented by CMT
When the lights go down on LP Field's Nightly Concerts, the festivities are just beginning at 16 downtown clubs and lounges as CMA Music Festival After Hours presented by CMT gets underway.

"The Official CMA After Hours Kick-Off Concerts" will be held at the Hard Rock Outdoor Stage. The concerts will be held Thursday-Saturday following the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Stage at LP Field. These concerts are free and open to the public. Artists participating include The Clark Brothers, Whiskey Falls, and Mark Wills.

Clubs participating in CMA Music Festival After Hours include Bailey's Pub & Grille, B.B. King's Blues Club, Buck Wild Saloon, Cadillac Ranch, Coyote Ugly, Hard Rock Café Nashville, Layla's Bluegrass Inn, Legends Corner, Limelight, Nashville Crossroads, Rippy's Smokin' Bar & Grill, Robert's Western World, Second Fiddle, The Stage on Broadway, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Wildhorse Saloon.

Hard Rock Café Nashville's Stub Hub Songwriters in the Round will return to the CMA Music Festival After Hours lineup for its second year.  These performances provide fans a glimpse into the stories behind the songs. Broadcast live on XM channel 16, proceeds from these shows benefit Musicians on Call.

Participating songwriters include Jessi Alexander, Dave Berg, Rodney Clawson, Ashley Gorley, Marv Green, Brett James, Luke Laird, Lee Thomas Miller, Tim Nichols, Bobby Pinson, Jon Randall, and Rivers Rutherford.

ABC Daytime Stars Shine at Festival
Stars from ABC's hit daytime dramas will make appearances at the 2008 CMA Music Festival. The actors include Bobbie Eakes ("Krystal Carey") and Ricky Paull Goldin ("Jake Martin") from "All My Children"; Kassie DePaiva ("Blair Cramer") from "One Life To Live"; and Bradford Anderson ("Damian Spinelli"), Rebecca Herbst ("Elizabeth Webber"), and Jason Thompson ("Dr. Patrick Drake") from "General Hospital."

They'll be busy! The actors will host concert performances at the Greased Lightning Daytime Stages at Riverfront Park; participate in storytelling in the McDonald's - Dr Pepper Family Zone; take part in the Celebrity Sports Challenge presented by Glacèau Vitaminwater, hosted by Steve Azar, in the Chevy Sports Zone; and introduce artists performing, during the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field.

The actors will also make a stop at the ABC Block Party, which takes place on Saturday (1:30-5:00 PM) at the stage facing Fifth Avenue between the Sommet Center and the Hilton Hotel. Fans will enjoy performances, giveaways and special activities at this free event hosted by Bob Guiney of "The Bachelor."
 
Getting Around
A limited number of on-site, pay parking spots ($10 per vehicle) will be available each night at LP Field in Lots E and F, just across the Woodland Street Bridge. This parking lot is not available for pre-purchase. It is available for purchase on-site, on a first-come, first-serve basis Thursday and Friday (after 5:00 PM); and all day Saturday and Sunday. Ample paid surface lots and parking garages are also available in Downtown Nashville, conveniently accessible to LP Field via the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge.

CMA Music Festival activities are conveniently located in Downtown Nashville within walking distance. Plus, there is access to free shuttles at major CMA Music Festival event sites for all four-day ticket holders. Downtown shuttles run daily on a continuous loop. Handicapped-accessible shuttle buses are available with attendants to offer assistance.

Shopping
CMA Music Festival attendees can treasure the experience long after the event is over with merchandise purchased at this year's event.

The Festival product line will be available onsite through Music City Merchandise. Booths will be set up at the truTV Fan Fair Hall, Greased Lightning Riverfront Daytime Stages, McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone, and LP Field. Additionally, merchandise will be available at The Sommet Center on Wednesday and Thursday during registration hours. Merchandise is subject to availability. CMA Music Festival stores and store locations are subject to change without notice. For complete merchandise information, or to order online, visit www.CMAfest.com.

Attendees can also purchase music on-site. Borders will have music stores set up at the truTV Fan Fair Hall, Greased Lightning Riverfront Daytime Stages and LP Field.

2008 Ticket Packages Still Available
Four-day ticket packages for 2008 CMA Music Festival are still available. The package categories correspond to different levels of seating at LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted free. Four-day ticket packages include the Nightly Concerts at the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field; Daily Concerts at the Greased Lightning Riverfront Daytime Stages; daily admittance to the truTV Fan Fair Exhibit Hall featuring Mary Kay presents the Acoustic Corner; McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone; Fun Zone; Chevy Sports Zone; Chevy Music Stage; CMA Music Festival After Hours presented by CMT; free in-town shuttles; the award-winning CMA Music Festival Program Book; and CMA Music Festival pin. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices and artists are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.
* NOTE: Please call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) for information on ADA seating, which may be available in Sold Out sections.

2009 CMA Music Festival Tickets
The 2009 CMA Music Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14, in Downtown Nashville. Tickets for 2009 CMA Music Festival will be available for sale only in Nashville on Saturday and Sunday (9:30 AM-6:00 PM) at The Sommet Center Box Office, 501 Broadway; Saturday (9:30 AM-10:00 PM) at the LP Field Box Office and Sunday (1:00 PM-10:00 PM) at the LP Field Box Office.

Tickets for the 2009 CMA Music Festival will go on-sale nationwide Monday, June 11 (10:00 AM/CT).

To order tickets, call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378); visit www.CMAfest.com to download an order form to fax or mail; visit www.ticketmaster.com to buy online or charge-by-phone at 615-255-9600. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable. Four-day ticket package categories correspond to a different level of seating at LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted FREE.

2009 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL FOUR-DAY TICKET PACKAGE PRICES
LEVEL                            ADULT                          12 & YOUNGER
Gold Circle (Floor)             $300                              n/a
Floor Renewable               $185                             $123
Floor Level                        $175                             $123
Lower Level Renewable    $165                             $109
Lower Level                       $155                             $109
Club Level Renewable       $155                              $102
Club Level                          $145                              $102

Gold Circle (floor) includes front stage reserved floor seating with great views; exclusive wait staff offering convenient food and beverage service at your seat; and preferential parking at LP Field (one complimentary pass per order). Limit four tickets per order. Gold Circle (floor) seats for the 2008 CMA Music Festival sold out quickly after going on sale last year. Order early for best seating.

ABC Television Special - Monday, Sept. 8
As previously announced, CMA Music Festival will be filmed for a two-hour television special. "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" will air on the ABC Television Network Monday, Sept. 8 (9:00-11:00 PM/ET). Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer. Gary Halvorson is the Director.  This is the fourth year the special has aired on ABC. The primetime special debuted on the CBS Television Network in 2004. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

Both the concerts and the interaction between the artists and fans will be captured in the special with heart-pounding performances interspersed with heart-warming encounters between the artists and their avid admirers. Taped exclusively for the special, cameras will follow the stories of several Festival attendees, who will have their dreams come true when they are granted a surprise, once-in-a-lifetime meeting and personal encounter with their favorite Country stars.

Information
For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artists appearing and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for e-news.

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

The inductions on April 27 of Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman and Emmylou Harris into the Country Music Hall of Fame began with the people and ended with a vision of timelessness.

On this cool, sun-splashed Sunday afternoon, lovers of Country Music gathered outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Downtown Nashville. Running up the steps in the shade of a long white awning, a red carpet guided the gathering dignitaries toward the reception inside.

Harris arrived with manager Ken Levitan of Vector Management. Her appearance, blending beauty, elegance and Western aesthetic, was a metaphor for her music, whose grace in turn mirrored the patience she showed in greeting members of the press, giving each so much of her attention that it took her more than half an hour to make her way into the building.

Three of Pop Stoneman's daughters - Patsy, Roni and Donna - emerged from a limousine and stood together in an explosion of camera flashes, smiling radiantly, proud and bound by faith in their father's legacy. Sons and daughters, children and grandchildren, joined them inside - six generations in all, according to Randy Stoneman, son of the late Van Stoneman and one of Pop's grandsons.

For a couple of hours, festive conversation, accompanied discretely by the recorded strains of Chet Atkins' guitar, filled the Museum's lobby. Shortly after 7 PM, the lights dimmed and many of the attendees moved into the intimate 213-seat Ford Theater to witness another night of history being made.

The front row was reserved for inductees and special guests, including Tom T. Hall and the Statler Brothers, who will follow Harris and Stoneman into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony June 29. The atmosphere was alive with the mix of solemnity and celebration that's unique to this occasion.

Yet each Medallion and Induction Ceremony is unlike any other, given the contributions of the inductees.

On this evening, a recorded performance by steel guitarist Aubrey Ghent, an ecstatic "sacred steel" rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In," fanned the heat of anticipation before Kyle Young, Director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, stepped forward and delivered his opening remarks.

"Over the course of 10 years, the Museum has presented 12 Medallion Ceremonies," he said. "Music, storytelling, fellowship and the presentation of a keepsake medal were the hallmarks of those celebrations. Last year, at the invitation of CMA, we were honored to see the Medallion Ceremony become the official rite of induction for new members."

Following witty yet respectful reflections from business leader and arts activist Steve Turner, who recently succeeded E. W. "Bud" Wendell as Chairman of the Museum, Vince Gill provided a haunting benediction with the hymn "Drifting Too Far From the Shore," which he recalled singing in 1981 with Harris at Red Rocks, Colo., shortly after the death of his grandfather.

Tammy Genovese, CMA CEO, remembered her conversation with Harris prior to the public announcement in February of the new Hall of Fame members chosen by CMA's anonymous panel of electors. "She captured the essence of the moment in one word: spiritual," she said. "It was clear in that one moment, in that one word, why she has been revered for preserving Country Music's past while expanding Country Music's horizons."

Noting as well the importance of Stoneman and the "transparent joy" that his family displayed at news of his election, Genovese yielded the podium back to Young, who acknowledged the musical and community luminaries in the audience before beginning his tribute to Stoneman, who enters the Hall of Fame through the category of "Career Achieved National Prominence Prior to World War II."

The next few hours flowed as a stream of prepared and impromptu comments and unforgettable performances. In the segment dedicated to Stoneman, some of Pop's favorite tunes were given loving interpretations.

Old Crow Medicine Show began with a stylistically authentic rendition of "Tell Mother I Will Meet Her." Cowboy Jack Clement joined the Medallion All-Star Band featuring Eddie Bayers, Paul Franklin, Tania Hancheroff, Wes Hightower, John Hobbs, Brent Mason, Michael Rhodes, Deanie Richardson and Biff Watson in a foot-tapping version of "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" that inspired Roni to enthusiastically conduct and, on the last chorus, leap to her feet and clap along to the beat.

Joining with The Jordanaires, Jim Lauderdale recalled watching "Those Stonemans," the television series that The Stoneman Family had hosted in the mid '60s. "I just couldn't take my eyes off of these beautiful women that were playing so masterfully," he said, as Pop's daughters beamed back at him. "And there was such a dignified gentleman onstage, your dad. . He just looked like the happiest man in the world, and I know how proud he was of y'all and how joyful he felt to be able to hear you play and to make music with you, his children."

As breathtaking as their performance was of "Are You Washed in the Blood," the emotional peak came when the Stoneman sisters took to the stage - Donna on mandolin, Patsy on autoharp and Roni on banjo - with Clement and bassist Stu Geisbert. Assisted by Gill to her seat, Patsy, the eldest of the three, held the spotlight, with the vigor of her playing on autoharp and the feisty spirit of her speech. "I guess you can see that I need help getting around," she began. "But I want to tell you something: You don't grow old because you play music. You grow old because you stop playing music. And I ain't gonna quit!"

Their reading of their father's immortal song "The Titanic" triggered a long ovation. The music was equally moving as other artists extolled Harris for her induction into the category for "Career Achieving National Prominence Between 1975 and the Present." It began with a stunning version of The Everly Brothers classic "Love Hurts," later recorded by Harris, in which Patty Griffin harmonized with Buddy Miller. (In the audience, as the last chord rang through the deep tremolo of Miller's electric guitar, Marty Stuart laughed with delight, exclaimed "what a song!" and reached over to shake the hand of Phil Everly.)
 
Guy Clark, with a vocal timbre as scuffed and comfortable as his shoes, performed "Bang the Drum Slowly," which he had written with Harris in memory of her father. ("I must confess, I don't think I wrote any of it," he said. "I sat there and listened to Emmy come up with these lines and verses, and I was like 'Yes! Yes!' I was the cheerleader for this song.")

Lucinda Williams, her voice a weathered and eloquent vessel, sang "Boulder to Birmingham," her eyes closed, swaying gently in communion to the music.

And when Griffin, Gill, Miller, Sam Bush and Jon Randall joined their voices on "Green Pastures," the sound wafted through the room like love borne on a gentle breeze.

All of which prefaced the moments of induction, the first when Frances Preston, former President/CEO of BMI, presented the Medallion to Patsy on her father's behalf. Deeply affected, her voice quivering, Patsy whispered, "I didn't think I'd ever get to wear that." Not missing a beat, her sister Roni added, with a laugh, "It's my turn now!"

Later, after thanking Harris for "introducing new generations of fans to Louvin Brothers music" on her early albums, Charlie Louvin brought her forward to receive her Medallion. While admitting to not having "the good sense to appreciate" Country Music as a teenager, Harris credited the Johnny Cash album Bitter Tears and the late Gram Parsons for enlightening her on its power and beauty. But the moment that stirred the greatest laughter and applause came when, on impulse, she smiled toward the front row and proclaimed, "Patsy Stoneman, you are the bomb!"

From the roots represented by Stoneman to the innovations introduced through the work of Harris, the circle once again closed, unbroken, as the assembled Hall of Fame members took to the stage. Everly and Ralph Emery, their arms around each other's shoulders, Little Jimmy Dickens snapping his finger and smiling, Gill clapping his hands over his head in the back row, and Jim Foglesong, Louvin, Preston, Earl Scruggs, Jo Walker-Meador and The Jordanaires' Louis Nunley, Gordon Stoker, Ray Walker and Curtis Young all joined in singing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," knowing that like the music it evokes, it will surely endure.

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

During its first decade, CMA emerged as a vital tool for expanding the sound and business of Country Music. This process accelerated to the point that the next 10 years, from 1969 to 1978, became a remarkably productive decade for CMA, beginning that first year when the CMA Awards was broadcast live on national television for the first time.

"We had great ratings in the '70s," recalled former CMA Executive Director Jo Walker-Meador. "There weren't as many cable channels and other things to distract people. Kraft Foods was the sole sponsor for the first 20 years, and we got to know all the people there, from the President of Kraft on down. It was just wonderful."

The CMA Awards wasn't the only television exposure afforded to Country artists during the '60s and '70s. Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Flatt & Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed and Porter Wagoner were among the artists who hosted their own series - and then, of course, there was "Hee Haw."

"Those shows were very important because there's nothing like network television exposure to get things known and it gave a lot of artists an opportunity to perform," said Walker-Meador. "Glen Campbell's show ["The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour"] came on as a summer replacement for 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' and of course it turned out to be such a popular show. And 'The Jimmy Dean Show' was also important in bringing Country Music to a wider audience; CMA was proud to play a role in persuading ABC to keep it on the air. It was very important in getting the artists known and growing the interest in Country Music. A lot of people kind of turned their noses up at 'Hee Haw,' but I thought that was a wonderful show and that it did a lot of good for Country Music."

Specifically, those early programs proved invaluable in reflecting the essence of real Country Music to the American public, according to E.W. "Bud" Wendell, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, former General Manager of The Grand Ole Opry and former President/CEO of Gaylord Entertainment. "People like Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash were so dynamic and offered such great exposure for artists that it gave a whole new meaning to the industry than it had before," Wendell observed.

Nothing, though, brought Country Music closer to its audience than Fan Fair, which enjoyed its first run April 12-15, 1972. The event was created to give fans a chance to interact with their favorite artists and also to define the Country Music Disc Jockey Association convention, held each fall, specifically as an industry event. "The incentive for Fan Fair was to get the fans out of the fall convention," said Walker-Meador. "Fans were coming, and the artists couldn't tell whether they were talking to a fan or a disc jockey. We got some complaints about that, so we wanted to do something special for the fans."

The first Fan Fair was held in April, but the CMA Board of Directors decided to move the event to June the following year, when kids would be out of school and parents could bring the entire family to Nashville for the festivities. Five thousand fans attended the first event and by 1979, attendance had grown to 14,000. During the event's early years, Wendell was involved heavily in promoting it. "I went around the country to all the major all-night disc jockeys, like Bill Mack [then on WBAP-AM in Fort Worth] and Charlie Douglas [on WWL-AM in New Orleans], and spent the night to promote Fan Fair. They all were just so helpful."

As Fan Fair grew, so did the challenges that came with it. Not the least of these involved making sure the huge crowds could be fed at the event. "We found a caterer out of Odessa, Texas, that one of the DJs told me about," Wendell said. "It was a promotion of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce called the Odessa Chuck Wagon Gang. I went down to Texas to watch them feed about 15,000 people and decided real quick that's what we needed because at that time Nashville didn't have a caterer who could feed that kind of crowd. So every year this group would come in, very colorfully dressed, and they would provide the food service. It was a great relationship, and they did a wonderful, wonderful job."

CMA membership grew from 2,000 to 5,000 during this 10-year period. "I joined while I was still in New York," said Country Music Hall of Fame member Jim Foglesong, former President, Capitol Records Nashville, and currently Director, Music Business, at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. "Jo Walker-Meador just took it on herself to call a lot of people in New York. I'll never forget her saying 'Jim,' as if we'd known each other for all our lives, even though I'd never met her. She said, 'Jim, I sure would like to have you at CMA. It's only $5 a year to join.' I was already a member when I moved here."

Walker-Meador was tireless in her efforts to recruit new members and attract press for Country Music - even in the sports pages. "CMA sponsored a golf tournament for 11 years," she remembered. "It started in the late '60s. The reason we did the golf tournament was to get information about Country Music onto sports pages around the country. It was called the Music City Pro Celebrity Golf Tournament."

As the popularity of Country Music grew throughout the United States, CMA aimed to raise its profile abroad. The CMA Board made this goal clear by meeting in Canada, Mexico City, Puerto Rico, Tokyo and the United Kingdom, while also assisting Country artists from overseas make their ways to Nashville to perform at the DJ convention. "We had a very small budget to help on their international travel," Walker-Meador said. "And sometimes I would have to go to Memphis to help artists from countries behind the Iron Curtain do something about their visas."

Audiences proved eager to embrace Country Music abroad. "[British promoter] Mervyn Conn started the Wembley Festival for Country Music fans," said Foglesong. "A lot of our acts went over there and performed. There are an awful lot of Country Music fans in Scandinavian countries and other countries around Europe, not just in England, Scotland and Ireland. We had artists like Don Williams, who became one of the biggest starts in the United Kingdom and eventually around the world."

CMA also committed itself at this time to combating music piracy. By joining forces with the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to lobby against unauthorized duplication and sale of recorded music, CMA helped facilitate passage of the Federal Copyright Act of 1972. "There was no law to protect the recordings made prior to 1972," said Walker-Meador. "We divided up the states - CMA had 15 states, and it took two years to get the law passed in all the states."

Walker-Meador recalled getting requests by phone for her help in sending artists to call and lobby on behalf of the legislation. "Sometimes I'd get a call, saying 'You've got to get Chet Atkins or some artist to call Senator So-and-So and tell him how important this is to their livelihood to get this deal passed. So we worked on that for two years - and I started smoking again," she said, reflecting that stressful time in the industry's history.

The '70s were indeed a decade of tremendous activity for the Country Music community. And 1972 marked the opening of the Opryland USA theme park. In 1974, the Grand Ole Opry moved to its new home in Opryland. By 1976, attendance at Fan Fair had grown to 12,600. Johnny Cash and Roy Clark co-hosted "The 10th Annual CMA Awards", which expanded to 90 minutes and moved to the Grand Ole Opry House. And in 1977, the newly remodeled and expanded Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened to the public, with Elvis Presley's gold Cadillac among its new exhibits.

As CMA celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1978, Billboard honored the organization with the Billboard Trendsetter Award for "expanding Country Music around the world." SESAC also saluted CMA with the Paul Heinecke Citation of Merit Award, named after the performing rights organization's founder.

For the first time that year, the CMA Awards were simulcast on radio stations across the United States. Fan Fair drew 13,500 attendees as well, and CMA enrolled its 5,000th member.

Equally important, CMA at 20 had developed a reputation not only as an advocate for Country Music but also as a legislative force dedicated to protecting the intellectual property of its members. "The industry really said, 'Hey, these people are getting it done,'" Foglesong recalled. "We got the respect we deserved."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Implemented in September 2007, CMA Sound Healthcare continues to offer comprehensive health insurance for all domestic individual CMA members, often well below rates available elsewhere to self-employed individuals as well as those employed by CMA member organizations.

"Overall, the average reduction in premiums when moving a CMA member and family from a standard 'Brand X' policy to one of ours through CMA Sound Healthcare has been approximately 30 percent," said R.J. Stillwell, Regional Director, National Business Association. "Of equal importance, we've had great success in expanding benefits, thus increasing protection and reducing potential out-of-pocket [costs]."

For example, according to Stillwell, health insurance policies will often pay for the services of only one surgeon and assistant surgeon. In the event of more than one surgical procedure being conducted simultaneously, many standard policies will pay only for up to half of the benefits of the additional surgeries. Further, limitations are imposed frequently for out-patient therapies, such as capping physical therapy to 40 visits per year, speech therapy to 30 visits and cardiac rehabilitative services to 36. And several popular policies on the market contain unlimited out-of-pocket maximums when using an out-of-network provider.

In contrast, the most popular single or family plan offered by CMA Sound Healthcare will provide benefits for more than one surgeon, assistant surgeon and simultaneous surgical procedures, along with an additional $200,000 in out-patient therapy benefits following release from a hospital. Further, a stop-loss provision comes into play for out-of-network claims - and when treated at a Vanderbilt Hospital facility, a 90/10 co-pay, as opposed to the industry norm of 80/20.

To illustrate, Stillwell offered examples of savings for actual participants in the CMA Sound Healthcare program:

Subject: producer/engineer, male, 57.
Previous Insurance Premium: $560/month.
CMA Sound Healthcare Premium: $432.
Annual Savings: $1,536.

Subject: artist manager, female, 47.
Previous Insurance Premium: $327/month.
CMA Sound Healthcare Premium: $233/month.
Annual Savings: $ 1,128.

Subject: TV producers, male, 37, and
female, 39, with two children.
Previous Insurance Premium: $587.
CMA Sound Healthcare Premium: $401.
Annual Savings: $ 2,232.

And, in an especially dramatic example of  savings earned through CMA Sound Healthcare:
Subject: songwriter/publisher, male, 58, and female, 56.
Previous Insurance Premium: $1,660/month, with $7,500 out-of-pocket each.
CMA Sound Healthcare Premium: $806/month, with out-of-pocket costs reduced by 2/3.
Annual Savings: $10,328.

Extensive savings are also available via CMA Sound Healthcare through true-group plans tailored to companies with three or more employees.

CMA members are encouraged to learn more about what CMA Sound Healthcare can offer by visiting www.My.CMAworld.com and clicking on the
CMA Sound Healthcare link.

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Social networking Web sites, devoted to hosting interactions among members, were once like metaphorical lakes, each stocked with similar fish. Today, these sites have become virtual oceans, filled with millions of species, small recreational boats and massive supertankers.

The popularity of these sites has increased so quickly and dramatically that it's impossible to say exactly how many total users they draw. The numbers are bigger than many people would suspect, though, and they grow every day.

According to a report published in June 2007 by Forrester Research, the two most popular social networking sites - www.MySpace.com and www.Facebook.com - have more than 63 million U.S. visitors each month. A report that aired in 2008 on PBS' "Frontline" stated that the number of members for the two sites combined has reached a staggering 160 million.

With numbers like these, it follows that many commercial entities consider it essential to maintain a presence on these sites and others. The lesson has certainly not escaped the Country Music industry, as suggested by the Top 15 acts on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for Feb. 2, 2008 - each of whom has a MySpace page.

"Two key things about Country Music are the relatability of the artist and access to the artist," said Heather McBee, VP, Digital Business, Sony BMG Nashville. "That's the great thing about social networking sites: They give fans the opportunity to connect and interact with the artist."

Certainly that's true for Kenny Chesney, whose fans have streamed more than 25 million song plays on his MySpace page and Taylor Swift, whose MySpace streams have topped 40 million. And while their numbers may be smaller, this online connection is even more important to artists who haven't yet started selling out stadium shows. A case in point is Chuck Wicks, who scored a major hit with "Stealing Cinderella," from his debut album on RCA Records, Starting Now.

"What we're doing with the social networking sites is giving fans a chance to experience more of Chuck as an artist," said McBee. "People who go to his MySpace page can learn more about him, hear his music, see interviews, read his blog and experience a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a music video. Chuck has been very involved with what goes on at his site. He invests in communicating with his fans."

Artists' pages on MySpace are increasingly offering various ways to purchase music. Some artists provide links to iTunes or to their own online store. Others offer downloads for sale. The company Snocap, launched in 2002 by Napster founder Shawn Fanning and his partners, facilitates such transactions by adding a "store" onto the artist's MySpace page, with earnings divided according to arrangements made between the artists, their label and Snocap. Among the artists who have gone this route are Clint Black, Little Big Town, Gillian Welch and Chris Cagle, who sells downloads of entire albums at his MySpace page.

Also in the game is www.imeem.com, a San Francisco-based networking site that boasts more than 20 million unique users each month. More important, as far as the music industry is concerned, imeem has transformed the online landscape by negotiating licensing deals with all four major record label groups (EMI Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group) as well as thousands of independent labels. These arrangements allow imeem to offer free, on-demand streaming of the label's entire music and video catalogs, in exchange for which music companies receive a share of imeem's advertising revenue.

Beyond providing a central location where users can listen to entire songs and watch videos, imeem also facilitates online sales. If a user wants to download a track, imeem provides links to Amazon and iTunes, where the track can be purchased.

Universal Music Group inked its deal with imeem in December 2007. "imeem has developed an innovative way to make our artists' music a central park of the social networking experience," explained Doug Morris, Chairman/CEO, UMG. "More importantly, they've done so the right way, by working with UMG to provide an exciting musical experience for consumers, while ensuring that our artists are compensated fairly for use of their works."

Like most social networking sites, imeem is free to join and highly interactive, with users being able to upload songs and videos, create custom playlists and share photos and blogs.

In January, imeem announced a partnership with MTV Networks to offer video clips and episodes. This allows imeem users to view and share clips from CMT, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and more.

The site has featured artists in unique online events, including exclusive listening parties and recorded introductions to imeem playlists. Faith Hill, Blake Shelton and The Wreckers are among the acts who have participated thus far.

Executives at imeem feel they've devised a system where everyone involved - the artist, the label, the advertiser and the consumer - is a winner.

"The ad-supported model is a totally new business model and revenue stream for the music industry," said Steve Jang, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Business Development, imeem. "In essence, we're harnessing the user's attention. It's the overall experience on imeem that we're monetizing. We created a revenue-sharing model where we share roughly half of our advertising revenue with the content owners. Labels and artists promote themselves in a colorful way on imeem. Advertisers come to create brand awareness and real engagement with our users. Then the advertising revenue is split with the content owners. The idea is, 'Hey, let's work together and I'll share with you what I make.' That's a fundamental human concept. People just get that."

The imeem advertising revenue-sharing program is available to a variety of content owners - unknown songwriters as well as major companies. The number of streamed plays is tracked, so that payments are made in proportion to a song's popularity.

The imeem experience also helps deter unauthorized downloads of digital music files. "Piracy flourishes when it's easier than the alternative that the industry is offering," said James McQuivey, a media and technology analyst at Forrester Research, who studies the music industry. "And imeem is now offering an incredibly easy alternative. They compete successfully with piracy. Not only is [the imeem site] easy to use and satisfying, but it appeals particularly to the exact age demographic that is so fond of piracy."

Although the gap is shrinking, a significant difference remains between the use of social networking sites by younger (Generation Y) consumers and baby boomers. According to Forrester Research, 80 percent of young adults (ages 18-21) in the United States use these sites, compared to only 30 percent of adults ages 18 and older. Among youthful users (ages 12-21) who visit social networking sites daily, more than 40 percent said that they listened to music the last time they visited such a site; about 25 percent said that they watched a video.

People in general are devoting more and more of their free time to Internet activities. As a result, ad revenues for the Web are predicted to skyrocket. A study by the Internet market researcher www.eMarketer.com predicts that worldwide spending on social network advertising will reach $2.9 billion in 2009, up from $1.2 billion in 2007.

"About $70 billion is spent on television advertising in the U.S. every year, compared to about $24 billion that people spend on DVDs every year," McQuivey noted. "So in television, advertisers spend nearly three times what consumers do to buy their own videos. When it comes to Internet-delivered content, there's going to be a similar ratio, meaning that advertisers will spend more money to reach people through music experiences like imeem or Internet radio than there will be by people buying their own music directly online."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

It was a tough climb, not a fast track, that Phil Stacey followed on the way to his place among the Top 6 "American Idol" finalists in 2007. Diverging paths confronted him; by following his conscience and sense of responsibility, he sometimes took the tougher road - but those decisions invariably strengthened him along the way.

His ascent began on rock-solid ground, as the son of a pastor. Moving from one congregation to the next, through Kentucky, Ohio and Kansas, Rev. Stacey encouraged his children to embrace music along with faith as sources of stability and assurance in their mobile lives. As a result, Phil joined with his brother and sister to form The Stacey Trio, whose victory in a statewide talent contest led to his first crossroads.

Electing to stay in high school rather than drop out to perform full-time, he would soon make other, equally correct choices: to decide on the night he met his future wife that they were fated to be together; to perform with the Lee Singers while earning a degree at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.; to enlist in the Navy after September 11th and become part of the Navy Band Southeast; and to fulfill military obligations rather than attend a friend's wedding as best man - and then to accept that friend's challenge to atone by auditioning for "American Idol."

Taking note of his technically assured and emotionally inspiring style, Lyric Street Records signed Stacey and introduced him to producer Wayne Kirkpatrick. The fruit of their collaboration, Stacey's self-titled debut, featuring the first single, "If You Didn't Love Me," written by Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Wendell Mobley and Jason Sellers, heralding a presence as powerful on disc as it was during Stacey's "Idol" run on screen.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

MUSICAL HERO "Rich Mullins."

INFLUENCES "Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and George Strait."

CD IN YOUR STEREO "Little Big Town's A Place to Land. I'm working with their producer, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and he's such a master at that elemental, organic sound."

DREAM DUET PARTNER "I'd love to record a duet with Carrie Underwood."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND "The Bible."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION "Forget planes, trains and automobiles. I'd rather walk."

HOMETOWN "Jacksonville, Fla."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Charlie Daniels has earned numerous accolades, including a trophy case full of CMA, Grammy and Dove Awards. But one honor eluded the veteran singer, songwriter, musician and entertainer until Jan. 19, when Daniels became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

"To see a dream of almost 60 years come true, especially at this time in life when I'm 71 years old, it's pretty doggone amazing," Daniels said. "It all boils down to God giving me the desires of my heart. It's a blessing."

The Opry induction was a sweet way for Daniels to kick off 2008, his 50th anniversary in music. Throughout his career, Daniels has covered a lot of territory, from his early days in rock to his long tenure on the Country charts to his forays into gospel music. He has released 50 albums, 17 of them on his own Blue Hat Records label. And after launching that imprint with manager David Corlew in 1997, Daniels became the first artist to sign an exclusive distribution deal with Wal-Mart.

For the past seven years, Koch Records has marketed and distributed Blue Hat. "They do everything they say they are going to do, and when they come to us with a release schedule, whether it's two albums a year or three, whatever it may be, they produce like clockwork," said Bob Frank, President, Koch Records. "Charlie has a very, very loyal fan base, and we all enjoy working together. In fact, we forget sometimes that we aren't all part of the same company, because we work so closely together."

Having his own label has afforded Daniels the freedom to indulge his passion for all types of music. He grew up listening to Country and bluegrass, but he also co-wrote "It Hurts Me," which Elvis Presley recorded, played on Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline, New Morning and Self Portrait and produced two albums for the Youngbloods before forming the Charlie Daniels Band in 1970.

His discography spans a vast field of music, from the blues of Blues Hat (1997) to the bluegrass gospel of Songs from the Longleaf Pines (2005) and the rockin' Country represented on two albums from 2007, Live from Iraq and Deuces. The latter CD pairs Daniels with Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Brenda Lee, The Del McCoury Band, Dolly Parton, Darius Rucker and Gretchen Wilson, among other guest artists.

"Charlie is a wonderful example of a great humanitarian as well as an entertainer," said Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry, who joined with his partner Eddie Montgomery and Daniels on Deuces for a new version of "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye." "His love for his family and patriotism for his country are immeasurable, and his relationships on and off the stage are equally important to him. All of this together makes a man that I greatly respect and admire, someone I strive to emulate in both my professional and private life. There is no other like him."

Many others share that sentiment. "When I got the call from Charlie to be a part of Deuces, I was ecstatic because I am a fan of Charlie - not just his music but of him as a person," said Brad Paisley, whose instrumental pairing with Daniels, "Jammin' for Stevie," honors the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. "I try to pattern myself after him in some ways. He comes at his career from a totally musical standpoint, always wanting to just play music. It doesn't matter the genre or how many people are in a room - he just wants to play. He's a true artist and a living legend."

Daniels takes part in another interesting collaboration on How Great Thou Art: Gospel Favorites Live from the Grand Ole Opry. On "I'll Fly Away," he teams with Mac Powell, frontman for the Christian band Third Day, on a rousing duet that opens this recent compilation. "Country Music and gospel music go hand in hand and they always have," Daniels said. "I don't think there's anything new at all about it. It's an old idea that's being revived, and I hope the trend continues because I love the old songs."

For his next recording, Daniels will return to an album he had begun with his band before doing Deuces. "I wanted to do some stuff that's a little off the beaten path," he said. "I'm in no hurry for it, because we probably won't be releasing another album this year. It's an album that documents our combined personalities and the individual musicianship" of the band members.

Aside from making music, Daniels devotes ample time to humanitarian efforts, including his annual Christmas for Kids concert in Nashville and performances for troops at more than 20 U.S. military installations around the world. Though he always sets aside the first part of the year to vacation with his wife Hazel in Colorado, his varied activities fill most of the rest of his yearly calendar, which is exactly what he wants. Indeed, Daniels admits that he never could have imagined 50 years ago just how far his music would take him.

"People ask me what would I have done if I had not been a musician," he said. "Well, I'm not a 'what if?' thinker. It's been a long road and a good road and a tough road. I've learned a lot of lessons in the many years that I've been doing this that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else."

What advice does Daniels have for young artists who would hope to follow his example? "Sometimes we tend to get caught up in the business," he mused. "The one thing you always have to remember is the people who are sitting out front. Whether there are two or 10,000, the people make you what you are. They make your dream come true. You should never walk by a fan. If you've got to catch a plane or something, smile and say, 'I'm so sorry. I do not have time to stop.' But most of the time, you can take time. Be nice to fans. Be nice to people. Treat people the way you want to be treated.

"So take care of today, take care of tomorrow when it gets here and don't look back," he continued. "Keep looking forward. And never belittle a situation. When you walk onstage or into a recording studio, when you do an interview or do anything with your professional life, you have to remember that this is the moment you are living right now. This is the moment, and I've got to give it everything I've got. I've got to be able to keep my head in the game. I've got to do the very best I can in this moment, and the next moment will take care of itself. Put the best you have in that particular moment. Just take it moment by moment, day by day. Tomorrow is going to take care of itself, if you take care of today. If you don't take care of today, tomorrow is going to be a mess."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Each member in Nashville-based One Flew South has shaped his voice into a clarion instrument, capable of seamless blends and show-stopping solos. Royal Reed nurtured his in Los Angeles, gigging six nights a week with Country bands and singing session dates by day. Meanwhile, Chris Roberts pursued twin paths in New York, as a singer/ songwriter and in Broadway shows. They met as cast members of the Broadway musical, "The Civil War," after which they got to know Eddie Bush, whose solo career was already underway.

With this background, it's no surprise that Last of the Good Guys merits high marks. The title track, written by album producer Marcus Hummon, combines velvety but sturdy vocal pads reminiscent of the Eagles, then adds a quick lick in octaves that conjures R&B. Members of the band penned seven of the albums' 12 tracks with Hummon, J D Souther and other estimable writers whose involvement testifies to the respect One Flew South has already earned.

Instrumentally, Last of the Good Guys on Decca Records sprinkles tasty bits of banjo, mandolin and other flavorings into a base of shimmering or soaring electric guitars, pop/rock rhythm and on "Let the Day Carry You" and "Too Old to Die Young," a rustle of bowed strings. The result is a sonic feast whose appeal transcends demographic lines. From the chorus that swirls through "Junkie" to the bare backup and luscious, perfectly intoned singing of "It Is Good," with a sound that carries the listener from a loose back-porch jam to the heat of an arena spotlight, Last of the Good Guys is, one hopes, the first of a great catalog from this talented trio.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

BAND'S MUSICAL HERO
"The Beatles."

SONG WISH TO COVER
"'Wichita Lineman.'"

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"Alison Krauss."

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN BIOPIC
CHRIS: "Jude Law."
EDDIE: "Viggo Mortensen."
ROYAL: "Johnny Depp, without hair."

MOMENT IN LIFE TO RELIVE
"The first time we ever sang together as a group. It was magical."

LUCKY CHARM
"Marcus Hummon - every time he hangs with us, something great happens."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service; Country Music Association®, Inc.

Phil Vassar doesn't act like a star. Sure, nine songs that bear his credit as a writer have topped the Country charts. As a performer as well as writer, he lofted his first single, "Just Another Day in Paradise," to No. 1 in 2000 - a few weeks before Tim McGraw took its place at the top with another Vassar-penned song, "My Next Thirty Years." ASCAP has named him Songwriter of the Year twice. Billboard has hailed him as Top New Country Artist and Country Songwriter of the Year.

All that is true, but whether seen from a seat in an arena he's sold out on his recent "acoustic tour" or up close in conversation, Vassar comes across like an old college roommate, the friendly bartender who remembers your drink as you walk through the door, or one of the guys you call for a pickup baseball game when the weather warms up.

These are all roles that he has played or continues to play, though they have to now fit into his schedule as a world-class performer, an expressive singer, one of the best songwriters in the business and the hottest piano player in the Country Music spotlight. Still, it's the Regular Guy who opened the door to his rambling home and led the way past original artworks and handsome furnishings toward a seat near his Yamaha grand and the picture windows that overlook the play area he built for his daughters, Haley, 9, and Presley, 4.

When complimented on his digs, he laughed disarmingly. "Actually," he added, "I keep wondering when the real owner will come back and kick me out."

The Virginia native has come a long way since arriving in Nashville 21 years ago, with a degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., a few songs to sell and a determination to succeed. Within eight years he had saved enough to buy the restaurant that had booked him as its entertainment. A customer there took one of Vassar's demos to play for his father, the velvet-voiced crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, who cut one of those early songs, "Once in a While," for his 1996 release, After Dark.

Music Row took note. Signed to EMI Music Publishing, Vassar wrote hits for Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye Bye," "I'm Alright"), Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo") and others. In 2000 he emerged as an artist in his own right, issuing three studio albums and one greatest hits package on the Arista Nashville imprint before transferring to Universal Records South, who on April 22 will release Prayer of a Common Man.

From the politically charged "This is My Life" to "Love is a Beautiful Thing," which transforms the familiarities of marriage into something close to poetry, each track on this album confirms Vassar's mastery of Country Music, especially its sometimes tricky mix of musical sophistication and down-home credibility. "Three and a half years have passed since my last studio record," he explained. "That's a lot of water under the bridge. As you evolve as a human being, it changes your writing style. It changes what's important to you and what you want to write about. I really like where it's going, and I love where I'm going as a writer."

"This Is My Life" is a good indicator of where Vassar feels he's headed. "It's real life," he insisted. "When I didn't have kids or a care in the world, a lot of this stuff went right past me. It was more important to hang out with my friends, have fun with girls and stuff like that. But then you send your kids off to school, and you see [the massacres at] Columbine and Virginia Tech, and that sticks in your head. The world is a little shaky now, and that's going to come through in an artist's writing."

Vassar's recent work doesn't just echo what's in the news. His perspective has widened, taking him away from lighter romantic themes toward subtler insights into life. "I've experienced a lot of things, especially in the past few years," he explained. "I try to get them off my chest when I write. But I love the curveballs that get thrown at you all the time. They keep me on my toes. They're real. What isn't real now would be to write about going to a dance club or something like that; I wouldn't know where to start."

One good place might be "Baby Rocks," which proves that Vassar can in fact still pump plenty of dance-floor testosterone into his words, hooks and grooves. But this song, and his infectious romp with Los Lonely Boys through "Why Don't Ya," share space on Prayer of a Common Man with perspectives formed more from experience than youthful exuberance: nostalgia ("My Chevrolet"), the loss and rediscovery of passion ("Around Here Somewhere"), the despair and determination that come from facing daily challenges ("Prayer of a Common Man") and the realization that when you add it all up, all you can do is laugh it off and enjoy the ride ("The World is a Mess") and then embrace it, warts and all ("Crazy Life").

"Something I thought about when I was in the process of making this record was a conversation that Bob Dylan had with John Lennon," Vassar said. " He said, 'Man, you guys are on this platform! You need to say something in your songs!' And then Rubber Soul came out. That conversation changed them - it changed me. I kept thinking about how it's great to have hits and write songs that are fluffy. But you've got to really dig deep, get real and write about something. That's what I felt I needed to do with this album."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service; Country Music Association®, Inc.

Texas roots feed the wide-open textures, swaggering beat and rugged baritone vocals of Zane Lewis' self-titled, nationally-released debut album. Though it sounds like he was born with a rowdy song in his heart, he didn't strum his first chord until he got to Texas Tech in Lubbock, while earning an advertising degree on a diet of "Blue Spoon" margaritas and Dr Peppers and singing the best of Garth Brooks, Merle Haggard and George Strait whenever he hit the shower.

Lewis narrowly dodged a career in journalism, going so far as to join with a partner in launching Western & English Today, a magazine for equestrians. Luckily for lovers of raw-boned rockin' Country, after having his first taste of performing in 2000, at the Garland Opry in Texas, he shut down his laptop, tuned up his guitar, sold the publication and invested his earnings into This Town, which he self-released throughout Texas in 2006. With LeAnn Rimes' road band providing the backup, this album whipped up a Lone Star storm that blew Lewis directly to his deal with Slant Records.

Co-produced by Brett James and Lex Lipsitz, Zane Lewis includes two tunes co-written by Lewis, a hymn to the traveling life ("Fly") and a low-down, fiddle-sawed foot stomper whose title could function as his calling card ("Bad Ass Country Band"). His personality rings loud and clear on every song, which he delivers with a sound that mirrors myriad influences, from Brooks to Lynyrd Skynyrd and all the way back to his father's fiddle playing and beyond, through five generations of Lewis family history in Texas. Lewis achieves an especially appealing blend of bravado and sensitivity on the album's first single, "Come with Me," whose simple invitation to "hang out" promises a world of adventure and romantic possibility

IN HIS OWN WORDS

MUSICAL BACKGROUND OR FIRST START IN MUSIC "My first live performance was at the acclaimed Garland Opry in Garland, Texas, in the summer of 2000. The Texas Opry circuit is a terrific training ground for new singers.  I learned how to feel comfortable with audiences at the Garland Opry, which is where LeAnn Rimes got her start.  I was one of their regular guests, and I hosted on several occasions.  It wasn't until 2003 that I rounded up my first band and hit the Texas bars and dancehalls to promote my first self-produced album, This Town."

MUSICAL HERO "Hands down, Waylon Jennings."

INFLUENCES "I grew up listening to my dad play western swing on his fiddle. But it was his 8-tracks of Waylon and the Eagles that hooked me. Merle Haggard, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Elvis, Charlie Daniels, U2, Van Halen and Lynyrd Skynyrd all influenced me in many ways."

DREAM DUET PARTNER "Merle Haggard."

HOMETOWN "I was born in Lubbock, Texas, raised in Round Rock and now live in Allen."

CD ON YOUR STEREO "Jack Ingram's 'Electric.' A 2002 release, but it still sits in my regular rotation with the new ones. I've been wearing out George Strait's 'It Just Comes Natural,' too."

PET PEEVE "People who can't drive, which is pretty much anyone who's in front of me!"

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU PREFER "Driving when it comes to travel. You see more of the country and it's a great opportunity to free your mind up to think."

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN "'Believe.' The song has incredibly powerful words. I get goose bumps every time I hear the emotion in Ronnie Dunn's vocals."

MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE YOU'D RELIVE IF YOU COULD "The whole enchilada. I've loved every minute of it."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY "Determined - and Too Ignorant to Know Any Better."

WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY, LOOKING BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS "Encore!"

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Even a blizzard couldn't keep Chris Cagle fans from filing into the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tenn., one Friday night in early March. After all, the timing was right: His new album for Capitol Records Nashville, My Life's Been a Country Song, had made a spectacular debut the week before, propelled by 36,600 sales to the top of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. And as usual with Cagle, the promise of a great performance was in the air.

The "Cagle Heads" in the crowd received two treats - the music, as expected, and prior to that an exhibition from the artist on his American quarter-horse, Playboy Master. While providing commentary from his headset microphone, Cagle delivered a demonstration in the art of reining - fundamentals he had learned as a boy by spending summers on his grandfather's farm in Deridder, La.

"I am a country boy," he admitted, several days after the event. "I tried to get away from it, but it's who I am. And when you got old enough, you finally realized that the country is the best secret in the world. It's a safe haven. It was given to us, perfect in its creation. It's the one place in the world where you can provide a child with better character, fortitude and honor, and more discipline, than the military can. "That's not taking anything away from our military," he added. "But they take you down and build you to what they want. The country will break you down and let you find out who you are."

Whether through horsemanship, humor or music, Cagle makes the point that he's at home wherever he can live, breathe, ride or sing with the spirit of country. That's all he really wanted when he came to Nashville in 1994 and began the new-artist routine of waiting tables and odd-jobbing while seeking his career break. He found it six years later, when Virgin Records released his first album, Play It Loud. Three of its singles made it to the Top 15 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and one, "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out," climbed to No.1.

After closing its Country division in 2002,Virgin's roster was absorbed by Capitol Records Nashville, the imprint on which Cagle released his self-titled album in 2003 and Anywhere But Here in 2006. On these first three albums, Cagle solidified his reputation as an expressive singer with strong writing chops. Yet when he began focusing on what would become My Life's Been a Country Song, he sensed that he would approach this one with a more singular focus - not because he had stopped writing songs but because the songs he was writing didn't feel right at this point in time.

"My stuff just wasn't good enough," he explained, with a shrug. "When I started writing for this album, I was dealing with the stuff I had avoided dealing with for the last four or five years. And I'm tired of thinking about it. I'm tired of answering questions about it. I damn sure don't want to sing about it."

Producer Scott Hendricks, who had executive-produced Play It Loud, reinforced this position when he and Cagle started planning their strategy." I couldn't believe the amount of research Scott did before we'd recorded note one," Cagle said. "It was ingenious for him to say, 'One of the most important things for us to look at is the weak spots in your career. That way, we can make the weak spots good, the good spots great and the great spots amazing."

They agreed that meant gathering the best possible material, even if no original songs would make the final cut. Hendricks reached this conclusion through a combination of trusting his own ears, tabulating everything from tempos to keys on Cagle's earlier albums, and studying every comment he could find, from critics and fans, in magazines and online, that concerned Cagle's catalog.

"I remember very clearly dreading that conversation, of having to say, 'Chris, you're going to have to change a few things,'" Hendricks said. "When someone is used to a certain method, it's a paradigm shift to get them to look at that objectively. Raising the bar is not easy. To his credit, Chris went along with the process - and consequently I feel like we may have made his best album to date."

Eventually, they whittled thousands of songs down to a track list. Cagle got there by listening to each demo blindly, without knowing the identity of the writers or their publishers, and absorbing the music more as a fan than an artist, often while driving or concentrating on other activities. Only after the entire song played would he scribble next to the title: "P" for "pass," "H" for "hold," or a question mark where he might want to check it out again. The search proved fruitful as well as revealing.

"If you look at the titles, like 'No Love Songs,' 'What Kind of Gone,' 'If It Isn't One Thing' and 'Never Ever Gone,' they're tremendously negative," Cagle observed. "But then you listen to the songs, you hear that 'I Don't Want to Live' is 'I don't want to live without you anymore.' The songs themselves are positive, which seems ironic to me in many ways."

It also felt appropriate to Cagle to tackle songs that had complex layers of meaning, even between their names and their lyrics. Hendricks, sensing that his artist was in a period of creative transition, encouraged the process by challenging him to push the envelope in other areas too, which included working with new personnel, from studio technicians to musicians. The process extended to tweaking the words of one song. "My Heart Move On" was called "My Heart Will Move On" when it came to Cagle as a demo. Its vivid imagery, dramatic minor-key structure and galloping groove appealed strongly to him, yet he felt he couldn't cut it without making a small but significant change.

"In this song, the end is 'like a storm, like a train, like the seasons when they change . it goes off to find another home,'" he said, singing the powerful chorus. But instead of saying 'my heart will move on,' because I've made these definitive statements in the present tense, I just thought, 'You know what? It's like I'm willing my heart now to make this decision to move on. So . my heart move on.'"

"Chris and I talked about this," said Brett James, who co-wrote the tune with Blair Daly. "And I'm totally cool with it. It adds something to the song. It sounds a little bitter to say to an ex-lover, 'My heart will move on.' So I think Chris made it sound a little more positive. He had a good reason to do it and I'm glad he did." 

The paradox of My Life's Been a Country Song is that it contains no original material from Cagle, and yet it reveals much about the artist. The attention he brings to the studio, and his willingness to examine himself and take risks in his work, reflect the discipline he has applied to his life in recent years, from improving his health to examining and changing his personal priorities.

"I'm turning 40 this year, and I don't have kids yet," he mused. "But I want to live long enough to have a child and some grandbabies. Music is a chapter in my life, but it's not the chapter. My livelihood is performing, but my life is not a performance. I want to live to be 85. I'm not going to be sitting in a hospital room when I die, looking at my Gold records on the wall. No, I'm going to be talking to my kids and my woman. When I leave this world, that's what I want as my legacy: three or four amazing children, my namesakes. That's the stuff that matters."

© 2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Though Country is the foundation for Lady Antebellum's music, other echoes rise and play above that bedrock. Yet they all fit together in ways that testify to these artists' ability to inspire and complement each other.

Their story begins with the friendship of Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley, who began playing music together as middle-school students in Augusta, Ga. Their paths separated when Kelley started playing drums in his older brother Josh's band, while Haywood pursued a career in accounting. In 2005, he answered Kelley's call to Nashville.

Hillary Scott, meanwhile, was already settled in Music City. The daughter of CMA Award-winning vocalist Linda Davis and musician Lang Scott, she grew up in the music business, performed on "The Linda Davis Family Christmas Show" while in high school and nearly sealed a solo artist deal. In true postmodern fashion, she encountered Kelley's music through his MySpace site, which led all three to connect and begin nurturing their collective talents.

Produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley, Lady Antebellum's eponymous debut album on Capitol Records Nashville ranges from the dramatic power ballad "All We'd Ever Need" to the swagger and strut of "Love's Lookin' Good on You." All but one of the tracks were written by the group together or with other co-writers, and through them all, Scott and Kelley take turns in the solo vocal spotlight when not locking together in polished yet freewheeling harmonies. This combination feels right, sings tight and sounds ready to rock it 'til the morning light.

Q&A:

SONG YOU'D LIKE TO COVER
CHARLES: "'Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car,' by Billy Ocean."
DAVE: "'Jump,' by Van Halen."
HILLARY: "'Hard to Handle,' by The Black Crowes."

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
HILLARY: "A Dave Barnes song called 'Grace's Amazing Hands.'  He's an amazing singer/songwriter who lives in Nashville."

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
CHARLES: "'What Hurts the Most' performed by Rascal Flatts and written by Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson."
DAVE: "'Ants Marching,' by Dave Matthews."

CD IN YOUR STEREO
CHARLES: "Miranda Lambert's Crazy Ex- Girlfriend."
DAVE: "Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride."
HILLARY: "John Mayer's Continuum."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
CHARLES: "The entire collection of encyclopedias."
HILLARY: "My journal."

MUSICAL HERO
CHARLES: "Bono."
DAVE: "James Taylor."
HILLARY: "Gladys Knight."

DREAM DUET PARTNER
CHARLES: "Hillary Scott. I'm living my dream."
HILLARY: "Gladys Knight."

PET PEEVE
CHARLES: "Someone who talks just to talk."
DAVE: "People asking me for gum."
HILLARY: "Negativity."

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU PREFER
CHARLES: "Speed walking."
HILLARY: "Planes.

WORD OR PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER
CHARLES: "Rawesome. It's a combination of radd and awesome."
HILLARY: "Seriously."

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN YOUR BIOPIC 
HILLARY: "I think Mandy Moore would do a great job."

MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE YOU'D RELIVE IF YOU COULD
CHARLES: "Senior year of college. It was rawesome."
HILLARY: "I don't believe in reliving or regretting anything because those are the things that teach you and make you grow as a person."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
CHARLES: "A man who lived rawesomely."
HILLARY: "The Story of the Lady in Lady Antebellum."

WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS, WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU
CHARLES: "I like that guy's voice."
HILLARY: "I hope people say that I love life, work hard, but have fun doing it and help to better this world in some way. I want to have more than just a list of accolades and awards, I hope to touch people with what I do because that is much more important."

IN THE STUDIO: Nashville Sessions Then and Now
Guitar Giants Tom Bukovac and Steve Gibson Bare Their Studio Tans

When the Lovin' Spoonful's "Nashville Cats" hit the charts in 1966, the world discovered what Country Music fans knew all along: Music City's guitarists are second to none.

This pickin' tradition dates back to the fateful day in 1955 when Harold and Owen Bradley opened the Bradley Film and Recording Studio on Sixteenth Avenue South. Soon after they opened a second facility, "Quonset Hut," which became one of the hottest places to record on Music Row. In the Bradley studios and RCA Studio B, Chet Atkins, Hank Garland and Grady Martin helped establish the pop-influenced Nashville Sound, which set the standard for the city's session guitarists, based on a melding of technique and inspiration that endures today.

The best studio players are often booked months in advance, so when two of Nashville's greatest guitarists, each representing his generation, happened to have a couple of hours off one day, we brought them together: Steve Gibson, a celebrated veteran whose toneful playing has helped define the Nashville sound for decades, and Tom Bukovac, a comparative newcomer who is responsible for some of the most feral six-string sounds in contemporary Country.

Each has amassed impressive credits throughout the years, Gibson having recorded with Kris Kristofferson, Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, George Strait and Hank Williams Jr., and Bukovac with Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson, among many others. Amazingly, the two aces had never met until their arrival at CMA - but it took only seconds for each to find the groove in conversation as they've done countless times on disc.

How has Nashville's recording scene changed over the years?

GIBSON: I came to Nashville in 1972, when I was 19 years old. At that time, there were many more studios than there are today, and they stayed busy doing a variety of work: jingles, publishing demos, movie scores and custom sessions as well as big and little record dates. Of course, all that activity kept musicians busy. On a given day, you might do a national McDonald's jingle at 10 in the morning and a Chevy jingle at 11, grab a quick bite for lunch and then cut a demo for Guy Clark in the afternoon. Then at 6 you might work on a George Jones and Tammy Wynette album. The next day it might be George and Tammy again for a couple of sessions, and then you're off to do a B. J. Thomas date. In a short space of time, you moved from style to style and music to music. I don't see that range and density of work in today's studio culture.

Why not?

BUKOVAC: We now live in a Pro Tools world. Everybody has it [the Digidesign Pro Tools digital audio workstation], and many musicians feel all they need is a bedroom and a laptop to capture music. These days, recording to tape and having a killer drum room is considered a luxury. Cutting drums in a small room won't sound as good, but most people can't afford to rent out a big room, so they say, "We'll just do it at my house." The work gets done, but you can hear when the music has been mixed inside the computer instead of through a real console. Music sounds better when it's captured in a studio with rooms designed for that purpose. That said, a great engineer - and we have many here - can overcome some of the weaknesses of the digital recording medium.

GIBSON: I'd like to think there will always be a place for a good tracking room. People understand you need space to make drums sound good or record a string section or even capture a timeless guitar part. Plug-ins can't replicate the sound of an instrument pushing air into a microphone.

What hasn't changed over the years in Nashville?

GIBSON: People still get together in rhythm sections to cut music. Nashville is the last place where this happens. You don't find it in L.A. or New York anymore. There was once a studio business in Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, Jackson, Dallas, New York and Philadelphia, but that's all gone. What's left of that spirit is best represented, I think, right here.

BUKOVAC: When I do a session, I'm always amazed at how freakishly good the other musicians are. To be honest, I can't believe I'm playing with cats like Gordon Mote, John Jarvis, Danny Dugmore, Shannon Forrest, Jimmy Sloas and Glenn Worf. These musicians transcend their instruments. There's a depth here that's mind-blowing and humbling.

GIBSON: I agree with Tom. The studio musicians in this town are the very best of the best, in terms of understanding the breadth of the music and knowing what needs to be done. That's the one thing that makes this town unique: incredible rhythm sections. It's Nashville's heart, soul and identity. Because of changes in the music business, it's been whittled away somewhat, but we still have it. We need to cultivate and retain it, because once you lose the combined experience, talent and creativity of a pool of seasoned session players, you can't go back. And you simply cannot replicate that feeling when you record a song one piece at a time, which is the norm elsewhere.

BUKOVAC: The difference between the first and second take in this town is unbelievable. Just play the song once and it will already be good. But by the second take, every little problem is healed. The second take may not have the fury and fire of the first, but if the piano and steel were clashing, that will be gone. And nobody said a word.

GIBSON: Take the rhythm section we use for George Strait records: Eddie Bayers, Stuart Duncan, Glenn Worf, Paul Franklin, Brent Mason, Mac McAnally, Steve Nathan, Matt Rollings and myself. We all know each other so well that when some little spark flies through the room, we instinctively know what to do. This may sound mystical, but it's really true. Something flies off of someone's hands and somebody else grabs it - instantly, mind you, without even thinking - and adds the next set of molecules to it and passes it on. There's nothing in the world that feels as gratifying.

You've both cut innumerable guitar parts. Which ones are your favorites?

BUKOVAC: The opening bit on Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me." That somber, low, thick baritone is my soul in a note. You get lucky every once in a while.

GIBSON: I'm exceedingly proud of those England Dan and John Ford Coley guitar parts. [Producer] Kyle Lehning and I worked a long time on those, doubling the lines using just a Strat through a '50s Fender Deluxe. I was happy with my Telecaster tone on Randy Travis' "Diggin' Up Bones" and my Les Paul tone on Reba McEntire's "Is There Life Out There."

What about parts you wish you could do over?

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The number of Country Music television shows now being issued as DVDs, particularly from the 1960s and '70s, is rising faster than Martha White biscuits.

Sony Legacy's "The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show, 1969-1971," for example, earned Platinum status by topping 100,000 sales just four months after its release in September 2007. Other titles from 2007 included MPI's "Dolly Parton and Friends" and Time Life's "The Best of Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters Show" and "Time Life Presents Glen Campbell: Good Times Again." The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in partnership with Shout! Factory, released "The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1976" and "The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1977" on DVD for the 2007 holiday buying season. The Museum also issued four volumes of "Best of the Flatt and Scruggs TV Show" in partnership with Shanachie Entertainment. And an eight-DVD collection of Grand Ole Opry highlights from the institution's archives was released in late November 2007 under the title "Opry Video Classics" by Time Life.

The patriarch in entertainment marketing, Time Life, anticipated this trend five years ago when it released past performances from a classic Country Music variety show. "'Hee Haw,' with the comedy and the guest artists, was the perfect model for us," said Jeff Peisch, head of Time Life's video department in Arlington, Va. "The show was something we felt would be successful for us because of our success in selling Country Music CDs for so many years."

With more than 1.5 million units sold, the "Hee Haw" collection exemplifies what Peisch sees as an essential element in the appeal of most popular DVD reissues. "Nostalgia is probably at the heart of all our successful products - but we don't ever use the word 'nostalgia,'" he explained. "It's 'remember this?' and 'isn't it a great memory?' As you get older, you think back fondly to that music."

From the corporate standpoint, there are plenty of other reasons to dust off old Country Music television shows and make them available on disc. "It has a lot to do with the record business imploding the way it is," said Sandy Brokaw of the Brokaw Company, the Los Angeles-based publicity firm whose accounts include the Campbell and Mandrell DVD reissues. "A lot of the revenue stream comes from repackaging things. I liken it to having gold nuggets locked away, and every now and then you bring them out to have more gold nuggets."

"Other copyright owners will be looking to see what they have to be viable in today's market ... and will think more about video," added LeAnn Bennett, Director of Special Projects, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "

The popularity of the DVD format helped make this possible. In 1999, according to Ars Technica, an online site dedicated to monitoring relationships between art and technology, one or more DVD players could be found in 6.7 percent of households in the United States. By the end of 2006, that number had risen to 81.2 percent.

"Everybody now has a DVD player, so we're realizing there is a market there," said Alan Stoker, Curator for Recorded Sound and Moving Image, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

While acknowledging Time Life as pioneers in the practice of releasing Country Music TV footage on DVD, Stoker maintained that his organization's archival DVDs go beyond simply following a trend. "It serves our mission," he said. "Getting these programs transferred and out to the public meets our mission of education and preserving the culture."

This can be a laborious process. For their "Flatt and Scruggs" project, Stoker and his colleagues spent almost 20 years from concept to product for this series, which aired originally as 36 half-hour programs from 1956 through 1962.

"I knew the shows existed," he said. "But I always heard the tapes had been erased. Tape was so expensive [at the time], they would use and erase and record over it. For distribution, they would make film prints out of them and send those films out to TV stations for syndication. And then all the films would return to the source."

In 1989, William Graham, an executive with The ShowBiz Company, which was involved in producing "The Flatt and Scruggs Show," arranged with Stoker to donate the 24 episodes of the program that he had to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. And then, against all odds, another donor, who remains anonymous, contacted Stoker with the 12 remaining episodes.

"We went from thinking there were no copies to having all 36 episodes in six months," Stoker recalled, who described this acquisition as "a miracle."

Over the next two decades, Stoker and others worked out agreements with Earl Scruggs and the Lester Flatt estate, finalized releases and did restoration work for the video and audio. This stage of the process can significantly raise production costs.

"People who buy DVDs are collectors," Peisch said. "We want to give them the best quality package. It starts with making sure the masters are remastered and cleaned up, the audio is cleaned up and then to supply as much additional material as possible. In this world of digital downloading, if people are going to pay to own something, it should be of the highest quality. People should get a lot of material for their money."

Time Life addresses this issue by offering bonus material with its DVDs, such as current footage of key people recounting tales of specific guests or production elements interspersed with original performances from the TV series. "Glen Campbell Good Times Again" features segments of Campbell taking his own walk down Memory Lane before each song.

Remembrances from son John Carter Cash, hairstylist Penny Lane, The Tennessee Three bassist Marshall Grant, the show's music arranger Bill Walker and Hank Williams Jr., preface performances on "The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show" DVDs.

Marty Stuart hosts the bonus footage on "Opry Video Classics," which features 120 Opry performances from the 1950s to the 1970s. And at Stuart's suggestion, Porter Wagoner was brought in to offer commentary for this collection, which he filmed just weeks before his death.

Marketing dollars also can add to the costs of DVD reissues. Additionally, royalties for "secondary performance" must be paid to players and artists featured on the DVDs, or to their estates. "If you're doing it right, you have to get all the permissions from the songs," Stoker said. "If a musician can identify that he played on that record, he gets paid for secondary use."

"That's part of what makes [the releases] so hard," observed Cash. "There are numerous licensing fees. Performers have to be paid [Musicians] Union scale again. There are obligations to be filled and rightly so, of course, but that does make putting out something like this harder."

Despite these complexities, more Country Music shows are likely to hit the market in 2008, including episodes of "Bobby Bare and Friends," which are being prepared for joint release by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with Shout! Factory. Bottom line, according to Glen Campbell, is that the quality of these classic shows ensures sufficient demand to make the efforts worthwhile.

"It's good TV and family entertainment," Campbell said. "The names on the DVDs are the biggest names in music of that day and are still big names today."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

To fans, releases of classic Country Music television shows on DVD can be a thrill and a delight. To members of the American Federation of Musicians, they can be a headache.

Every musician who appears on a reissued program, from the high-profile instrumentalist to the obscure rhythm guitarist who traveled long enough with Guest Star X's band to appear on one episode of, say, "The Johnny Cash Show," is eligible for compensation per agreements signed with the producers of that show.

The questions are: Who is responsible, 20 or 30 years later, for rendering that compensation? And . what was that rhythm guitar player's name anyway?

"We're more than willing to pay the musicians this money," said Country Music Hall of Fame Member Harold Bradley, President of the AFM's Local 257 in Nashville. "But first we have to locate the people who put out these DVDs and make sure they know they're responsible. We have to get the money from them. Then we have to get a copy of the film or video and identify everybody on it."

And that's just a part of the process. The nature of the initial agreement has to be defined. Typically, musicians who appeared on television shows were offered reissue deals based either on a tiered system of payments, depending on how many copies of the DVD - or, in olden days, the video cassette - were sold, or on a flat 2 percent of the distributor's gross profit. The second method involves less paperwork and monitoring, but the amount that each musician receives from this fund depends on how many other musicians were involved. Obviously, if there were 20 rather than five players on a particular broadcast, the pieces of the pie get a little smaller.

It gets more complicated when the DVD is a compilation of excerpts from shows, as opposed to complete episodes. "At that point, we have to identify how many episodes the compilation comes from, how many musicians are participating as a whole and negotiate with the distributor to set a price based on the volume of sales," said Melissa Hamby Meyer, Director, Electronic Media, at Local 257.

Fortunately, it's not hard for musicians to avoid getting tangled in this web: Just save the contract signed for each televised appearance, file it and know where it is when that performance winds up on DVD or whatever other medium emerges in years to come. That signed piece of paper saves the AFM time and money in making sure payments are rendered.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

In some ways, Cody McCarver's story isn't so different from those of other up-and-coming Country artists. He's a Southerner, born and raised in Dunlap, Tenn., near Chattanooga. He began playing piano in church at age 9 and by 17 had graduated to doing shows in honky tonks.

His path began to separate from the norm when he parlayed his self-taught instrumental skills into a two-year run on bass with Lynn Anderson's band. He stayed on the road after that, playing piano with Confederate Railroad. And now, with his self-titled debut album, produced by Csaba Petocz, released on PLC Records and distributed through Navarre, McCarver charts his own refreshing course.

His sense of humor is one thing that stands him out from the crowd. Some of the covers on Cody McCarver suggest a playful irreverence. This quality emerges in the straight-faced irony of his performance on "Red Flag," a guide to early warning signs in new relationships, the mock-epic "Redneck Love Gone Bad," his descent from "cocaine" to "Rogaine" on "Sunset Boulevard" and "Country Badass," whose deconstruction of macho stereotypes is familiar, hilarious and endearing.

But another side surfaces on "Through God's Eyes," co-written by McCarver. This meditation on the lives of the disadvantaged, conveyed with an almost conversational delivery that draws the audience into the heart of the story, reveals a narrative gift whose cultivation might be the next step in McCarver's ascension. The point being made here is that he's nowhere near the end of the journey he began back at the piano in that small-town church.

Q&A:

INFLUENCES
"Waylon Jennings, Johnny Paycheck, David Allan Coe, Johnny Cash and Jerry Reed."

MUSICAL HERO
"Waylon Jennings."

HOMETOWN
"Dunlap, Tenn."

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"Stevie Nicks."

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
"I don't sing in the shower, as I'm afraid I will drown."

SONG YOU'D SECRETLY LIKE TO COVER
"'If That Ain't Country,' by David Allan Coe."

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
"'Live Like You Were Dying.'"

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Bedside Blessings, by Charles R. Swindoll."

CD ON YOUR STEREO
"The Band's The Last Waltz."

WORD OR PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER
"Help me Country radio."

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU PREFER
"Tour bus or a Ford pickup."

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN YOUR BIOPIC
"Billy Bob Thornton or Matthew McConaughey. These are two actors I can think of that speak almost as Southern as I do."

PET PEEVE
"Hypocrisy."

YOUR LUCKY CHARM
"A leather bracelet my father made."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"If You're Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough."

WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS, WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU?
"He was a good father, a good son, brother, friend and an all around good man. He was just who he was, there was nothing fake or egotistical about him. He loved Country Music more than anything and gave all to anyone who would listen to his music. But as important as his career was, family and friends we're the most important thing to Cody."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Fans of CMA Music Festival, taking place June 5-8 in Downtown Nashville, know the event is just around the bend when the "Road to the CMA Music Festival" launches in their hometown. This program brings talent directly to the people through a concert tour that's guaranteed to build enthusiasm for the Festival.

This year's "Road to CMA Music Festival Presented by Tetley Iced Tea" shows feature a double bill, with Jennifer Hanson opening for Darryl Worley. Presenting sponsor Tetley Iced Tea and secondary sponsor Greased Lightning Cleaning Products will offer samples at each performance, and sponsor Chevy will display one of its vehicles at the venues. Additionally, promotional events are planned, with local radio remotes and  giveaways at a grocery retailer during the day of each concert.

"Tetley has been making iced tea for more than 50 years," said Clive Rowlandson, VP, Marketing, Tetley Iced Tea.  "We know our product is about more than refreshment, it's about sharing good times with family and friends.  That's what this tour is all about too, a great way to kick back and have fun this summer.  We think Tetley Iced Tea and Country Music is a perfect partnership."

"I'm very excited about going on the road with Jennifer Hanson. She is such a great talent," exclaimed Worley. "I look forward to new relationships with Tetley Iced Tea and Greased Lightning. This will be a terrific way to lead up to the CMA Music Festival and hopefully this tour will increase the excitement."

"The CMA Music Festival is one of my absolute favorite events of the year," said Hanson. "When I was a little girl, I spent many of my summer vacations in Nashville with my dad, attending the shows and getting autographs. But not everyone gets to come to Nashville and experience Music Festival in Music City. It's great that CMA and Tetley Iced Tea are sponsoring a tour that takes a little slice of the excitement that is Music Festival out on the road."

Date         City                                     Venue   
APRIL
17             Houston, Texas                    Firehouse Saloon  
18             San Antonio, Texas              Cowboys Red River 
19             Fort Worth/Dallas, Texas     Billy Bob's Texas    
24             Orlando, Fla.                        Cheyenne Saloon 
25             Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.  Jannus Landing Courtyard 
26             Charlotte, N.C.                    Coyote Joe's  
30             Birmingham, Ala.                  Zydeco   

MAY
1               Jacksonville, Fla.                  Mavericks at the Landing
2               Atlanta, Ga.                         Wild Bill's  
4               Raleigh, N.C.                       Longbranch Saloon  

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

A Chevy can pack a lot of power as well as speed - but nothing on wheels was faster or stronger than P.D. Sumner's decision to sign Carl Black Chevrolet to a sponsorship agreement at CMA Music Festival, a four-day event held each June in Downtown Nashville.

As VP of the Carl Black Automotive Group, the executive completed his move from the company headquarters to Nashville just two days before the Festival began in 2003. Even so, that was time enough for him to sense that his company was a perfect match for Country Music's most spectacular celebration.

That's one reason why he responded instantly when Melony Wilson, Advertising Director for the new Nashville office, suggested he contact CMA even as the pace of opening the Nashville dealership was reaching its peak. "We went in with our hair on fire," he remembered, laughing. "It seemed like we were working 24 hours a day to make sure we were part of that year's Festival, although we didn't know if we were going to even live through it."

On June 4, 2003, Carl Black Chevrolet, which had opened for business on June 2, debuted in the Family Zone, with a table, chairs and a brand new Silverado, which they unveiled and gave fans the opportunity to register to win. 

Since then, in addition to the Silverado, they've expanded to include a booth in which several guitars are offered in drawings each day of the Festival, with an artist dropping by at the end of each giveaway cycle to do autographs, sign the guitar and pose with its winner. Participating artists have included Trace Adkins, Big & Rich, Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll, Eric Church, Cole Deggs and the Lonesome and Chris Young, among many others.

Sumner knows that his company's sponsorship has been worth its investment. "We don't expect, when we have our drawings, that we're going to sell somebody a truck that day or even that week," he said. "For us, it's more about the residual effect: When people are in the market for a vehicle, they'll remember that great time they had in our booth and give us an opportunity. When they give us that mental shelf space, we know we've done our job."

There are other perks too. Every day he's in his Nashville office, Sumner can look beyond his desk to walls festooned with memorabilia of the ties, personal and professional, he's built in Music City: autographed pictures and posters from Brooks & Dunn, Cowboy Troy, The Wreckers . and a CMA Awards poster, signifying the promotions they've run to bring customers from other markets to the annual broadcast and special activities, including a meet-and-greet last year with Van Zant.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

On Monday, June 2, a few days before the four-day CMA Music Festival launches on June 5 in Downtown Nashville, a chorus of accents from far beyond Music Row will make their own kind of music at The Stage, on Lower Broadway, as fans from around the world gather to welcome their hometown artists to Music City for the CMA Global Artist Party. Now rockin' for its fifth consecutive year, this special event showcases some of the hottest new international talent. Scheduled to begin at 6 PM, the festivities will include performers from Australia (Troy Cassar-Daley, Shea Fisher, Jasmine Rae), Belgium (Kat'Lee Jones), Canada (Jessie Farrell, Johnny Reid), Ireland (The Murphy Band) and The Netherlands (Wim van de Vliert). Admission is FREE and open to the public, with preference given to those with a four-day CMA Music Festival laminate and/or a CMA Global Artist Party pass.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

You know who we mean: those upbeat folks who roam the CMA Music Festival each June in Downtown Nashville, bearing free gifts and lifting spirits through games, sing-alongs and whatever other antics come to mind.

These sunny youngsters are mainly students or recent graduates from Gallatin High School, just outside of Nashville. Brian Hoover, a faculty member at Gallatin, picked up experience as a talent escort at the CMA Awards, so when word went around that volunteer opportunities were opening up at the Festival, Hoover recruited candidates from among his students.

One of those opportunities involved gathering people who enjoyed entertaining, had a quick sense of humor and were willing to spread cheer among Festival attendees who were waiting in line for autographs, products or admission to shows. Four Gallatin students fit that bill for the first Fun Team in 2002.

Membership has risen since then to nine, but responsibilities haven't changed. The Team gathers each morning of the Festival to pick up their days' worth of CDs, T-shirts, battery-powered mini-fans and other items to hand out on behalf of sponsoring organizations. Then they split into groups and, from the start of each day's activities until the last of the crowd files past them into LP Field at night, distribute these souvenirs, lead trivia contests, set up footraces, point passers-by toward the next big show or celebrity appearance - in other words, live up to their mission as well as their name.

One veteran Fun Team member, Kurt Peladeau, has graduated from Gallatin and begun pursuing a marketing and advertising degree at East Tennessee University in Johnson City. Yet he promises to be back for his third Fun Team run in June. "It's a blast," he explained. "We're here to have a great time and make sure you do too. The Fun Team is a great group of kids."

Well, great, yes, but not necessarily all kids: For the third consecutive year, Randy Burse, 38, who teaches drama at Gallatin, will don the Fun Team T-shirt along with some of his students and their classmates. "It's great to meet people from all around the world at the Festival. And besides," he added, "when you hand out free stuff, you're very popular."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

If you're finding it difficult to wait until June 5 when the four-day CMA Music Festival launches to dress the part of the ultimate Country Music fan, CMA Music Festival merchandise is available for purchase now. Ladies can pick up a heather-blue T-shirt ($20) adorned with a color guitar illustration (available in seven sizes: 0-16). Festival-themed cactus green T-shirt ($20) featuring a guitar line drawing (sizes: small - 2XL) and an asphalt-colored zip-up hoody ($40) with multi-colored scroll art (sizes: small - 2XL), for men and women, are also ready to order. To go stylish with this year's attire, visit the online store at www.CMAfest.com. Check back for updates as more products become offered. CMA Music Festival attendees can come dressed to impress with clothing that captures the spirit and style of the event. The complete apparel line, which will be sold onsite during the Festival at five locations, is designed and produced by Music City Merchandise, CMA's merchandise partner for the past 14 years.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

World-class barbecue is one of many attractions that bring visitors to Nashville throughout the year. But during the four-day CMA Music Festival June 5-8 in Nashville, for two days, Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, lovers of this most American cuisine will be drawn irresistibly to one place in the heart of Music City.

That spot, facing Franklin Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Downtown Nashville, on the south end of the parking lot behind the Sommet Center, will be home base for approximately 50 outstanding barbecue chefs, assembled to prepare their best recipes in four categories for chicken, beef brisket, pork ribs and pork shoulder/butt in the first CMA Music Festival BBQ Championship.

Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and organized on behalf of CMA by Arlie Bragg of Nashville's Arlique Catering and Event Management, this event pits award-winning barbecue chefs and the cuisine's hottest new masters against one another. Stakes are high, with more than $17,000 in cash and prizes to be distributed to category winners and an overall championship that includes $2,500, a trip to the 2008 CMA Awards including accommodations, an invitation to take part in the KCBS's prestigious American Royale competition and eligibility to participate in late October at the "The Jack," a.k.a. Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Va.

Each chef, with their team and equipment, will have a 20-foot-by-40-foot space. Their handiwork will be presented by category every half hour, beginning with chicken at noon on Sunday. These will be reviewed by judges arranged in groups of six, whose criteria include appearance, taste and tenderness.

"'Country before it was cool' - that's me, man," said Byron Chism, owner/founder of Florida-based Bad Byron's Specialty Food Products and a multiple award winner at barbecue contests. "To come to Nashville to do what I love to do, which is barbecue, and be at the epicenter of the Country Music world, you can't beat that."

That got an "amen" from another scheduled participant, Chad Hayden of Kentucky's Moonswiners and Grand Champion of the 2007 Jack Daniel's world title. "Barbecue and Country Music," he summed up. "You can't get much more American than that."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

For young singers from around the world who dream of building careers in performing, the Music City Rising Star Youth Vocal Competition is an ideal place to start. 

Two of the inaugural competition's outstanding performers were Avery Hovey, 16, of Portland, Tenn., the Champion as well as winner in the Overall Female and Overall SR Vocalist categories, and Brock Storm Timmerman, 17, of Lake City, Fla., who took first place in the Overall Male Vocalist division. As a new crop of teenage hopefuls prepare for their appearances at the 2008 contest, Hovey and Timmerman offered advice on how to make the best impression when their moment in the spotlight comes.

How did you find the perfect song for your performance?

HOVEY: I sang a song that my friend wrote. I had sung it at another competition.

TIMMERMAN: I actually picked my song because my grandmother wanted me to sing it.

How did you decide what to wear?

HOVEY: I headed to Wal-Mart and looked for an outfit that fit my song. It was a ballad, so I found a dress that was classic-looking. You need to find something that fits the song but is comfortable for you at the same time.

TIMMERMAN: I bought it at a mall in Nashville the day before.

Do you follow any special routines before performing?

HOVEY: I like to show up early and watch a little of the competition to see how the audience is reacting and what kinds of songs people are singing to catch the mood of the audience.

TIMMERMAN: I like to eat regular Lay's potato chips before I sing. It makes me feel calm and relaxed.

How do you engage the judges?

HOVEY: I couldn't see them, so I chose a few people out in the audience and sang to them. I looked at other people too but focused on those few and told them the story.

TIMMERMAN: I try to look at everyone and involve them all.

Did your performances affect you?

HOVEY: Since I won, I got the opportunity to attend the CMA Awards and get all dressed up and make a night of it. I even got a goody bag! As far as media goes, I've been interviewed by a lot of the local newspapers. And I really took to heart what the judges said about my performance. It encouraged me to get a new vocal coach and pursue singing a little harder.

TIMMERMAN: I have had the chance to do a lot of recording lately. I also got to be on the "Incubator" show on Radio Disney. I'm also in the middle of managers and music attorneys listening to my demo and shopping it around.

How has winning changed your plans for the future?

HOVEY: It really encouraged me to pursue applying to the Berklee College of Music.

TIMMERMAN: I've just been working hard on my music and trying to get more people interested.

Any final tips?

HOVEY: Don't overdo it. Choose a song that is challenging but is in your range and singable for you.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Fans come to CMA Music Festival each year with a thirst for autographs, photo ops and great entertainment. But sometimes they're just plain thirsty, and that's where refreshing Tetley Iced Tea promises to come to their aid.

As a new Festival sponsor, the venerable tea company, which has been producing iced tea in Georgia for more than 50 years, targets today's Southern consumer, for whom tea is as contemporary as modern Country Music. At this year's event which takes place June 5-8 in Downtown Nashville, expect to find Tetley Iced Tea samples being handed out in dry souvenir packets at the Fan Fair Hall as well as tasted in the heat of the outdoors at the McDonald's-Dr Pepper Family Zone.

Tetley serves markets throughout the world, each with its own tea-drinking preferences. "Our blend is developed to deliver what the Southern drinker is looking for: a bright, clear beverage with refreshing, real tea taste," explained Cathy Kolumbus, Sr. Brand Manager, Tetley USA. "If you use the wrong kind of tea, the drink can go cloudy when you add the ice cubes, so we designed our blend specifically for iced tea."

Tetley is warming up for its Festival debut by sponsoring this year's "Road to CMA Music Festival Presented by Tetley Iced Tea" concerts. These 10 shows, featuring performances by Jennifer Hanson and Darryl Worley, will be heralded by radio remotes from retail locations, complete with local ticket giveaways. Additionally, Tetley will sponsor a sweepstakes, with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Festival, including air fare, hotel accommodations and VIP passes as its grand prize. Participants are invited to register at participating retail outlets and concerts served by the "Road to" shows as well as on www.tetleyusa.com.

"Our brand's values are very family-friendly, natural, wholesome and warm," Kolumbus said. "And our product is about more than just refreshment. It's about sharing good times with family and friends. Country Music reflects that much better than other music genres. That's why we know that Tetley Iced Tea is a great fit with the occasion, the region and even the season of CMA Music Festival."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Field & Stream, the world's leading outdoor magazine announced the dates (listed below) for the 2008 Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge. The event, the country's premier showcase for outdoorsmen, is a coast-to-coast competition to name the most competent and well-rounded sportsman in the nation. Thousands of sportsmen and sportswomen are expected to compete at 25 Bass Pro Shops across the country and during one special event taking place at the CMA Music Festival, June 5-8 in Downtown Nashville. With 23 of Bass Pro Shops' 49 stores hosting FREE local qualifiers throughout April, May and June joining in on the fun will be easier then ever.

"The more you know about the outdoors the more fun you can have," said Anthony Licata, Editor, Field & Stream. "We're looking for persons who live for the outdoors. The kind of person who enjoys all four seasons because they enjoy hunting, fishing, camping and everything that comes with it."

Events will kick-off in April at Bass Pro Shops with a series of local qualifiers, with top finishers from each store advancing to one of six regional qualifiers. Sixteen regional winners will receive cash prizes and advance to the Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge National Championships in Springfield, Mo., in September. For a list of stores participating, times, dates and official rules, visit www.FieldandStream.com/totaloutdoorsman or www.basspro.com.

For the first time the Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge will make a special stop at the CMA Music Festival June 5-8 in Downtown Nashville, including a special celebrity edition in the Chevy Sports Zone June 5. The next day, the Nashville Regional Championships will take place in the same location, a FREE area open to the general public in addition to the Festival four-day registrants.

In its fifth year, the Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge is the only contest in the country to determine the most competent all-around outdoorsman. The event tests sportsmen's abilities by putting them through a series of skills challenges that that touch on all areas of the outdoor sports from fishing and shooting to ATV handling and archery. 

Entering the Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge is FREE and each competitor will receive a gift bag full of goodies from Field & Stream, Bass Pro Shops and more. The National Championship winner will be crowned Field & Stream's Total Outdoorsman and walk away with $25,000 in cash and prizes, a feature in Field & Stream and extensive coverage on www.FieldandStream.com and the "Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge" television show. The event carries a total prize purse of more than $50,000.

Hopefuls for the contest who can't make it to a local qualifier but think they have what it takes to take the title can apply for a special wild card spot for the National Championship online at www.FieldandStream.com/totaloutdoorsman. With only one wild card spot available event organizers strongly suggest that online applications include video and/or photos.

Sponsors of the 2008 Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge include: CMA Music Festival, Bass Pro Shops, Toyota, Wolverine, BowTech, Repel Insect Repellant, Dinty Moore and The National Shooting Sports Foundation.

To order CMA Music Festival tickets, call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378); visit www.CMAfest.com to download an order form to fax or mail; visit www.ticketmaster.com to buy online or charge-by-phone at (615) 255-9600.   Four-day ticket package categories correspond to different levels of seating at LP Field for the Nightly Concerts. Children 3 years and younger are admitted FREE. For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artist appearances, and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for CMA Exclusive e-news.

Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge SCHEDULE:

Local Qualifiers:
(Listed in alphabetical order by city)
    - Auburn Hills, MI- April 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 
    - Bolingbrook, IL  - May 16-18 
    - Cincinnati, OH - May 16-18 
    - Clarksville, IN - April 18-20 
    - Columbia, MO  -  May 16-18 
    - Denham Springs, LA - April 18-20 
    - Foxborough, MA - May 10, 17,18 
    - Grapevine, TX - May 31 prior to Regional 
    - Gurnee, IL  - May 2-4 
    - Harrisburg, PA - June 21 prior to Regional 
    - Independence, MO  - June 28 prior to Regional 
    - Katy, TX - April 11-13 
    - Las Vegas, NV - April 12, 19, 20 
    - Macon, GA - April 18-20 
    - Mesa, AZ - April 4- 6 
    - Myrtle Beach, SC - April 25- 27 
    - Nashville, TN - May 9-11 
    - Nashville, TN - June 6 at CMA Music Festival prior to Regional 
    - Olathe, KS  -  April 12, May 25, June 11 
    - Orlando, FL - May 10 prior to Regional 
    - Pearl, MS - March 22, April 12, 22 
    - Pearland , TX - April 4-6 
    - Portage, IN - May 8, 10, 11 
    - Rancho Cucamonga, CA - April 11-13

Regional Championships:
    - Rancho Cucamonga, CA - May 3 
    - Orlando, FL - May 10 
    - Grapevine, TX - May 31 
    - Nashville, TN - June 6 at CMA Music Festival 
    - Harrisburg, PA - June 21 
    - Kansas City, MO - June 28

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

As a sponsor of CMA Music Festival, which takes place June 5-8 in Downtown Nashville, Repel Insect Repellant is showing its support for Country Music and its fans by launching its first "Repel CMA Music Festival Sweepstakes."

Registration is through May 15 for a grand prize that includes two tickets to the Festival, air travel, hotel accommodations and more - a value of more than $3,000.00.

"Repel is designed to help folks enjoy the outdoors, no matter if they are hunting, fishing, hiking or just listening to great music," said Gary Ramey, Divisional VP, Repel. "We're excited to award a lucky winner and their guest a trip to the ultimate outdoor music event - and to provide them the protection they need to enjoy it."

Entry forms are available at www.repelmagicgiveaway.com and at participating Repel retail stores.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

What brought John Hamlin, a veteran producer for CBS News' award-winning show, "60 Minutes," to Nashville was dinner.

After hearing that Hamlin had some programming ideas, Bob Kusbit, Head of Development at Country Music Television (CMT), invited him to talk it over at a restaurant meeting.

As he listened, Kusbit became more intrigued - not so much with the shows but with the man pitching them. "I thought, 'This would be a guy I'd love to have full-time at CMT,'" he recalled.

Not long after that, Hamlin was onboard at the cable music network, as Senior VP of Production and Development.

After "long conversations over the next few weeks," according to Kusbit, the two-time Emmy Award winner stepped away from his position with one of television's most respected news shows, moved with his family from their Florida waterfront home and went to work at his Nashville office by late July 2007.

A background in hard news may seem incongruous in the world of music television, but a closer look at his prospectus of more than 25 years of television experience reveals areas of synchronicity. While working for 15 years at "60 Minutes," Hamlin produced segments on some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson and U2.

"John has a deep-rooted interest in music and Country Music," Kusbit explained. "He's had great success in getting artists to do things in new and inventive ways. He has great connections with artists and labels. His connections and interest in music made us go after him and want him for the channel."

But it wasn't only Hamlin's music-related work that made him a fit for CMT. "We're always looking for new ways to do television shows that appeal to the CMT audience," Kusbit said. "With John's skill as a television producer, he can find creative ideas and then oversee and execute them correctly.

"And because of his background with '60 Minutes,' his integrity is top notch," he added. "It just brings a high level of person to the channel. He's incredibly driven and enthusiastic, and I hope that energy will add to the lifeblood that's already at CMT."

In Hamlin's view, CMT programming breaks down to three parts: music programming, including "CMT Crossroads," its "Giants" franchise and the network's signature annual event, the "CMT Music Awards;" non-scripted and non-music programming that includes such hit series as "Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team," "Hogan Knows Best," "Trick My Truck" and "Trick My Trucker;" and a third category that, in Hamlin's words, "marries both of these genres by putting Country artists into compelling reality-driven concepts."

As examples, he points to three new CMT series. The first is "Gone Country," hosted by John Rich of Big & Rich, who gives seven established performers from different realms of the entertainment and music industries a chance to break out as the next Country superstar. The second is "Can You Duet," a music competition series from the producers of "American Idol," designed to find the best Country Music duo in America. Finally, there's "Invitation Only," which Hamlin described as "a cross between 'Storytellers' and 'Inside the Actors Studio.'"

"Invitation Only" debuted on CMT last fall with Keith Urban; the next installment launched in March with Alan Jackson. "It's a music-driven show," Hamlin observed. "And we're letting artists shape the show to fit their particular vision, while providing the audience with an up-close and personal look at their favorite artists."

In every concept he's addressing for CMT, Hamlin applies the most important lesson learned through his news and sports background. "Whether you're showing a football game or a reality show, television is storytelling," he explained. "I asked one producer about how he sees one idea we're developing that involves talent from Music Row. He said, 'Well, we'll be following so-and-so around.' And I said, 'Stop right there. Don't just follow a celebrity. Tell me what they're going through. Tell me a story!'"

Hamlin and another recent addition at CMT, Jay Frank, Senior VP of Music Strategy, work together to communicate the network's goals to the music community. "CMT is trying to embrace artists, record companies and managers in a collaborative way that we can all work together and do things that are good for all of us," Hamlin said. "Music Row is in the business of selling records and tickets. The more records and tickets they sell, the better for us. If we make the right choices, it only helps the business of CMT.

"But," he added, "we want to be careful. We'll never underestimate the intelligence of the CMT audience or any other audience. You don't want to package stuff so that it looks like an infomercial or a strictly promotional piece, because people are more sophisticated than that."

And what about that pitch that first brought Hamlin to the table with Kusbit?

"They've already made it onto our development slate," Hamlin confirmed.

Stay tuned.

© CMA Close Up News Service / 2008 Country Music Association®, Inc.

The motto of the Nashville Songwriters Association International lays out the truth in plain language: "It all begins with a song."

But how does that song get to where it needs to go to be heard?

The unsung hero behind these questions is the songplugger - the middleman whose domain lies between the realms of artists and songwriters. Some songpluggers are on staff at specific publishing companies; others represent individual writers or songs.

The best of them can change what America hears on the radio each week. By any measure, this select company would include the independent Sherrill Blackman, named Songplugger of the Year by Music Row magazine in 2004, 2005 and 2006, Dale Dodson of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Tom Luteran of EMI Music Publishing and Abbe Nameche with S1 Songs, all of whom gathered one morning at CMA to share insights into an industry of limited visibility but inestimable importance to Country Music.

FIRST, LET'S ESTABLISH SOME CREDENTIALS. WHAT SONGS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF GETTING RECORDED?

BLACKMAN: "Sinners and Saints" (J.B. Rudd, Vip Vipperman and Darryl Worley, recorded by George Jones), "I'll Get Even with You" (Coweta House, recorded by LeAnn Rimes) and "Maybe She Fell" (Pat Bunch and Georgia Middleman, recorded by Laura Bryna).

DODSON: "Broken Wing" (Phil Barnhart, Sam Hogin and James House, recorded by Martina McBride), "My Give a Damn's Busted" (Joe Diffie, Tony Martin and Tom C. Shapiro, recorded by Jo Dee Messina) and "Learning as You Go" (Larry Boone and Billy Ray Lawson, recorded by Rick Trevino).

LUTERAN: "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" (Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins, recorded by Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson) and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" (Dallas Davidson, Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson, recorded by Trace Adkins).

NAMECHE: "In My Daughter's Eyes" (James Slater, recorded by Martina McBride) and "Paint Me a Birmingham" (Buck Moore and Gary Duffey, recorded by Tracy Lawrence).

WHAT FACTORS DO YOU CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING WHICH ARTIST TO PITCH WITH A SONG?

BLACKMAN: It basically comes down to me being a detective and learning as much as I can about the artists and their upcoming projects. I try as much as I can to provide mid-to-up-tempo songs.

DODSON: I listen for vocal range. Also, I'll keep the subject of the song in mind and whether the artist will sing about that certain subject.

NAMECHE: You need to know the market, what's out there and what's on the horizon. And of course, you've got to know your catalog. With that information, it's a no-brainer. You've either got the right material or you don't.

HOW HAS THE MARKET FOR SONGS CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY?

BLACKMAN: For some of the newer artists, their influences come from a different perspective than the ones who grew up on George Jones and Merle Haggard. Now, sometimes a newer artist will say, "I'm looking for something like so-and-so," and I have no idea who they're talking about.

DODSON: I remember the "Class of '89," with Garth [Brooks] and Clint Black and Dwight Yoakam, when everyone got real Country. That really spun things around. But we're in a different time now. They're really gearing the music toward a younger demographic.

LUTERAN: It seems kind of split to me. You've got your Josh Turners over here, and then there's Rascal Flatts, and they're both doing very well.

NAMECHE: Non-traditional Country artists like Rascal Flatts have broadened the boundaries and grown the audience base, so that a wider variety of songs is accepted and being recorded in our format.

WHAT CLASSIC COUNTRY SONGS WOULD BE HARD TO SELL TODAY?

BLACKMAN: Just about any song with what I call "Standard Country Melody No. 3." Even though this is Country Music, songs still need to have a fresher, more contemporary semi-pop melody.

DODSON: Anything that's really traditional is hard to sell in today's market. But maybe with a new demo and a fresh vocal, they might work too.

LUTERAN: They might, if the lyrical quality is still there.

NAMECHE: "Stand By Your Man." Lame men aren't as popular as they used to be - after all, they're just men [laughter].

SHOULD SONGWRITERS WRITE WITH SPECIFIC ARTISTS IN MIND?

BLACKMAN: I always encourage writers not to, because if that artist doesn't like it, then every time you pitch it to someone else, they'll say, "That sounds like so-and-so." Then you have to drop your head and say, "Yeah, they passed [laughter]."

NAMECHE: And the writer tends to demo it exactly like they think the artist would record it, so it's impossible to disguise.

WHEN IS IT RIGHT TO INCLUDE THE SONGWRITER'S NAME WITH A PITCH TO AN ARTIST?

BLACKMAN: I write their name really big on the demo [laughs].

LUTERAN: The plugger will drop the name if it's a top writer. Absolutely. But it still needs to be a great song.

NAMECHE: I've heard of situations where someone will put an entire session of a particular writer on hold for an artist before they've even heard the songs, because the writer is so hot.

HOW HAVE CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AFFECTED YOUR WORK?

BLACKMAN: Two things come to mind. First, with singles staying on the charts longer and artists only doing an album every year and a half to two years, it's harder to keep writers from getting frustrated with the long gaps of catalog inactivity. Secondly, with so many artists trying to write, there are fewer available slots on most projects. So I've got to dedicate a certain amount of time to trying to set up co-writes with artists to even have a chance of being on their albums.

DODSON: Back in the '90s, there were more record labels with close to 40 artists on each roster. Now there are five major and a few independent labels. With the dramatic decrease in labels and artists, there are fewer possibilities of recordings.

LUTERAN: The digital age is here to stay. You have to adjust your style to fit it. You need to stay current on new technologies. You need to know more than just how to e-mail a song to a music user.

NAMECHE: Digital innovations have made the songplugger's job much easier. If you were pitching a song for an urgent New York or L.A. project only a few years ago, it required burning a CD, typing and printing a label, tray card and lyric, preparing a Fed Ex envelope and dropping the package before the pickup deadline. Now, whether the publishing emergency is in Timbuktu or right up the street, you just click and pitch.

WHAT, FOR YOU, ARE THE BEST AND/OR WORST ASPECTS OF THE SONGPLUGGER'S LIFE?

BLACKMAN: The worst part is when I can't find a home for a song I love.

DODSON: The worst part is the politics, but the best part of the business is having relationships with great people who love the music and hearing great songs.

LUTERAN: Being able to get new songs out to the music community.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The ascension of Gary Allan, back from a difficult period of emotional retrenchment and introspection, is welcome and familiar news throughout the Country Music world. But to the crowds gathered at Nashville's Sommet Center on the night of Nov. 30, 2007, it was an event to witness literally.

Reenergized and ready to reclaim his share of the spotlight, the singer/ songwriter emerged from an elevator in a tower planted onstage. Looking lean and primed for action in jeans and T-shirt, he delivered a 45-minute set filled with hits as well as new tracks from Living Hard, his seventh studio album on MCA Nashville.

It was a textbook lesson of how to open a concert, in this case for Keith Urban, whose world tour he had joined on Nov. 1 and would stay with through Dec. 16. There is an art to heating up the room for the main event - and Allan approached the challenge with the seriousness and authenticity he brings to recording and, especially on Living Hard, writing.

"Keith is a great guitar player, and he's hired two more gunslingers to tour with him," Allan explained, several weeks before he would hit the road with Urban. "Now, I can play, but I know he's going to outshine me in that. I'm going to have to bring my A game and a little raw, Waylon-style Country."

It's a different strategy than the one he conceived while opening for Rascal Flatts before more than a million fans throughout their 2006 trek.

"I actually tried doing the same thing at first on the Flatts tour, playing the raw and rugged tunes. But at the end of the day, their fans responded best to my recent hits. Keith draws more of an eclectic audience, so I think they'll expect me to switch it up a bit."

This thoughtfulness comes from a life devoted to combining professionalism with a passion for performance, going back to age 12, when Allan started playing with his father's band on the Southern California bar circuit.

"You can tell who grew up playing in clubs," he observed. "There's an interaction with the crowd that's not contrived or rehearsed. I feel like I've got that. I can proudly say that I'm not a product of the Nashville system. I'm not something that they made and spit out. I mean, I was offered my first deal at 15, but my dad wouldn't cosign it. He told me, 'If I let you do this now, you'll become whatever they want you to be. You need to play for the people that love you, the people that hate you and the people who could care less. Then you'll figure out how to play for yourself.'"

As a result, when he did finally come to Nashville in 1996 to cut his first album, Used Heart for Sale, Allan was already seasoned - and by his own admission, a little cocky.

"I had some heated arguments with [producer] Mark Wright. It wasn't because I had a chip on my shoulder; I just didn't realize that everybody wasn't making their own record. And that just didn't make any sense. It was impossible for anybody to tell me how my music should sound."

"Usually a brand-new artist isn't quite as sure of his identity as Gary was," Wright recalled, chuckling at the memory of their first sessions. "So I'm sure that somewhere in our conversation I said, 'This is how we do it here, son.' But then I realized that this guy has a voice and he knew what he wanted to do. There's a real artist living inside of him. I wouldn't have signed him if I didn't believe that. We just had to grow some trust between us, like, 'Hey, if that's what you really feel, if that's what's going to make you happy, then say it the way you want and I'll help you get there.'"

Wright serves these days as President of Universal Records South, but he's kept his seat behind the console open for all of Allan's albums, including Living Hard. On this one, they weren't able to get together for pre-production until just two weeks before sessions were to begin. But plenty of communication passed between them prior to that point, through e-mailed MP3 files of songs Wright thought would suit the album or that Allan was writing and demoing on his new Pro Tools system at home. So when "the tape began rolling," the situation was ideal: They had the tunes and yet the vibe was as raw as a late-night jam.

"I've switched my live show and hired more rock 'n' roll kinds of guys," Allan said. "It's more high-energy, much more in-your-face, much edgier. So when Mark saw that and heard the stuff I was writing, we all knew where we were headed."

More than his previous albums, Living Hard acknowledges the artist's current and longtime influences: Coldplay on "We Touched the Sun," the Police and U2 on "Learning How to Bend" and Tom Petty on "She's So California." "I even kind of sound like Petty on it," Allan admitted, laughing, and then sang one line - "She's a Deadhead" - with the rocker's familiar phrasing and intonation.

The new album represents Allan as a writer more thoroughly and revealingly than ever.

"When I first came to Nashville, Harlan Howard used to tell me that I could write but I didn't have anything to say," he remembered. "He said I needed to get married and divorced a few times, and since my wife passed, being able to talk about that . Well, first of all, my best friends were the ones who helped me through it. But those are also the guys I write with, and I feel like I can go into emotions a lot deeper and more authentically now. I guess I liked it better when I didn't have as much to say, but now I understand what Harlan meant."

This is apparent on "Yesterday's Rain," a co-write with James LeBlanc and Matt Warren. Right after singing "that's the only place I see your face," Allan's vocal pauses as the musicians continue playing until he comes back in a few seconds later. It's as if, in a moment of conversation, the feelings that surface make it difficult to talk until composure can be regained.

"That's exactly what it was," he revealed. "It was authentic. There were tears. I don't think I'll be able to sing that live. It's all the way real."

Yet that night at the Sommet Center, Allan seemed to achieve a communion with his audience that went deeper than the reach of entertainment. Speaking candidly, he introduced two songs - "Best I Ever Had" and "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" - as especially helpful in getting him past tragedy and on toward the affirmation epitomized by the title track of Living Hard, a bone-crunch embrace of a life dedicated to "livin' in the spotlight" and "chasin' dreams one song at a time."

The bottom line? "I'm OK," Allan said. "I've got a lot to say right now. And there's a whole bunch more coming."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The first single from the new album by Ashton Shepherd tells us all we need to know about the soul of this 21-year-old singer and songwriter. On "Takin' Off This Pain," her voice is tough, tender and wise beyond its years and her gift for setting the stage for a song with simple eloquence is in full view.

Producer Buddy Cannon knows how to breathe life into images of hard times and good times. Throughout Shepherd's MCA Nashville debut, Sounds So Good, on 12 tunes, eight written solely by the artist and three co-written with Adam Cunningham, Cannon swirls heartbreak fiddle, last-call steel guitar and powerfully assertive and expressive vocals into a neon-bathed tour de force.

From the twang in Shepherd's tone throughout "I Like Being Single" and the pain in her stretched-out phrasing on "Whiskey Won the Battle," you know that this Coffeeville, Ala., native has been there, done that and earned the right to write and sing about it with an almost startling conviction.

Raised in a flyspeck town of 360, Shepherd won her first talent contest at age 8, appropriately with a couple of Patsy Cline tunes. Her parents funded recording and manufacturing for 1,000 copies of her first album at 15. She won another contest at 16 that earned her an opportunity to open for Lorrie Morgan - and that in turn inspired a producer in the audience to invite her to Nashville. One connection led to another, the result being this remarkable album, rooted deep in tradition and reaching past that Alabama horizon toward an assured and enduring career.

IN HER OWN WORDS:

MUSICAL HEROES
"Keith Whitley and Dolly Parton."

SONG YOU WANT TO COVER
"'Fishin' in the Dark,' by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band."

CD ON YOUR STEREO
"Vern Gosdin."

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"Alan Jackson."

SONG YOU WISH YOU WROTE
"'He Stopped Loving Her Today.'"

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
"That's actually where I write a lot of songs."

MOMENT TO RELIVE IF YOU COULD
"Holding my son James for the first time."

WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS, WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU
"I hope they say I will always be remembered by the songs I write and the music I create."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
 
It's hard to believe a year and a half ago I sat in a building that'd be my label, where the walls weren't even painted, and we were stuffing envelopes with what would be my first single," said Taylor Swift with the "aw shucks, hey world" enthusiasm that defines her suddenly high-profile personality. "We were just hoping people would listen to a song called 'Tim McGraw.'"

They've done more than listen. With more than 40 million MySpace streams as of Feb. 16, three singles slammed into the Top 6 like home runs into bleachers ("Tim McGraw," "Teardrops on My Guitar" and the six-week, chart-topping "Our Song") and a self-titled album that spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, audiences and listeners are diving headfirst into the current unleashed by Swift, the first female solo artist in Country Music history to write or co-write every song on a double-Platinum-selling debut album and the youngest person to write and sing a No. 1 Country single ("Our Song") wholly on her own. In January, she reached new sales milestones with the digital Platinum certification of "Teardrops on My Guitar," and digital Gold of "Our Song." Swift joins an elite group of superstars with her digital Platinum status, as the only other Country artist to achieve this level of certification are the Dixie Chicks, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood.

"I realize I am a business," conceded the 5-foot-11-inch blonde who gushed "This is definitely the highlight of my senior year!" upon winning the Horizon Award at the 2007 CMA Awards. "I'm lucky to have that. It changes the way you look at things. But I know I'm not 25. I'll have a whole year to be 25 when I am. So as much as I love to talk about business, I'm still 17."

But Swift's years, risen to 18 since the Awards broadcast, overflow with a lifetime's worth of adventure. One has to study Hannah Montana to see anything even remotely like what she has experienced: Swift was just 11 when, having dragged herself to writer nights and karaoke contests back home in Wyomissing, Pa., she followed the stars in her eyes to Nashville. At 13 she secured a development deal with the RCA Label Group and, at 14, became the youngest writer in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing stable.

"I felt set apart," she admitted. "After high school, my friends were going to sports or cheerleading, and I was being driven to a songwriting appointment. But, you know, I'd go sit with my co-writers and talk about what had happened at school that day."

Writing was Swift's salvation during those awkward years. She came up with "Teardrops on My Guitar" when the ache for the guy-she-liked-who-liked-her-friend became unbearable and "Wrapped Up with a Smile" when she was concerned over a pretty "perfect" friend who was masking her bulimia.

"High school is a different universe," she observed. "It's 10 times more dramatic than anything you'll see in a public place. There's an energy when everybody's dressing up for homecoming, when everyone's crying in the hallway because somebody's boyfriend dumped her. Being young gives me a platform to speak for people my age."

"Every Tuesday at 4:00," said Swift's frequent co-writer Liz Rose, SESAC's 2007 Songwriter of the Year, "Taylor would walk into Jody Williams Music as a high school kid, go up those stairs, close the door and say, 'I have an idea.' She wrote the truth, all the things kids are living. She put it all out there - and the boys buy her records just as much [as the girls] because they've been Drew," the guy immortalized by "Teardrops on My Guitar." "They've hurt girls. They know."

More than that, it isn't just kids who tune into Swift; her ability to articulate vulnerability in her lyrics has earned respect throughout the Country community, to the degree that she tied Alan Jackson for the 2007 Songwriter/Artist of the Year honor from the Nashville Songwriters Association International. And for all the stories of her MySpace page launching the Swift juggernaut, an old-fashioned, carefully orchestrated radio campaign also had a lot to do with it.

"I got into MySpace because my friends were all about it," she said, laughing. "It's how we communicate. I didn't want people to think my MySpace was something a record company did as a promotion thing. But letting people in, letting them know who you are, is a good thing.

"We put out 'Tim McGraw' because we wanted something we knew people would listen to, if only to see what it was," she continued. "All I wanted was for people to give me a shot: Let me play in your conference room or be on your morning show."

Six months of setup and then patiently working her first album, tours with McGraw, Brad Paisley, George Strait and Rascal Flatts, videos that juxtaposed teen fantasy indulgence with real girl innocence - and all of it was Swift, a young woman who understood absolutely the importance of not watering down her identity.

"You have to be very picky about what you put out," she said. "Those songs show you as a person. I love my label because if I said to Scott [Borchetta, President/CEO, Big Machine Records], 'I know this is a No. 1 single but I don't want it on my record,' he'd say 'OK.' That's why this works."

"Taylor is incredibly smart and able to tap into what's going on," said Robert Deaton, CMA Awards producer and Co-owner/Director, Deaton Flanigen Productions. "She reminds me of Reba: She has this innate ability to put across exactly who she is. That's very rare at any age.

"And she's unafraid."

She's also very musical. In December 2007, she returned to the studio with producer Nathan Chapman, this time as co-producer. "I have a lot of ideas," she said and began running them off. Her indefatigability is surpassed only by the focus and intensity of her talent.

"We wrote every Tuesday until it got so crazy," Rose remembered. "And even then, when she had a day off, Taylor would call and say, 'Wanna write?' I swear, I don't know when she doesn't have a guitar in her hand."

Lots of young people dream of fame, fortune and screaming fans. Swift's dreams were always bigger, embracing the work as well as the enjoyment of the payoff. Most of her peers don't include visits to every radio station in the country, in multiples of three to eight a day, in their fantasies or fame, or begging for a chance, or trying to keep up with schoolwork amidst the writing, the concert dates and the fans whose numbers seem to grow with each show and each new day of airplay.

"To get to go out there and meet these people," she said, ticking through the hallmarks of what has become her life. "Getting to meet those guys at Country radio, who are my heroes . to give my label, which is only two years old, their very first CMA Award . you think about those things, but it's just so much."

For now. But forever? Based on the momentum and energy, intelligence and enthusiasm, how far Swift has come and how far she sees when scanning the years to come, not to mention her willingness to chronicle the reality of coming-of-age in the 21st century for everyone to hear, just about anything seems possible.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Country radio, like the music it champions, is in a state of transition, adjusting to changes in areas as fundamental as technology and whimsical as listener tastes. But unique advantages and opportunities come with this format too, particularly in the affection for this music that strengthens through the years.

For Ed Salamon, this is where the agenda for this year's Country Radio Seminar (CRS) begins.  The 39th annual CRS takes place Wednesday, March 5 through Friday, March 7, at the Nashville Convention Center in Downtown Nashville. As Executive Director of Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB), which hosts the annual summit of radio personalities and executives, artists, record label associates and others in the Country Music industry, he sees CRS as being about learning through the experiences attendees share through interactions with their peers as well as from panels throughout the three-day event.

A member of the Country Radio Hall of Fame, a legendary programmer in various formats, a co-founder of United Stations Radio Networks with Dick Clark and President of Programming at Westwood One before assuming his current office at CRB, Salamon is uniquely equipped to reflect on how the state of his industry will be assessed at CRS.

WHAT WILL BE THE HOT-BUTTON ISSUE AT CRS THIS YEAR?

One of the biggest issues is Arbitron's radio rating system, which is changing from a diary-based system to electronic measurement through the Portable People Meter (PPM), which can track, for example, how many listeners tune out when a specific song is played, or how many tune in when they know a contest will be played. Radio has never had that detailed information before. This will affect the way radio stations look at their programming. And obviously, if the programming process is altered, it's going to change the opportunities for the music industry.

WHAT EFFECT DO YOU SEE THE PPM HAVING ON THE COUNTRY MUSIC INDUSTRY?

That discussion will be had in sessions at CRS, where programmers in the audience will discuss with Arbitron and with each other. It is exciting that this is a time of change for both radio and the music industry. Those who attend CRS
and the Portable People Meter panels in particular will have absolutely the best understanding of how it will affect the industry.

THE FIRST CRS TOOK PLACE IN 1970. WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR ITS LONGEVITY?

There were lots of other industry conventions, both general and format-specific, when CRS was created. At that time, Country was an underdog format, with only about 600 fulltime stations. Since then, Country has grown to be America's dominant format, with more than 2,000 stations, but we have still kept that sense of community that we had back then. Of course, the health of radio is important to everyone in the music industry because it is still the primary medium for the exposure of music. From conversations I've had with people in retail, radio is even more influential in purchasing decisions for Country Music than it is for other formats.

WHY IS THAT?

Country listeners have a great bond with their radio stations for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the personalities in Country radio tend to be important to their listeners. In fact, it's not only music that Country radio sells;
Country radio is a great medium for moving all types of products, as those who sell radio advertising can attest.

HOW, THOUGH, DO YOU DEFINE "COUNTRY RADIO" THESE DAYS? IS IT STILL CONSIDERED TO BE EXCLUSIVELY A BROADCAST MEDIUM?

Country Radio Broadcasters embraces all broadcasters, regardless of their medium. But when you look at any of the other technologies, whether satellite or online, over-the-air broadcast still dominates, by far. In fact, more than 90 percent of Americans listen to traditional broadcast radio. Radio has been around since about 1920, and a lot of additional media have come along since that time and vied for the attention of listeners. Considering the number and variety of alternatives that are available to today's listeners, radio continues to do quite well.

DOES SATELLITE RADIO THREATEN LOCALISM IN RADIO?

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Scheduled for 11 AM on Thursday, March 6, the CRS "Woman to Woman" panel packs an imposing lineup of participants. Chaired by Kelly Ford, co-host of "Kelly, Mudflap & JoJo" on KYGO/Denver, the discussion will include ASCAP Senior VP Connie Bradley; Laurie DeYoung, host of the CMA Broadcast Awards-winning "The Laurie DeYoung Morning Show" on WPOC/Baltimore; Mary Quass, President and CEO of NRG Media LLC; Meg Stevens, PD at WPOC/Baltimore and WMZQ/Washington, D.C.; Julie Talbott, Executive VP for Affiliate Marketing at Premiere Radio Networks; and CMA CEO Tammy Genovese.

In the words of the CRB's panel description, "Woman to Woman" is intended to "give attendees a chance to network with those who have made it to the top of the class," who in this case happen to be among the most influential women in the music industry.

For Ford, a three-time winner of the CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year Award for Major Markets, it's important to acknowledge the differences that women can bring to executive and on-air positions. "Now, I have my Type A side too," she said, laughing. "But we are different. And different can be good. We tend to look for solutions instead of conflict. Look at Tammy: She epitomizes everything that's real and authentic about bringing people together. I'm proud, as a woman, of what she has accomplished."

Where does this leave the men as far as "Woman to Woman" is concerned? "Well, it's like women who read Men's Health and men who read Cosmo," Ford answered. "The smart ones will be at that panel."

On Tuesday, March 4, the evening before CRS officially opens, CMA and Radio & Records will co-sponsor a dinner and ceremony at the Nashville Convention Center to honor Bill Cody and Bob Robbins, this year's inductees into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame, and Jaye Albright, Bobby Kraig and Michael Owens, new members of the Country Music Radio Hall of Fame.

CMA is proud to join with Radio & Records in co-sponsoring the "New Faces of Country Music" reception beginning at 5:30 PM and dinner following at 6:30 PM on Friday, March 7, in the lower-level Performance Hall at the Nashville Convention Center. Artists scheduled to perform 20-minute sets at the dinner include Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll, Bucky Covington, Jake Owen and CMA Horizon Award winner Taylor Swift. The five "New Faces" were chosen by registrants at last year's CRS on the basis of having achieved significant success at Country radio during the qualification period.

® 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

As major record labels evolve plans for sailing toward their goals on uncertain seas, and as independents seek to compete with music industry giants, a new breed of entrepreneurs is finding ways to identify talented artists and help find their paths toward success.

Some of these visionaries are dedicated to providing the A&R services that are indispensable yet not always easy to accommodate in ever-tightening budgets. These services include helping a new artist develop a distinctive voice and image, find the right songs to record, do preproduction work or even produce finished albums, assemble support teams and help negotiate recording and publishing contracts and allied legal agreements.

But why stop there? They may also represent labels, managers, publishing companies or any combination of the three. It is, in other words, a wide-open field in which the job description expands to fit the client's needs.

Signs of this emerging trend surfaced last May, as Artist & Repertoire, LLC opened its doors in Nashville, with Music Row veterans Jeff Teague, President, and Tom Long, VP, at the helm. Teague, who spent five years as GM and VP of A&R for Word Records Nashville before becoming Creative Director/Producer at Nashville's Seventeen Grand Studios, described Artist & Repertoire as ready to handle the "overflow" of A&R functions brought on by major label consolidation and indie label startup.

"When the labels come together, there are, in some cases, five, six or seven divisions that at one point had their own A&R departments," he said. "So they combine all those under one banner to save money. Even if half the acts that were on those individual labels are let go, those labels still end up with a huge roster."

And each act in that roster, Teague pointed out, has A&R needs that might best be handled by a firm like Artist & Repertoire. "Majors don't have to provide us a desk, salary, computer or health insurance policy. They buy those needs as they arise on an à la carte basis."

Indie labels have special requirements of their own that include scouting for new acts, finding appropriate songs for them and working to develop an artist's "core image" - all of which can be addressed by a freelance A&R provider. Currently, for example, Artist & Repertoire has a consulting relationship with NuSpring Records, a new label with several acts in development. Headed by Paul Wright, whose history includes work with Zomba and Sony BMG Distribution System, NuSpring will shortly be announcing a high profile artist signing, brought to them via Artist & Repertoire.

"People have been calling us, [including] artists that have lost their [record] deals or people who are looking to attract deals and want direction," said Long, who partnered with Teague after serving for 10 years as Director for Membership at ASCAP Nashville, running Balmur Music for Anne Murray and then providing catalog management for Sony/ATV Music Publishing from 2001 to '06. "We consult with them on the creative and business side, provide preproduction or actually produce complete albums for them."

The company's other services include networking with managers, publicists, media trainers, photographers and other essential players in an artist's career strategy. They also run in-house music publishing companies, Rich 'N Rare Music (ASCAP) and Rare 'N Real Music (BMI). Their cornerstone writer, Daryl Burgess, has already scored a Van Zant cut with "The Hardest Thing," co-written with Thom McHugh from Clint Black's Blacktop Music.

The lesson to draw from their performance over this past year is, according to Teague, that "the industry doesn't need another song, it needs another hit song. It doesn't need another singer, it needs another artist."

That conclusion hasn't escaped the attention of TAXI, though this Los Angeles-based A&R behemoth approaches its mission from a different angle. Rather than hiring out directly to record, management and publishing companies, TAXI works exclusively with songwriters and artists, charging them an annual fee to act as their representatives. TAXI's Web site documents successes they've facilitated with their clients, two of which should resonate with Country Music audiences.

Elliott Park, for one, benefited from TAXI's help in securing his publishing deal with Nashville's Extreme Writers Group, where he co-wrote "I Loved Her First," a No. 1 hit for Heartland.

"I was a publisher at Windswept prior to coming here," said Cliff Audretch, referring to his current position as Senior Director of A&R for Universal Records South. "I actually tried to sign Elliott but then TAXI took him to Extreme. Now, once or twice a year, I will get a compilation from TAXI with what they feel are the best 12 songs they've screened for our market over the last six months. And I'll listen to it, absolutely."

Then there was the team of Jim Funk and Erick Hickenlooper, who had never made a serious attempt to get their songs recorded before spotting a TAXI ad in a magazine.

"We went to a TAXI songwriting convention," Hickenlooper explained, "and all the songs that were being played there were getting pretty heavily critiqued by the audience. When our song came on, I braced myself, thinking we were going to get hammered. But to our surprise, when the song grew to an end, the congregation of songwriters erupted in applause and then in a standing ovation."

With that, the chain of connections began, leading from TAXI to an independent publisher to Kenny Rogers, for whom that song, "Buy Me a Rose" became his first No. 1 Country single in 13 years.

"Record labels, publishers, ad agencies and music supervisors working in film and TV call TAXI and tell us what they need," explained the company's Founder and President/CEO Michael Laskow. "We blast that info out to our members. But we keep the company name and contact info private. Our members - 12,000 songwriters, bands, artists and composers in nearly 100 countries - respond when they see something that's a good fit for the music they've got. Our A&R team screens each and every submission for each listing, and we forward the material that's right on target stylistically and of high quality. If the label or publisher is interested, they contact the writer/artist directly and play 'Let's Make a Deal.'"

Laskow estimated that TAXI's Web site www.taxi.com generates about half of their business, with the other half coming from magazine ads, seminars and "various other forms of marketing, both online and by direct mail."

Each member pays annual dues of $299.95 and is admitted free with a guest to the company's annual Road Rally, a three-day networking and educational seminar.

TAXI opened for business 15 years ago, enough history to qualify it as being definitely ahead of its time. Even so, for some potential clients, independent A&R hasn't quite made its case.

"If you've got enough product and enough things to do, it's wonderful," said George Collier, President, Aspirion Records Group. "But we put out probably 20 CDs a year, and a lot of our stuff comes in finished and we license it from people. As for actual A&R duties, last year I believe we did maybe six real recordings."

Still, with the flow of would-be artists showing no end, and with the economics of the industry stepping up the appeal of outsourcing for both major and startup labels, the model pioneered by TAXI and Artist & Repertoire is well worth watching.

® 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Next time you pull up to a restaurant in Nashville, look carefully at the valet: That person who took your keys today might be signed to a major record label deal tomorrow. That's what happened with Chuck Wicks, who came to Nashville after growing up on a farm near Smyrna, Del., and attending Florida Southern College.

His dream had been to play pro baseball, but by the time he'd reached his senior year Wicks had traded his bat and glove for a ticket to Nashville. A parking gig paid the rent and bought the time he needed to hone his writing through collaborations with Monty Powell, Rivers Rutherford, George Teren, Neil Thrasher and the Mobley brothers, Mike and Wendell.

Wicks eventually steered himself into a contract with RCA Records, for whom he recorded his debut album, Starting Now, produced by Dann Huff and Powell. As co-writer of all but one of its 11 tracks, Wicks displays a style that's expressive and accessible. On the first single, "Stealing Cinderella," he shows particular sophistication as he switches perspectives, from his own to that of the father of the girl he hopes to marry; through lyrics that pass by like snapshots in the pages of a photo album, he fuses these viewpoints into one vivid picture.

Wicks' baritone voice brings these top-notch tunes to life, pouring like honey over occasional patches of sandpaper. It's the kind of voice that's sure to put Wicks in the driver's seat from now on.

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

SONG YOU WANT TO COVER
"'One Last Cry,' by Brian McKnight."

SONG YOU WISH YOU WROTE
"'I Will Always Love You.'"

BOOKS ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"The Bible and Us Weekly.

CD IN YOUR STEREO
"I just finished my record so, sadly, I've been listening to myself, looking for mistakes. Oops, just found one. I'm a perfectionist."

LUCKY CHARM
"My faith."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"Why Me?"

YOUR MUSICAL HERO
"I grew up listening to what we now call the '80's station. and was influenced by all kinds of music. Whether it was Chicago, Journey, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks or one of my favorite singers, Brian McKnight. So I guess my musical hero was just great music.

YOUR PET PEEVE
"Negative people."

WORD OR PHRASE YOU REPEAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN
 "Awesome."

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU PREFER
"Private jet even though I've never been on one yet . but I do drive a Truck."

MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU RELIVE IF YOU COULD
"Nothing. I love to remember and then look forward to the future."

® 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

While attending high school in nearby Mount Airy, Md., Laura Bryna performed in Washington, D.C., with the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and took classes at the Kennedy Center's Summer Drama Workshop. As an undergrad at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, she considered careers in archeology or anthropology and somehow found time to become fluent in French.

Yet she set all that aside and moved to Nashville, partly because of the comfort Country Music had offered during the six months her older brother spent in a coma, induced by a brain aneurysm, at age 13, which followed the sudden death of their father. Once settled, Bryna juggled music studies at Belmont University, internships at Sony/ ATV Music Publishing and DreamWorks Music Publishing and volunteer work for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a commitment she honors on her first single, "Make a Wish," in which innocence and generosity trump the sadness in an ailing child's life.

All of which leads to Trying to Be Me, her Equity Music Group debut album, produced by Roger Sarchet, with Kyle Lehning co-producing three of its 12 tracks. The optimism of "Make a Wish," her sole co-write on the album, spills into "Life Is Good," whose message is as appealing as its title. And "640 Battlefield Drive" tells a wartime story told too often, involving a mother, her soldier sons and a life-changing letter.

Bryna's performance, ambitious and deep, sophisticated yet rich in down-home authenticity, shows that she's already succeeded.

IN HER OWN WORDS:

A PHRASE YOU REPEAT
"Super-fantastic."

ACTRESS TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC
"Bette Midler or Dolly Parton."

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU PREFER
"Anything that can get me from Point A to Point B."

BOOKS ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Believe and Achieve by various authors; Always Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams by Patricia Wayant; and Success One Day at a Time by John C. Maxwell."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"Countrypolitan Laura Bryna: The Gal with Big Hair Who Does It All in Heels."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then inspiration is the highest form of creativity. Both elements come to play in two recent albums that achieve their excellence through celebrating the late County Music Hall of Fame member Buck Owens.

On Dwight Sings Buck, released by New West Records, Dwight Yoakam, a longtime Owens friend and collaborator, offers 15 songs that include such classics as "Act Naturally," "Together Again" and "My Heart Skips a Beat." And Palo Duro Records has issued Under the Influence of Buck by The Derailers, the Austin-based band forged on its founders' appreciation for Owens. "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail," "Cryin' Time" and "Love's Gonna Live Here" are among the 13 tracks featured on that album.

The son of a Texas sharecropper, Owens was the most prominent proponent of the "Bakersfield Sound," whose crisply picked Fender guitars, honky-tonk beat and rugged but tuneful vocals were transported from California's Central Valley to the world in large part by the success of Buck Owens and his Buckaroos.

On Yoakam's second album, Hillbilly Deluxe, released on Warner Bros./Reprise Records in 1987, he honored that sound with the single "Little Ways." "It started with a very deliberate reference to Buck in the phrasing of the opening line when I pushed the time," he said. "I had dedicated the song to him and he was aware of that. The label knew I was playing the Kern County Fair, and Warner Bros. set up a meeting at Buck's radio station. We hit it off, and he agreed to come out to see us at the fair. We got him to get up onstage with us. That was the first time he had done that in a long, long time."

Before long Yoakam and Owens recorded a hit duet, "The Streets of Bakersfield," which helped establish a friendship that lasted until Owens' death on March 25, 2006 - just four days after the two had shared a four-hour phone conversation. "He was talking about writing his memoirs," Yoakam recalled. "He was also talking about wanting to do more bronze statues for the Crystal Palace [Owens' concert venue in Bakersfield]. He literally was talking the future, for the most part. I could never imagine four days later he would not be here."

Up to that point, out of respect, Yoakam had never played his mentor's songs, except when playing "Streets of Bakersfield" as an encore or backing Owens onstage. "After he died, we were in Orlando, Fla., to perform," Yoakam said. "And I said, 'We should probably do two or three songs in memory of Buck for a couple of weeks.' For my audience and those members of my audience that were fans of Buck's, we allowed them the opportunity to say goodbye with us."

Those performances led toward recording Dwight Sings Buck. "The band and I were in a rehearsal studio," Yoakam said. "We would begin each song by hearing Buck's original arrangements, and then I would listen to a work tape that we had of what we just did and think through ideas, variations and things. The most distinct arrangement is probably 'Only You.' I hope I captured an underlying spirit in what that song was. And, of course, the first single, 'Close Up the Honky Tonks,' is a very distinct arrangement. This album was a happy experience, every moment of doing this record."

Yoakam and New West Records will donate a portion of the proceeds from Dwight Sings Buck to the Buck Owens American Music Foundation, a charity dedicated to preserving the Bakersfield Sound and the legacy of Owens.

That legacy impacted, among many other artists, The Beatles, whose cover of "Act Naturally" caught the young Brian Hofeldt's attention. "I was about 7 years old," the future Derailers singer and lead guitarist remembered. "I'd sit down at the piano and try to bang out 'Act Naturally,' and my folks said, 'You know, that's actually a Buck Owens song.' And I went, 'Buck Owens? The guy from "Hee Haw"?' I didn't know, but I thought if The Beatles liked him, I'm going to listen to as much as I can. Buck Owens really stuck with me. I just loved his delivery and his songs. That guitar sound was just so stunning and sparkling and clear. It really spoke to me."

The Derailers met Owens in 1995. "Our friend Casper Rawls had a Buck Owens birthday bash every year in Austin at the Continental Club," Hofeldt related. "In 1995, he finally talked Buck into coming down to visit. Buck stood back in the corner, and when we got up onstage to do our Buck songs in the show, he came up and stood right in front of us. He was visibly touched because we had paid such direct homage to his music and even [by] the way we dressed and presented ourselves."

Four years later, Owens invited The Derailers to be the house band for his 70th birthday bash at the Crystal Palace. The back cover of Under the Influence of Buck shows him standing in front of the stage that night, watching The Derailers and smiling. Later he joined them in the studio to record "Play Me the Waltz of the Angels," which appears on their 1999 album Full Western Dress.

Remembering that session, Hofeldt recalled Owens telling them, "'It's interesting you guys picked this song to involve me with. I'd actually played guitar on the original Wynn Stewart version.' It was a real full-circle thing for him. Of course, it was just an amazing, wonderful experience for us to be involved in a recording with Buck Owens. I can't say enough nice things about how supportive he was to us over the years."

In recording Under the Influence of Buck, Hofeldt said, "we did adhere pretty close to the arrangements that Buck and his Buckaroos and Ken Nelson, Buck's producer, laid out for those songs. For so many years, we've been playing those songs like that, and another thing is that the sound is so specific and so unique and such a part of what we've taken as a part of our sound that we really wanted to, in tribute to Buck, play that sound the way it was. We felt we were approaching what we were doing in a way that Buck would be proud of. We had him on our minds the whole time."

Both Yoakam and Hofeldt have benefited from their friend's advice. "One thing I really remember is he said, 'Don't be afraid to entertain the idea of doing an outside song from another songwriter,'" Hofeldt recalled. "He said, 'I have my own publishing company and I'm doing well with it. I wrote most of my own songs. But I never would have gotten my first No. 1 if I hadn't gotten "Act Naturally,"' which was written by Johnny Russell and Voni Morrison.

As for Yoakam, the most valuable lesson imparted by Owens was "to cherish the opportunity that I've had to make a living performing music. Watching him enjoy what he was doing to the very end of his life, that makes it a great lesson."

Owens actually performed at the Crystal Palace on the night he died. Shortly after ending his show, he encountered some late arrivals who had just made it down from Oregon and without hesitation went back to sing some more for them. "He played a short set and ended with 'Big in Vegas,'" Hofeldt said, noting the song that closes The Derailers tribute album. "That was the last song that Buck ever performed. To the end, he was the ultimate entertainer."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

That old saying about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts may or may not apply to The SteelDrivers. It sounds true, though, when you spin the band's self-titled debut album, a set of 11 originals that sound like they've been carved in wood and left in the hills to weather and age. Playing with a breezy virtuosity, these five musicians interact, keeping tempos down to the point they can bounce ideas around spontaneously and allow listeners to hear what's happening.

A dynamic and organic ensemble, The SteelDrivers are also a stellar collection of individuals. Banjo player Richard Bailey, bassist Mike Fleming, mandolinist Mike Henderson, fiddler Tammy Rogers and guitarist Chris Stapleton, all of whom except for Bailey contribute vocals as well, each boasts impressive session credits, from a long line of Country colossuses to Neil Diamond, Bo Diddley, Al Green and Sting.

The SteelDrivers deliver a powerful statement on their album on Rounder Records. Co-produced by Luke Wooten with the band, it offers fireworks but concentrates on framing Stapleton's rugged singing on the spirit-haunted "Blue Side of the Mountain," wafting them through the churning rhythm of "Drinkin' Dark Whiskey" and hitting the power-chord riffs in the verses to "Midnight Train to Memphis." And when the four-part harmonies kick in, the effect is smooth and raw at the same time, a blend as mysterious as the riddle of how five strong talents do add up to making this single and indelible impression.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

MUSICAL HERO
Mike Henderson: "Ray Charles."

SECRET DREAM DUET PARTNER
Tammy Rogers: "Emmylou Harris."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
Richard Bailey: "Ava's Man, by Rick Bragg."

SONG YOU WISH YOU WROTE
Chris Stapleton: "'What a Wonderful World.'"

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc

If Bob Wills was the Henry Ford of Western swing, then Country Music Hall of Fame member Hank Thompson was responsible for streamlining this vehicle before sending it out, over the airwaves, through international sales of more than 60 million recordings and in countless shows from coast to coast and border to border.

With his relaxed baritone coasting on the rhythm laid down by his band, the Brazos Valley Boys, Thompson cultivated an instantly recognizable style. His songs became essential listening in jukeboxes, on truck drivers' radio dials and on set lists for every band in search of a roadhouse gig. His career spanned six decades before ending with a final show on Oct. 8, proclaimed "Hank Thompson Day" throughout Texas, a little more than a month before his death.

That show took place, appropriately, in Waco, where he had been born on Sept. 3, 1925. Thompson's talent and showmanship were evident during his high school years, when he called himself "Hank the Hired Hand" and appeared regularly on the local radio station WACO. He left his home after graduation to join the U. S. Navy, but while stationed in San Diego and even aboard ship on his way to the South Pacific, Thompson continued entertaining friends and fellow sailors.

His interest in electronics earned Thompson an opportunity to host radio shows over military stations and steered him into studying electrical engineering at Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas and Princeton University. Returning to Waco, he put a band together, created his own stage sound and lighting systems, costumed himself in head-turning silver-toed boots, rhinestone jacket and white Stetson hat, and began recording in 1946 with the first in a long line of self-penned singles, "Whoa Sailor."

That song, with its echoes of Wills, Jimmie Rodgers and the commercial "singing cowboy" style, caught the ear of Tex Ritter, who persuaded Capitol Records to sign the young performer in 1948. With that, Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys commenced their long run in Country Music. Their beat had all the bounce and swing of Wills and his Texas Playboys; particularly on their later releases, and on occasional instrumental tracks such as "Wildwood Flower" and "Big Beaver," the musicians stretched out in solos or hot rhythms that brought their feel for jazz into the spotlight.

Mostly, though, they settled into unobtrusive but irresistible grooves behind Thompson's buoyant vocals. Barrooms and dance floors were his realm, familiar territory for anyone working the Lone Star clubs, yet his approach was innovative, adding string parts to up-tempo tunes and altering the depth of echo on his voice to reflect shifts of meaning in the lyrics to songs such as "A Six Pack to Go" and "I Cast a Lonesome Shadow."

Thompson's singles cracked the Top 10 29 times from 1948, with "Humpty Dumpty Heart," through '74. "The Wild Side of Life," one of the few hits in his catalog that he didn't write, became Thompson's first No. 1 hit in 1952 and lodged at the top of the charts for 15 weeks, where it inspired Kitty Wells to write and record "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" as a rebuttal to its heartbreak theme. A mentor to young talent, Thompson helped launch the careers of Wanda Jackson, Jean Shepard and Merle Travis.

Whether opening Las Vegas to booking Country performers, recording the first live album by a Country artist (At the Golden Nugget in 1961), leading the Country pack in organizing corporate tour sponsorship as well as recording in stereo, or hosting the first television show to be shown in color (broadcast from Oklahoma City over WKY-TV in the '50s), Thompson didn't let his adventurous spirit cut him from the roots of his music.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

The road is long from Jelly Roll Morton to the Beach Boys, but Ken Nelson followed it and even steered it deep into the realm of Country Music, on a journey that ended with his death at home in Somis, Calif., on Jan. 6, less than two weeks before what would have been his 97th birthday.

As an A&R executive for Capitol Records in 1957, Nelson signed and helped elevate an unknown Gene Vincent to stardom by producing his epochal rockabilly smash, "Be-Bop-a-Lula." In later years he would facilitate the arrival of artists as diverse as the Beach Boys and satirist Stan Freberg to the record label, but his most enduring legacy is to have affected the evolution of American music by discovering scores of outstanding Country Music artists and producing more than 100 of their No. 1 hits.

Born in Caledonia, Minn., he spent his first years in an orphanage, where he had been given up for adoption. In his teens, Nelson delivered sheet music in Chicago to Morton, Louis Armstrong and other early jazz giants. By the early 1920s, he had found a foothold in the radio industry, as a sometime singer, tenor banjo player and announcer at WAAF/Chicago.  Eventually he became Music Director at WJJD/Chicago, where he produced and recruited talent for "Suppertime Frolic," the radio station's live Country Music program, whose regular performers included a very young guitarist named Les Paul.

Following military service in World War II, Nelson worked for Capitol Records in Los Angeles, where he rose in 1951 to head the label's A&R staff for Country Music. He established himself quickly, first as producer of Hank Thompson's "Wild Side of Life," a No. 1 smash for 15 weeks, and then through signing and/or producing Tommy Collins, The Louvin Brothers, Jean Shepard, Wynn Stewart, Faron Young and other luminaries.

In 1956, Nelson produced two especially significant singles, "Gone" for Ferlin Husky and "Young Love" for Sonny James. Husky's performance reached No. 1 on the Country charts and No. 5 in the pop realm at a time of concern over the impact of rock 'n' roll on the fortunes of Country Music. By employing the Jordanaires, who were already celebrated for their harmonies behind Elvis Presley, on "Gone," Nelson demonstrated the viability of the idiom through its configuration into what would become known as the "Nashville Sound."

In the early '60s, Nelson made a comparable impression, this time by moving in a less polished direction at a time when the payoff in credibility was to draw another wide audience toward the Country fold. In elevating both Merle Haggard and Buck Owens to prominence, he brought their "Bakersfield Sound" into the limelight and helped launch an era of cross-pollination between Country and rock, each to the other's commercial and creative benefit. This, in turn, enabled Nelson to find and record another crop of gifted artists, including Glen Campbell, until his retirement from Capitol Records in 1976.

With feet planted in both Hollywood and Nashville, Nelson helped expand Country Music beyond its traditional markets. One of his greatest attributes was his determination to let each artist define the direction of the session, based on their talents rather than on any preconception from Nelson. By granting them latitude, he helped establish Country Music as an idiom suited for singers and songwriters who had something unique to offer.

This, in turn, positioned Nelson to play an important role in launching CMA in 1958. His memoir, My First 90 Years Plus Three, published in 2007, included much of the story behind the birth of the organization, where Nelson served as a founding and longtime member of the CMA Board of Directors. In 1961 and '62 he also held office as CMA Board President. At the age of 91, in 2001, Nelson was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

For more than 10 years, Country Music Hall of Fame member Merle Haggard has been thinking about recording a bluegrass album. Then on Oct. 2, 2007, McCoury Music released Haggard's The Bluegrass Sessions, showcasing somewhat surprising fruits of his ambition.

After all, these performances don't rocket along on banjo-driven, Scruggs-style adrenaline. No tenor harmonies soar over the instrumental foundation. Only one of its 12 songs, "Blues Stay Away from Me," stems from the genre's standard repertoire; the rest, aside from a Jimmie Rodgers medley, comes from Haggard's catalog.

The question may be whether this is really a bluegrass album at all. "Well, I've thought about that several times," Haggard, the 1970 CMA Entertainer of the Year, admitted. "It's a good question. It's certainly worth answering, and I don't know if I'm qualified to answer it. So I'm going to let the people decide what they think."

The will of the people has been important to Haggard, composer of "Workin' Man Blues" and other hymns to the wisdom and strength of blue-collar America. Parsing his music into one or another category is less of a priority. Certainly it was far from his mind when Haggard and a group of all-star musicians gathered for two days at Ricky Skaggs' studio near Nashville to cut these tracks.

"We could have gone deeper into bluegrass," he reflected. "We could have put harmony on it, because we had good harmony singers all around us. We could have done this and we could have done that. But there's no way to change me. I'm 70 years old, so Merle Haggard just went down there with some good bluegrass pickers and made an album. It was a three-way choice between Ronnie, Marty and me to leave it alone, because what we were playing was so fresh and unrehearsed. And that's the result, right there."

Ronnie Reno and Marty Stuart were among the musicians on The Bluegrass Sessions, along with younger players who also boast strong bluegrass credentials. Some of them were strangers to Haggard; Reno, however, had been a Stranger for nine years, an experience that coupled with the deep bluegrass lineage of his family to put him in a key position on this album.

"When I was with The Strangers, from 1972 through '81, Merle was playing the fiddle a lot," said Reno. "Of course, he played a lot like Bob Wills at that time, but he knew a lot of old breakdowns, which I also knew from bluegrass. So we'd play them as we were going down the road on his bus, and we'd get into singing songs like 'Molly and Tenbrooks 'or 'Love, Please Come Home.' We talked a lot about the earlier years, when he used to listen to my dad, Don Reno, and his partner Red Smiley on the radio."

"Ronnie was working with Sonny and Bobby Osborne when I hired him," Haggard remembered. "I learned a lot about bluegrass from Ronnie, about the inside of it. So when the time finally got right to do this album, I called him. And it took off right then."

Aside from asking him to invite Stuart to join them, Haggard left it up to Reno to put the band together and work out the logistics. Early in this process, it became clear that a by-the-book bluegrass approach was not the likely outcome. "We went through several attempts to pick some material," Reno said, "but it always kept going back to new songs that Merle was writing."

"We thought about confining ourselves to the standards," Haggard added, "but it just didn't make much sense to us. I'm Merle Haggard, that's bluegrass music, and why can't it be new? So we just picked a bunch of songs that I had."

They settled on a mix of classic and new works. "Big City" made the cut in part because Haggard enjoyed the bluegrass-flavored version that Iris DeMent contributed to the Haggard tribute album, Tulare Dust: A Songwriter's Tribute to Merle Haggard. "Hungry Eyes" is there too, with poignant chorus harmonies added by Alison Krauss. Highlights from the new compositions include "Pray," a waltz-time meditation on love that Haggard wrote with his wife Theresa while reconciling after an argument, and "What Happened," a funny/sad reflection on America's loss of innocence.

"I wrote that one a couple of years ago, after taking my wife to the hospital over the Christmas holidays," he said. "I was driving back home from the Bay Area in my Hummer when a real fierce storm hit on Interstate 5. I had to negotiate this hurricane with trucks all around me and a cross wind of 60 or 70 miles an hour when this song hit me. It took me three hours to wrassle that song in the midst of this storm. Songwriters never know when something great will come by. When it does, you don't want to miss it."

Haggard showed up at the studio late in the morning with his list of songs, his guitar and trust that Reno had put the right combination of players together. It didn't take long after that for everyone to connect, though it took a little creative arrangement to make that happen.

"Merle just put everybody at ease when he came into the studio, sat down and said, 'This is one I want to do,'" dobro player Rob Ickes said. "It was 'Pray.' He sang a little bit of it and it was perfect. Then Marty said, 'How about this?' He played this awesome mandolin kickoff and everything fell into place."

The excitement level was high after that, as everyone scattered into their isolation booths to lay down their first track. It's not clear now what that song was, because right off the bat something didn't feel right. That energy they had felt while playing in the same room wasn't so easy to tap with everyone out of sight and separated from each other.

Then Stuart had an idea. "He said, 'Hey, get that mic back out there in the middle of the floor. Let's circle around out there and see what happens.' That's what we did," Haggard recalled. "I got to the end of the circle and we played those tunes, just like we were in your front room. There were no overdubs, none of that crap. It was all live. There were little warts here and there, but we played the best we could play and it felt good to us."

From that point, The Bluegrass Sessions became less about evoking a style of music and more about letting the creative process happen as it would, without preconception. Even so, Reno insists that the heart if not the letter of this music is pure bluegrass. "A good bluegrass band will put a little drive in their music," he said. "Once Merle sets the tempo, he does that same thing with his voice. So I knew that these players would accommodate that for him and even put a little more energy into it."

Bluegrass giant Del McCoury, who released The Bluegrass Sessions as the third album on his McCoury Music label, agrees. "Is this a bluegrass album? Well, it is Merle, isn't it?" he said, chuckling. "It doesn't matter what kind of band it is. Just listen to this great singer and his great songs. Really, that's what it comes down to."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Dan Colehour knows how to capture the essence of his corner of the world in verse and melody. He then manages the neat trick of translating that message into a more universal language, so that listeners might sense their corner of America in these songs as well.

A tangible sense of place and time permeates Colehour's songs: On "Quarry Town," the first single from his MCA/Carnival Recording Co., debut album, Straight to the Highway, he throws down a muscular groove, part heartland rock and part fish-fry fiddle, to convey his images of young men not too long ago, who traded dead-end lives in the limestone pits outside of town to "make a deal with Uncle Sam in the name of God and country" in Vietnam. It's not a new theme, but like John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen and other pillars of Americana, Colehour makes it unmistakably his, throughout each of his 10 original songs on this album.

Raised in the rolling countryside of eastern Iowa, he rambled in his early 20s to Southern California, settled for a while in Texas and wound up in Nashville with a deal at Carnival Music Publishing and a head full of songs whose blue-collar poetry resonate far beyond the Iowa horizons. On Straight to the Highway, with help from executive producer Frank Liddell and co-producers David Grissom (Dixie Chicks, Joe Ely, Mellencamp) and Mike McCarthy (Fastball, Patty Griffin), he visits a folkloric theme of injustice on "Another Man's Crime" but achieves greatest eloquence on "Lucky Man" and "My America," songs that bring the American dream down to basics of family, love and freedom, which listeners everywhere can surely understand.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"Bruce Springsteen."

What book is on your nightstand?
"Cottonwood by Stacy Dean Campbell."

What song would you like to cover? 
"'The Twelfth of Never.'"

What CD is on your stereo?
"Led Zeppelin's greatest hits, disc four."

Who is your dream duet partner?
"Shawn Colvin."

What word or phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again?
"Apparently."

What mode of transportation do you prefer: plane, train or automobile?
"Automobile."

What song do you wish you had written?
"'Sing Me Back Home' by Merle Haggard."

What moment in your life would you relive if you could?
"The afternoon I first met my dog Shelby Lynn."

What actor would portray you in a biopic about your life?
"Ethan Hawke."

Do you have a lucky charm?
"Yes, a St. Christopher medallion."

When they look back on your life in 50 years, what do you hope people say about you?
"He was a friend of mine."

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be? 
"You'd Better Hang on to Something."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

If Sherry Lynn had never been born, someone would have brought her to life in a Country lyric. In fact, that song has already been created - by Sherry Lynn herself.

On her Steal Heart Music debut album, It's a Woman Thing, this buoyant singer co-wrote two tracks but penned her most personal song, "Is There Still Time," on her own. In contrast to the honky-tonk swagger of uptempo tunes that include "Love or Something Like It" and "Playing with the Big Boys," this one tells the story of a woman who had her first child at 17, was married by 19 and is left to peer down the road that runs past her suburban home, wondering "is there still time for her to chase her dream, the one she left behind?"

That's exactly what Lynn was asking herself back in Clayton, N.J., where life seemed to offer nothing more than a job waiting tables. All that changed when she reordered her priorities and made her way to Nashville.

Producer Ted Hewitt captured Rodney Atkins' rugged but sensitive essence on If You're Going Through Hell; he repeats the feat with Lynn on It's a Woman Thing, in which a tender current adds depth to the assertive, sometimes playful quality in her phrasing. There's wisdom in her music, insightful and childlike on "Scarecrow Dance," wry and toughened by experience on "Wrong Train." Above all, there's the kind of strength that comes from survival - and a promise that Lynn intends to stay around for a while.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"When I was a young girl, I grew up wanting to be just like Loretta Lynn. She still hugs a part of everything I love about Country Music, but as I grew into adulthood Reba McEntire became a chart topper for me. She is such an amazing person inside and out, not to mention that incredible voice of hers."

Which song would you like to cover?
"'Just Like Jesse James' by Cher."

What word or phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again?
"It's all good."

When they look back on your life in 50 years, what do you hope people say about you?
"I hope people would say what a caring and giving person I was and how I somehow impacted their life in a good way - that somehow I was some sort of inspiration to them."

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
"It would probably have the same title as a song I wrote for the album called 'Is There Still Time.'"

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

You've sold 15 million albums, scored nine No. 1 singles and bested every other artist across all genres of music to become the top selling act of 2006 of all genres. So what's next?

That question faced Lyric Street Records sensation Rascal Flatts early last year as the trio began planning its Platinum-selling album, Still Feels Good, which was later released on Sept. 25, 2007.  And the answer? "We just wanted to go in with the same ammo we've always had and cut the best music we could," said Jay DeMarcus.

Still, DeMarcus and his fellow Rascals Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney weren't oblivious to expectations. "The guys and I always try to find songs that will keep appealing to the masses the way our music has been able to so far," DeMarcus said. "We pick music that speaks to us with a message that we want to say, but definitely fans and radio are the two biggest aspects of our career, so we make music for them."

Since their self-titled debut in 2000, Rascal Flatts have rocked Country radio with "Bless the Broken Road," "Fast Cars and Freedom," "Mayberry," "Me and My Gang," "My Wish," "These Days," "Prayin' for Daylight" and other hits. They've also topped adult contemporary charts with Steve Robson and Jeffrey Steele's "What Hurts the Most," which made them one of only three Country acts to have a No. 1 song at both AC and Country radio in the same week. Industry honors flowed their way as well, including the CMA Horizon Award in 2002 and five consecutive selections as CMA Vocal Group of the Year.

Still Feels Good posted first week sales of 547,000 units, making it the week's top selling album across all genres of music. Still Feels Good is the band's third consecutive album to open at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and has since sold more than 1.6 million copies. Included in its first week sales are more than 44,000 digital albums, making it the biggest Country digital album debut in Nielsen SoundScan history.

This success, according to Dann Huff, who co-produced Still Feels Good with the band, stems from "a combination of two things: the sound of those three voices and their choice of songs. They are absolutely dedicated to singing songs that make you want to sing with them. They sing meaningful songs in an entertaining way."

DeMarcus and LeVox, second cousins from Columbus, Ohio, laid the foundation for this phenomenon when they both wound up in Chely Wright's band. They performed together in Nashville's nightclub strip Printer's Alley, and when their regular guitarist wasn't available one night, Rooney was called to sit in. The chemistry proved magical, especially in the harmonies that have become a signature of the Rascal Flatts sound.

"The reason this whole thing has worked is the combination we have together, not only as business partners and members of a band, but we're great friends," said Rooney. "It's almost like we're brothers at this point. We have this tremendous connection and love for each other and a desire to sing together. As long as we stay true to that and roll with the flow, I think we'll be just fine."

That connection allowed the group to take some chances in recording Still Feels Good. As LeVox explained, "We said, 'OK, in April, May and June, we're taking off. We're going to sit in the studio and create this album.' The four previous albums, we'd be on the road on the weekend and we'd come back on Sunday. Then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we'd be in the studio, trying to cut it. This time, we took more time. We dedicated our lives to sitting down for three months and creating an album."

Their only show during that period was at LP Field for the 2007 CMA Music Festival. "We let it all hang out," said LeVox. "We sang like it was the last time we would ever sing again. We were so hungry for the stage."

"CMA does an amazing job," Rooney added. "It's so easy to get up there and do your show. I noticed, particularly this year, the setup and teardown of each band or artist performing was really, really quick. It gets better every year and the crowds are getting bigger. It's almost like a big family reunion."

Speaking of family, the guys are quick to call Huff one of their own. "Dann comes from a band background with Whiteheart," said LeVox. "A lot of times, producers have never been in bands. But Dann is one of the finest musicians to have ever played a guitar in a band, so he knows what he's looking for. What he wanted to do is take our live show and capture it on CD."

"He's a consistent friend and confidant," added DeMarcus. "He comes out on the road for a weekend, just to see what we're doing in our live shows. He is as passionate about this as we are. I live, eat and breathe and am consumed by music, and to have someone making your record with you that's totally in touch with those emotions and gets your point of view, it's really refreshing. So, for us, Dann is more than a producer. He doesn't just make music with us. He is the fourth Flatt."

"I'm proud to be called the fourth Flatt," Huff said, laughing. "But do I really have the hair for it?"

In addition to co-producing with Huff, the band members took a more active role by co-writing five of the 13 songs for Still Feels Good one of which features a guest appearance from actor and musician Jamie Foxx, a friend of LeVox's for more than 13 years.

"We used to sit around for hours at Jamie's house, singing and playing and having a good time," LeVox said. "So when Jay and Joe and myself wrote this song, we thought it would be great to have him on it. I called him up just to say, 'Hey, man, you've got to hear this song. I think you could really, really kill it.' He said, 'Tell you what. I'll sing on your record if you guys will sing on mine.' I said, 'Alright.' He asked what the name of the song was. I said, 'She Goes All the Way,' and he said, 'Man, I just want to meet that ol' girl.'"

Though Rascal Flatts is their obvious priority, DeMarcus and Rooney are branching out too. DeMarcus has produced cuts for Jo Dee Messina and James Otto, and Rooney is spending time in the studio with Nashville-based singer Brian Taylor and a rock band in Los Angeles called Stars Align.

"It's always fun to do some other projects," Rooney noted. "I try to spend time helping other people like I was helped seven or eight years ago, when I got this
Rascal Flatts deal.

"The awards are wonderful and all the accolades," he continued. "But the greatest thing is the way we are able to record songs that have changed people's lives. They've really made an impact. [People tell us about] putting down the bottle or not committing suicide, and having joy and happiness in their lives that they didn't have before. Those are the positives."

Such blessings aren't taken for granted. "For so many years, I was that person sitting on that lawn," LeVox said, referring to the most distant seats for audiences at outdoor concerts. "It was just a dream to be on the other side one day. So I decided to play every show like it's the last one I'll ever play. Every night before we go out there, I say a prayer, just thanking God for giving us the opportunity to stand on another stage and showcase the talent he's given all of us."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

For a moment, set aside the vivid lyrics and raw, road-dusted feeling of Ryan Bingham's music throughout Mescalito. Listen, if you can, to just the sound of his voice as it rasps through the desert-dry vistas that unfold on "Southside of Heaven," cracks beneath the weight of heartbreak on "Bread & Water" and drags like a broken-down wagon in the heavy heat of "Ever Wonder Why." And those who don't speak Spanish don't need to understand the meaning of the words that open "Boracho's Station."

That worn and weary timbre is all Bingham needs to tell a compelling tale. But this surprisingly young artist has plenty to say as a writer too.

His images - buzzards, truck stops, trains, one-eyed dogs, tired old horses, shifty gamblers, prairie dawns - conjure the empty spaces and crossroad towns he knew while growing up in West Texas, just north of the Rio Grande. Those were restless years, during which his family moved constantly, seeking solid ground in rising tides of misfortune that eventually swept Bingham off to fend with fate on his own in his mid teens.

He did what had to be done, from riding bulls in rodeos to playing music for tips. A weekly bar gig in Stephenville motivated him to release a self-produced album, Wishbone Saloon, in 2005. This low-budget collection spread word through the Lone Star State and eventually to Lost Highway Records. Produced by Marc Ford, Mescalito proves that the line of hard-living troubadours, defined by forgotten balladeers long ago and sustained by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams, has yet to reach its end.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

What CD is on your stereo?
"Marshall Tucker Band."

What book is on your nightstand?
"The Dogs of Winter by Kem Nunn."

What's your pet peeve?
"Whiners."

What moment in your life would you relive if you could?
"Learning to swim."

What actor would portray you in a biopic about your life?
"Bubba Daniels or Reece Fulbright."

Do you have a lucky charm?
"Mojo tooth and a black cat bone."

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
"Not All Who Wander Are Lost (from J.R.R. Tolkien)."

When they look back on your life in 50 years, what do you hope people say about you?
"He sure was loud for a scrawny little fellow."

© 2008 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Whiskey Falls commands the essential ingredients for rock-inflected Country and adds their own distinctive attributes, the most evident being four-part harmonies that pound through "The Champ," soar like Eagles on "Last Train Running," nail some tricky intervals on "Let the Whiskey Fall," caress with a gentle yet muscular touch on "I Can't Stop Loving You" and sprinkle some Dixie dust on a Grateful Dead feel during the verses to "Days of Birmingham."

Their roots are in L.A., where Seven Williams, Wally Brandt and Wally's twin brother Bill ran We 3 Kings, a music production company that catered to film and television clients. Rather than hit the beach on weekends, though, Wally and Williams spent time in Nashville, honing their writing chops and making connections that led them eventually to Alabama-born multi-instrumentalist Buck Johnson and his friend and unrelated namesake, lead guitarist Damon Johnson.

Once the pieces had come together, the four-member group Whiskey Falls took shape, with a rough and rowdy veneer that somehow dovetails with the sophistication of their writing and instrumental finesse. Word spread quickly and virally, as 40,000 fans logged on to vote Whiskey Falls "Best New Duo/Group" on countrymusic.about.com while their self-titled album was the top-clicked debut on Napster's home, Country and subscriber pages. Produced by Cliff Downs, Bill Brandt and the band, Whiskey Falls on Midas Records Nashville is already flowing strong.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
BUCK: "Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, my parents-Dora Lee and Burleigh Johnson."
DAMON: "Neil Young."
SEVEN: "So many to mention but if I had to pick a few Freddy Mercury, Garth Brooks, Sting or Paul Simon."

Which song would you secretly love to cover?
BUCK: "'Wichita Lineman" by Jimmy Webb, 'Something' by George Harrison and 'Brick House' by the Commodores."
DAMON: "'Whenever You Come Around' by Vince Gill."
SEVEN: "Angel eyes by Jeff Healy, 50 ways to leave your lover by Paul Simon."

What CD is on your stereo?
BUCK: "CDs by Marc Cohen, The Travelin' Wilburys and Little Big Town."
DAMON: "Honky Tonk Heroes by Waylon Jennings."
SEVEN: "Little Big Town, Dixie Chicks, Keith Urban and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band."

Who is your dream duet partner?
BUCK: "Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton and LeAnn Rimes."
DAMON: "Tom Petty."
SEVEN: "Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn or Norah Jones but only if Sanjaya is not available."

What book is on your nightstand?
BUCK: "A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini."
DAMON: "Across the Great Divide: The Band and America, by Barney Hoskyns."
SEVEN: "I haven't seen my bedroom in so long, I can't remember what I left there."

What song do you sing in the shower?
BUCK: "Usually some melody that I may be writing."
DAMON: "The theme to whatever Disney DVD my son is watching."
SEVEN: "I make up funny lyrics to classic songs. It makes me start my day by laughing at myself."

What's your pet peeve?
BUCK: "Being put on hold during a phone conversation."
DAMON: "Separating great music into categories."
SEVEN: "Being late."

What song do you wish you had written?
BUCK: "'Tiny Dancer,' 'Crazy' or 'Yesterday.'"
DAMON: "'Wichita Lineman' or 'Everyday People.'"
SEVEN: "'Hotel California,' 'Let It Be' or 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider.'"

What word or phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again? -
DAMON: "It's all good."
BUCK:  "You'll have to ask my wife about that one.  She'll probably will say 'give me just a minute.'"
SEVEN: "'We can do it.'"

What mode of transportation do you prefer?
BUCK: "A Harley."
DAMON: "Bus, bus, bus, bus."
SEVEN: "Roller blades."

What actor/actress would portray you in a biopic about your life?
DAMON: "Gary Oldman."
SEVEN: "Jamie Foxx, he did such a good job in 'Ray' that I'm sure he could really bring a lot to my character."

What moment in your life would you relive if you could?
BUCK: "The first time I saw my wife."
DAMON: "Meeting Stevie Ray Vaughn."

Do you have a lucky charm?
BUCK: "My wife, of course."
DAMON: "My skull ring."
SEVEN: "My faith."

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
BUCK: "The Cat In the Hat."
DAMON: "All The Way from Macon."
SEVEN: "Breaking the Rules."

When they look back on your life in 50 years, what do you hope people say about you?
BUCK: "That I was a good friend."
DAMON: "Damn, he smelled good."
SEVEN: "Wow, I can't believe that guy is still alive, married to the same woman and still making music."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

We call it "Country Music" - but that doesn't necessarily mean it's just for one country. That lesson was easy to draw from 2007's annual CMA Music Festival during June in Nashville, where visitors came from as far off as Chile, Japan and Scandinavia - a total of 21 nations on five continents.

Their embrace of music whose values reflect America's rural heritage and national pride poses questions that might best be answered by members of the foreign press, who were also more evident than ever at this year's Festival. They were particularly easy to notice early on the morning of June 10, when three of its distinguished representatives gathered for a breakfast discussion.

"I was playing 'Boondocks' in my show," said radio personality Dirk Rohrbach of Bavarian Broadcasting's public broadcasting channel Bayern 3, in reference to Little Big Town's first hit. "People kept calling and e-mailing, 'What is that? Can you play that again? That's great, that rockin', edgy song.' I suppose they didn't listen to the lyrics, but it doesn't really matter because the harmonies are so great and the sound is so different from pop radio."

Yet even with the United States in what may be considered a state of greater political isolation than in years past, its essence, as expressed through the lyrics of Country Music, still connects with listeners throughout the world.

"People dream about your country," insisted Georges Lang of RTL, France's largest commercial radio network. "We don't talk about politics. For the average French people, America is a dream - highways."

"People in Australia who don't know much about Country Music, I tell them that it's about relationships, love, family, community and all sorts of things," added Tim Daley, programmer for Australia's Country Music Channel (CMC) on TV. "Those are the things that naturally appeal to people with children, so these people tend to be a little bit older."

In this respect, at least, Country Music listeners around the globe have something in common with those in the United States. In Germany, for instance, Rohrbach identifies three general groups that gravitate to the genre: people intrigued with the American cowboy icon, middle-aged fans who seek an alternative to harder rock music and younger listeners drawn to the pop-influenced sound that underscores many current Country hits.

"I always envisioned this one big festival where the Springsteens and the Pettys and the Mellencamps, who are still huge in Europe, would bring Country acts like Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn and Keith Urban," Rohrbach said. "You name it. Put 'em on one stage and people would react. There's no difference."

Though Country obviously plays well in other territories, it also bears a stereotype, which is one reason why the term "Country," according to Rohrbach, has been replaced by "highway rock 'n' roll," a phrase that suggests the freedom of the road and an edgy attitude while avoiding old stereotypes and connotations.

"It's really important, talking about Country Music internationally, to focus on a mainstream audience," Daley pointed out. "You don't go after Country fans. There aren't enough of them. You don't have the NASCAR crowd. You want to be on the biggest TV shows. You want to do the promos. You want to do in-stores at the best record stores. You have to approach it like it's mainstream. You don't go in looking for a sliver of the audience. You want to cast as wide a net as you possibly can."

Doing this overseas is apparently easier than at home in the States. Instead of the intensive radio tours that new American artists frequently undergo, an artist could reach as many as 80 million people by visiting as few as 10 radio stations in Germany and France. And it might take just one radio visit in Australia, where the CMC claims to have sewn up about 75 percent of the Country activity.

Ultimately, the artists who make the biggest impact overseas are the ones who treat that market like a door prize: Must be present to win. Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban and Dwight Yoakam were all mentioned as artists who built an audience by going abroad early in their careers and following up, on average, with international tours every couple of years.

"When you talk about Country, you talk about artists like Waylon Jennings, like Willie Nelson, because the [younger breaking artists], we just don't know them," Lang said. "I know them, because I'm coming to Nashville, but there is little communication between Nashville and Europe about the new Country. I'm quite sure that they will love this kind of new Country, but they don't know a lot about it. They cannot read about it or see it."

That's one of the biggest reasons why the foreign press was on hand at CMA Music Festival. Daley and Rohrbach were making their second trips, and Lang has attended approximately 25 times. They care deeply about the genre and they're doing what they can to bridge the distances between Music City and their hometowns.

"We're so passionate about the music," Rohrbach noted. "We're over here to talk to the artists. We're spending our time, our money and we invest that because we love the music."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Thanks to two guys in Nashville, Country Music fans throughout the United Kingdom have a 24-hour lifeline to the songs and artists they love.

Voice of Country, a commercial-free Internet radio venture created by Programming Director Pat Geary and Business and Creative Services Director Barry O'Neill, brings a broad spectrum of Country Music to the U.K., from the latest and rarest music to artist information via streaming audio, podcasts and e-newsletters.

"VOC is like a portal for the U.K. and Europe into Nashville," O'Neill explained. "Obviously it makes sense for us to be here, selling that idea. We offer up the latest music and will also provide a social network for fans like MySpace, news, interviews and even exclusive artist content bundled together in a package for our listeners back in the U.K. who are not properly serviced by the Country market."

"British listeners tend to be passionate about their music," Geary added. "They want to know about the artists, they want to know about the songwriters, and they're really interested in the lyrics; we give them all that information. Besides, people are used to being given a wider selection of music. At the gym I used to see people with radios, and now it's all iPods. So you can't expect them to be satisfied with 20 to 30 songs anymore. That's why we play a bigger variety - 75 current songs, more than any hit Country station in the world as far as I know - plus loads of Gold and recurrents (recently charted tracks, too new to be considered oldies). I don't think any other radio station in the world sounds like we do."

Geary, a former California attorney, ran his own record store in Scotland, where he resided for more than 20 years. During that time he occasionally subbed on-air for the host of "Brand New Opry," the BBC's weekly two-hour Country Music show, and was eventually tapped to run 3C, Britain's first national Country radio station.

It was there that he met O'Neill. While researching his master's thesis, which addressed the rebranding of Country Music due to perceived imaging problems in the U.K., the Scottish student interviewed and befriended Geary, who later hired him to manage 3C. When the conglomerate that owned the station decided that Country wasn't viable for its market, the two came up with a plan to fill the void.

"Virtually no stations over there play Country," O'Neill said. "Basically, the market has gotten stuck in the late '80s Garth Brooks era. For a while it was hard for Country to make its way in, but now the time is right with Country's top artists. Obviously, you've got a hardcore base of fans who already like the music. Then there's a soft-shell base, with people who like singer/songwriter, guitar-based music and would like Country as well."

"CMT Europe in the '90s turned a lot of people on to Country," Geary noted. "People still lament the fact that it's gone. The problem has been that the big media players in the U.K. are very trend-driven, and their perception is that Country will never be hip in Britain, so they're not even touching it. I don't think they understand it can be very hip. What can be hipper than Kenny Chesney rocking out in a big stadium concert?"

In its mission to entice a new generation of Europeans into the Country fan base, VOC announced its launch through carefully placed advertising in magazines aimed toward fan clubs and even line-dancers, as well as via the www.bebo.com networking site. To make the music feel less exotic to new listeners, its format embraces elements of Triple A, CHR and pop radio.

"We've modeled it on a Triple A format with a wider playlist and put Country into that," Geary said. "Then we've based the imaging on CHR radio. It's more pop, not Country-style imaging at all, so we're saying to people, 'Country is part of everybody's life.'"

"There's no question the fan base is there," Geary continued. "The BBC show, which is on once a week for two hours, gets 730,000 listeners - and that's just the people who normally tune in. We've talked to U.K. media people who agree with us that Country could have a radio audience of 3 to 4 million easily, so we're banking on the fact that with Internet radio being more accessible, we will be on the forefront for people to come visit us.

"We're not there to serve a small core," he emphasized. "We're there to expand the audience. It's like there's this wall between them and Nashville. We want to bust through it, and everyone's going to benefit."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Service is the key word at ASCAP, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, where senior management keeps the focus on its songwriter and publisher members when discussing the 93-year-old organization's goals. "ASCAP is the only performing rights organization in the United States that's owned by its members," said John LoFrumento, ASCAP CEO. "We never have a conflict in our business objectives, because we're negotiating on behalf of our songwriters and their publishers."

More than 300,000 songwriters and publishers - Beyoncé, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Jay-Z, Dave Matthews, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Justin Timberlake, Diane Warren and Stevie Wonder, to name just a few - have elected to make ASCAP their PRO.

Providing advantages for its members and positioning the company to most effectively represent their interests is the core of ASCAP's mission, according to LoFrumento.

These advantages range from providing competitively priced insurance to proactively fighting piracy - the illegal duplication and distribution of licensed content that plagues the entire entertainment industry.

"Piracy doesn't impact ASCAP directly as an organization, but it impacts our members who are entitled to a public performance royalty, which ASCAP provides," said Phil Crosland, ASCAP Executive VP / Chief Marketing Officer. ASCAP leadership spotted a problem in the anti-piracy campaign headed by the Recording Industry Association of America, in which fining random illegal downloaders made front page headlines and did little to improve the music industry's public relations.

"No one was addressing the educational component," said Crosland. As a result, ASCAP decided to research how it might make a difference in correcting the problem.

And so ASCAP joined earlier this year with iSafe, a nonprofit program funded by Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, the United States Department of Justice and others, to launch an anti-piracy road show that's expected to reach more than 2 million junior high school students by the end of 2007.

This one-hour presentation is now being offered at school assemblies in an effort to dispel myths about illegal downloading and provide overall Internet safety information.

For the anti-piracy section of the show, Crosland and his department created Donny the Downloader, an animated teenager who learns the truth about illegally downloading music.

"Donny tells the story that when you download music illegally, you're hurting a lot more people than you think," Crosland said. "Donny is based on the insight from kids who think they are hurting only the artists who are already in the back of a Learjet, drinking champagne."

Donny is succeeding. Seventy-three percent of teens surveyed after experiencing the Donny the Downloader segment said they are less likely than before to accept downloaded files from friends. And 66 percent indicated they are more likely to use legal sites for downloading music.

Despite these impressive results, Crosland is realistic about the magnitude of this challenge. "Intention is one thing," he pointed out. "Actual behavioral change is always a challenge, but you have to start with kids believing this is new information."

In another move to address an area of concern for music creators, ASCAP joined with the insurance company Sterling & Sterling in 2000 to form MusicPro Insurance. The program offers high-quality coverage, ranging from equipment rental insurance to long-term care, to everyone who earns part or all of their income through music. Rates are competitive, and the service is not exclusive to ASCAP members.

Details are available at the benefits page of the ASCAP Web site.

Guided by what LoFrumento called the "business mind of publishers," ASCAP formed a joint venture four years ago with Connexus Corporation to create Mediaguide, a digital tracking service that provides real-time performance data in the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe. Mediaguide tracks approximately 3.5 million radio performances of songs per week and in excess of 80 million ad detects per year.

Operating independently, Mediaguide provides ASCAP with data for determining royalty distributions. It also serves clients who may use the information to track advertising placements, consumer trends and for other purposes, according to Mike Sistad, ASCAP Director of Membership Relations.

Mediaguide differs from Broadcast Data Systems (BDS), Mediabase and other tracking services, he said, because it was tailor-made to track the information ASCAP desires, rather than execute random surveys.

"Mediaguide tracks twice as many Country radio stations as any other tracking service in the United States," Sistad explained.

"The good news about Mediaguide is that it is a profit-making company," LoFrumento added. "The profits we are getting will be used to lower operating costs, and that will morph into distributions for our members."

ASCAP has implemented other ways of growing the careers of its members, including the I Create Music Expo, now in its second year in Los Angeles. "We bring together the best of ASCAP's members into a panel to help in career development for our members," Crosland said, adding that the seminars are also open to non-members.

More than 1,500 music creators attended the inaugural Expo in 2006. That number rose to exceed 2,500 in '07, with 250 speakers that included Hal David, Jimmy Jam, Randy Newman, John Rich, ASCAP President and Board Chairman Marilyn Bergman and other ASCAP notables.

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

The leaders at BMI think of themselves as caretakers, in the business of protecting copyrights, nurturing the careers of songwriters and publishers and servicing music users, too.

In fact, this performing rights organization was born in direct response to these needs. In 1939, a group of radio executives concluded that writers and publishers of original American musical genres - Country, gospel, blues, R&B and folk - weren't getting the protection in music licensing that they deserved.

Rushing to the newly opened doors of BMI in Nashville were Eddy Arnold, Johnny Horton, Roy Orbison and Hank Williams, writers and often performers of some of the nation's most legendary music.

"The largest percentage of Country Music Hall of Fame inductees, and also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, are from BMI," said Jody Williams, BMI VP of Writer and Publisher Relations, adding that many of the sub-genres BMI first represented in the 1940s melded into rock 'n' roll in the mid-'50s.

"It's great to talk about our history, because it's very rich," he said.

At the same time, insisted BMI President and CEO Del Bryant, "It's not our job to remember and revel in the past. It's our job to embrace the future and honor the past. And that's what we do: Whether it's technologically speaking or musically speaking, we certainly honor what brought us here."

Part of what brought BMI to its current success is 21st-century Country icons Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill and Toby Keith, all multi-Platinum-selling artists who are also award-winning songwriters, a boon to any performing rights organization's catalog.

"Thank goodness we have [people like] Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn and Toby Keith. They write, and they are constantly on the radio. That's good for our licensing," Williams said. "But we've got to be out there signing these new, meaningful writers, like Taylor Swift. She's having an impact on the radio. In a couple of years, we hope to brag that we've added significantly to BMI's bottom line by signing the lion's share of Nashville's best new writers."

Williams and his team are also searching for new songwriting stars in other genres. These days, for example, BMI boasts awards events that range from Country to Latin, from Urban to pop. Earlier this year, the company honored the popular Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte at its Latin festivities in Las Vegas.

Urban awards were also presented in September; Babyface, James Brown, Al Green and Isaac Hayes have been honored at this event in previous years. Similar presentations are made annually for Christian artists, gospel "Trailblazers" and achievements in film music.

"Our writer team has to be knowledgeable in all forms of music," Williams said. "We also take care of all the Christian music, the gospel music, the rock music. In terms of BMI's history, it was all about what wasn't mainstream at first, and then it became mainstream. If a certain kind of music is breaking out in a part of the country, you better get down there. We don't want to be scooped by our competition."

The word "competition" comes up frequently around BMI because, as Bryant puts it, "BMI is the organization that really introduced competition" into the U.S. performing rights business.

When BMI began, ASCAP was already in place, dominating the U.S. market at the time. Having BMI step in and make measurable inroads in the performing rights arena was unique in the performing rights world, Bryant said, not only in the United States but beyond its borders too.

"We still have a competitive nature that you don't really find in the belly of any other beast, other than perhaps the mythical competition between Hertz and Avis."

Yet BMI prides itself in its urge to excel, according to Bryant: "We don't sit around thinking about the competition. It's not important. What is important is that we do this better or that better. Our focus is the songwriter across the desk."

For the songwriter, choosing representation from a PRO often comes down to the paycheck, which is closely tied to the collection of music license fees from music users.

"I'm awfully proud that companies like BMI operate on a non-profit-making basis and provide access for businesses to easily license the entire BMI repertoire, enabling us to get the royalty fees back to the writers," Bryant said. "We do that with a fee structure that keeps the doors open, pays salaries and builds the technology for us to do it efficiently and effectively."

Technological innovations have changed the way the music business operates. While new music delivery systems, such as Internet music streaming and file sharing, have negatively impacted certain facets such as record sales, Bryant applauds technological advances.

"Thank goodness for technology," he said. "We have billions of performances today in the Internet world. We have thousands upon thousands of agreements with people who are streaming music. There has been an incredible proliferation of cable, satellite, ringtones and other new channels for music. Technology is absolutely a necessity in this world of expanding tonnage, number of performances and the complexity of the business. We could not handle this brave new world without the power and efficiency that technology provides."

BMI leaders are especially proud of one particular advancement: Landmark Digital Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary, which is the home to the BlueArrow fingerprint technology.

This new technology will greatly expand BMI's ability to measure the performance of music on radio, television, cable, satellite and the Internet.

"Landmark is going to be one of the most important additions to BMI to come about in many, many years," Bryant said. "We've purchased the technology. We've built the software, the application and the infrastructure, and we continue to fill the library." Bryant credits Bob Barone, Managing Director of Landmark, and BMI COO/Executive VP John Cody for the success which Landmark is achieving.

Keeping BMI's culture open to embracing newness, whether updating technology or discovering writers, is key to the company's success, Bryant said. He closed with the thought that, "It has to be an open culture to be able to grab onto the next star that makes progress possible."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Welcome to the 21st-century SESAC, where pride, excellence and continuous growth and development are the norm.

SESAC, founded in 1930, with headquarters today in Nashville and offices in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and London, is playing an aggressive role in the performing rights world.

During the past decade, under new ownership, SESAC has transformed into a leader among organizations that represent copyrights of songwriters and publishers while licensing music users throughout the nation. Many respected and prolific writers grace its roster, from Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond to urban innovators Bryan Michael Cox, Nate "Danja" Hills and Omarion, Latin music's Fonseca and jazz's Cassandra Wilson.

On the Country and Americana side, the company is in the midst of a string of hits, with two chart-topping songs from Rodney Atkins ("If You're Going Through Hell [Before the Devil Even Knows]," written by Sam and Annie Tate, 2006 SESAC Country Songwriters of the Year), Taylor Swift's first two singles ("Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Tim McGraw," both written by Swift and 2007 SESAC Country Songwriter of the Year Liz Rose) and strong showings from artists and SESAC writers Blaine Larsen, Lance Miller, Joe Nichols and Brian White.

As the first PRO to give awards in the burgeoning Americana format, SESAC bestowed honors to several artists and songwriters in the genre, including Peter Cooper, Bob Dylan, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Buck Jones, Kieran Kane, Dustin Welch, Kevin Welch and Walt Wilkins.

One key to SESAC's success was its decision 10 years ago to become the first performing rights organization to monitor performances through use of Broadcast Data Systems fingerprinting technology.

"In the early '90s, we embraced BDS with the mindset that we would continue to look at technology to help us do what we do even better," said Tim Fink, SESAC Associate VP, Writer/Publisher Relations. "And that still holds true today.  So when companies talk today about their new initiatives and employing technology to track performances, that's already part of our everyday attitude," he continued. "It's part of our business plan. We've employed new things specifically in tracking music in television jingles and commercials. We've utilized new technologies that have not been utilized elsewhere, to give the composers and songwriters a huge leg up in having their performances represented so that they don't have to go through the laborious paper trail of getting information any longer.

"It's all in an effort to be more efficient in how we go about collecting the money and distributing it back to our writers and publishers," Fink concluded.

In marshaling technology to serve the interests of its writers, SESAC launched its AdVantage Tracking System in July. This program combines data from Competitrack, which uses a proprietary fingerprinting technology, and DigSound (OTC DGSU), which tracks production music used in TV programming via a watermarking technology, to more accurately track and pay royalties for advertisements and promo performances on network, cable and local TV.

Boutique in size and selective in its affiliation process, SESAC embraces its differences from its industry neighbors as advantages, while staying in a state of continuous improvement.

"We're a dynamic company, growing in all aspects," said Pat Collins, SESAC President/COO. "Our size is most certainly an asset; it enables us to change. But that doesn't mean the things we did last week are things we should do next week. Our philosophy is that just because it's working, that doesn't mean it can't work better."

Consistent with its goals, SESAC is participating in a program run by Tennessee Center for Performing Excellence, a nonprofit organization dedicated to monitoring and encouraging businesses statewide to improve their efficiency and productivity. SESAC has passed Level 1 status and applied for ranking at the more advanced Level 2. This desire to improve reflects more than just the current state of affairs at the company.

"We are a proud organization," Collins asserted. "We're proud of our history. We're proud, most recently over the last decade or so, as to the protection of intellectual property. We've engaged with lawmakers of the United States to ensure that the rights of songwriters and publishers are protected and not encroached upon. We're proud of our exponential growth. We've grown dramatically in the number of charting songs we've had.

"We're also proud of our unique brand of service," he continued. "The fact that we're small is an asset at this company, because we can go the extra mile for our affiliates and potential affiliates. We can focus on people's needs. Most of the organizations can license and collect, and we certainly do that very well. But we have the ability, by our size, to give attention to songwriters and publishers."

That level of attention is crucial at SESAC, even to the point of advising writers to consider whether they've reached a point where it makes sense to affiliate with a PRO at all.

"Many people say the first thing you need to do as a songwriter is to affiliate with a performing rights organization," Fink said. "I say the first thing you need to do is build a relationship with a performing rights organization. The two sides of the business are the relationship and the representation of the performances. If neither of those two things is going to be represented, my opinion is that you don't need to affiliate with a performing rights organization. However, if you are able to develop a relationship, or if you are having performances that need representation, then in my opinion that is the time to become affiliated with a performing rights organization.

"The only reason you'd need to rush," he added, "is if you have performances on a regional level or public performances occurring where you cannot control the ability to license those performances. Then, you need a performing rights organization to represent those performances. Prior to that, it's about relationship: Where are you going to develop a relationship that is going to be a part of your career, with someone who will work with you as a songwriter to further your craft and get you to a point where you're generating revenue, where you're generating performances to be represented, where money can be collected for you?"

Relationship building, continuous improvement and a quest for excellence: As Collins sees it, that all points toward one smaller company whose growth in revenue and repertory exposure is escalating rapidly.

"Growth is an organic word," he said. "We've recently opened in Atlanta and Miami. We're expanding our Los Angeles presence, taking on another office. We're becoming bigger, but we're not losing sight of our values, of what distinguishes us - the special brand of service we offer. I guess that's what sets us apart."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.
 
Three distinguished members of the Country Music community were honored in Nashville in November with CMA International Awards. The recipients - veteran French broadcaster and producer Georges Lang, concert promoter Trisha Walker-Cunningham and celebrated artist Dwight Yoakam, represent diverse corners of the industry, yet all three are united by their commitment to the continued growth of Country Music worldwide.

Lang, a pillar of French media for 40 years and a high-profile personality on RTL France since the early '70s, received the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside of North America who have made important contributions toward the development of Country Music in their country.

Walker-Cunningham, head of Nashville-based Trisha Walker International, received the CMA International Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year Award, which honors those who have promoted at least two concerts of Nashville-signed artists over the previous 12 months.

Yoakam, who has carried his variation on the "Bakersfield Sound" personally and frequently to audiences throughout Europe, Japan and Australia, was presented with the CMA International Artist Achievement Award, known formerly as the CMA International Touring Artist Award and given to artists who have significantly contributed to the awareness and development of Country Music outside of North America.

"I am so happy to receive this International Country Broadcaster Award," said Lang. "It means so much to me. I want to thank CMA and everybody who voted for me. It has always been my love of Country and my passion for this most popular American music format that lead me to do this exciting job. I also want to thank all my different bosses who let me produce and present a Country show on the largest radio station in France. Thank you also to my listeners, as this Award is for them too."

Lang made his first radio broadcast while on assignment to Beirut in 1967. On his return to France in 1969, he rose quickly through a series of radio and television programs as producer and on-air personality. Lang has created and hosted a number of Country-themed series, including "New Country TV" for CanalWebTV and "WRTL-Country" and the daily "La Collection Georges Lang" radio show for the RTL network, as well as specials that focused on Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Randy Travis and many other artists. A regular at the annual CMA Music Festival since 1983, he has covered every CMA Awards for RTL since 1990. CMA's Wesley Rose International Media Achievement was presented to Lang in 1995.

"I want to thank everyone at CMA for this highest honor," said Walker-Cunningham. "I am extremely humbled to be included with the other talented professionals who have won this prestigious award. Thanks to all the artists, managers, agents, publicists and publications who support me and the events I work with. Without you, there would be no international festivals and tours. I will continue to do my very best to make all the overseas experiences through my company a happy and memorable one that furthers careers and brings new fans to Country Music."

Born in Singapore and raised in Cypress and England, Walker-Cunningham is a fixture in Nashville's Country Music community. She has worked with artists from Johnny Cash, George Jones and Tammy Wynette to more recently the CherryHolmes, Riders In The Sky, LeAnn Rimes, Julie Roberts, Randy Travis and Rhonda Vincent. For 19 years, Walker-Cunningham has booked the Gstaad Country Nights Festival in Switzerland and, for 20 years, the Country Rendez-Vous Festival in France. The first recipient of CMA's Jo Walker-Meador International Award, Walker-Cunningham has also received honors from two Tennessee governors and two Nashville mayors. Jan. 5, 1985, was officially designated "Trisha Walker Day" in Nashville.

"Both Georges and Trisha work year-round to spread the Country Music message globally," said Jeff Walker, Chairman of the CMA Global Markets Committee and President of AristoMedia. "Their longevity in the business and their accomplishments make them both deserving recipients of these awards."

Since 1986, when he released his debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs Etc., Etc., Yoakam has performed in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. Five major international tours followed, with Australia, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland added to his itinerary and highlights that include a performance in 1992 before 30,000 fans at one show in Japan.
"Well, I've been very fortunate," said Yoakam. "I had great support from Warner Bros. Records throughout the world when we broke. They were very aware that to keep Country Music growing, they wanted their young artists to continue to go overseas. They were very supportive of that. I've reaped great rewards from having fans all around the world. I was very, very honored that CMA would give me that Award tonight."

"With Dwight's many interests and talents, he has been a tremendous ambassador for this format through his music, his concerts and his numerous movie and television appearances," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese, who joined with BBC Music Entertainment Executive Producer Mark Hagen to give the Award to Yoakam during "The 41st Annual CMA Awards" pre-telecast ceremony on Nov. 7 at the Sommet Center in Nashville. "He is an extremely deserving recipient of this honor."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

After two trips with the CMA-sponsored New From Nashville U.K. tour, I decided the time was right to make a push toward the international market on my own. My first solo trip - with the truly great Dierks Bentley, no less - was a great success for me and a real eye-opener to untapped opportunities. The second, with the lovely Miss Julie Roberts, sealed the deal. After that, I decided to make a new record.

This one would be stripped down: two guitars, an upright bass and my voice. It's amazing how much fun I had working this way.

Old New Borrowed Blues, on my own Haywood label, was from its inception a vehicle to take to the international market. Without ever thinking of radio or Wal-Mart, we created something unique. It is the best representation, thus far, of where I'm at as an artist.

With help from Paul Fenn of Asgard Promotions and the kindness of Guy Clark, a tour was booked. Throughout September, Chris Raspante, my guitar-playing partner, and I drove 3,000 miles within the United Kingdom. We played 16 shows, seven of which were with Clark. Highlights were many; here are a few:

FIRST DAY

The first thing you need to know is that we did this tour on a shoestring - mine, and I usually wear boots. This means that I would be the singer, the songwriter, the tour manager and, unfortunately, the driver too.

After landing at Heathrow Airport, we went to get the rental car - a stick shift, to save on fuel, since while we complain about paying $3 for a gallon of gas, most of Europe pays about $7 per gallon. Then there's the fact that the stick and the wheel are on the right side of the car, which of course is wrong. Being jet-lagged doesn't make the idea of driving into the heart of London any less intimidating either.

So Chris suggested that we find a Safeway parking lot and practice. That turned out to be a good idea, since I hit the left curb three times before we'd even gotten out of the airport.

The 45-minute trip took about two hours, as the Brits have a habit of putting their road signs not on a pole at each intersection but on the sides of buildings about 30 feet away. You've never heard two Texas boys swear as much as Chris and I - yet, still, we made it out alive.

FIRST SHOW

After a six-hour drive from London to Llandudno, Wales, we arrived at our hotel, a really cool B&B called the Hotel Carmen. Unfortunately, B&B hotels aren't really geared for post-midnight arrivals, and the good innkeeper was a little bleary-eyed when we arrived. The next day we had a great show, though, with the lovely Gail Davies, who was a real pleasure to get to see.

FIRST GUY CLARK SHOW

Wow, this was intimidating. I've known Guy for about five years. We've written a few songs and had a little tequila down in his workshop. His latest studio album, Workbench Songs, is really great, and I was looking forward to hearing some of my favorite classic Guy Clark songs as well.

He delivered it all, in spades. The venue was in Sheffield. The crowd was great. I was a little concerned that I might be too bluesy or for that matter just too dumb for his crowd. Blessedly, they embraced me and my music - and that turned out to be the tone of the whole tour. I can't believe how many Guy Clark fans now have a Jace Everett album in their collection. Lucky beats good.

INTERESTING MOMENTS

Getting completely lost leaving Edinburgh was fun, even though Chris and I almost pulled over to have a fistfight with each other. When you've been friends as long as we have, it's like being brothers. We love each other to death. And sometimes we want to choke each other to death. (Don't worry, no humans were harmed in the making of this tour.)

Another great moment, and this one really was great, was seeing Chuck Prophet play in Leeds. He's an amazing Americana/rock 'n' roll/folk/soul Telecaster-slingin' genius.

We also got to play with some fantastic local artists: Sam Barrett, Stephen Maguire, John Moray, Dean Owens and Rachael Warwick, to name a few.
It was fascinating to see the respect that the fans show for artists in the U.K. There are courteous and knowledgeable folks from Bristol to the Highlands, and they're hungry for quality American music.

I'll never forget driving down the motorway, seeing coal mines, castles, wind turbines, amazing rivers and streams, sheep everywhere, the greenest grass in the world - and doing it all from the wrong side of the road.

Every day was a sensory overload. Then we'd pull up somewhere and play. It made me feel like a 20-year-old kid again: no bus, no manager, no wondering where the single was at on radio, just the shows and the road in between.
I can honestly say this was a life- and art-affirming experience. I know now more than ever what I need to be doing. And how.

Thanks to CMA and specifically to Tammy Genovese, Bobbi Boyce and Jeff Walker. Without their belief in me, this tour and the next stage of my career might not be possible.

So what's next? Paris!

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

The first annual CMA Close Up Award of Merit has been presented to Courtney Drake, a journalism major at Belmont University, in recognition of the creativity, dedication and potential she demonstrated while covering the 2007 CMA Music Festival as a volunteer student journalist.

Drake was singled out from among the talented student volunteers, each recommended by their department head in journalism or equivalent programs at a university or college in the Nashville area. Her work, along with that of her colleagues, was posted throughout the Festival and may be viewed at www.CMAfest.com.

"As exceptional as all our student volunteer reporters were at covering the 2007 CMA Music Festival, Courtney stood out as a result of her dedication, quick comprehension of her assignments, resourcefulness, willingness to adapt to constantly changing demands, and of course her ability to craft stories that were both evocative and clear under great deadline pressure," said CMA Close Up Editor Bob Doerschuk. "Quite obviously, she can look forward to enjoying a long and successful career in journalism."

Drake, who currently edits the Belmont Vision student newspaper as a senior, covered the CMA Awards for the publication from the backstage press room at the Sommet Center on Nov. 7.

Her love of Country Music inspired her to move from her native Michigan to Nashville to further her education and interest in music journalism. Drake has also worked as a freelance intern writer for The Tennessean daily newspaper in Nashville where she developed articles for the education and religion sections.

"CMA is proud to foster up-and-coming music reporters and critics by giving them the tools and opportunities to practice their craft," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "We wanted to honor Courtney's exemplary work in an effort to recognize excellence in entertainment journalism and encourage the next generation of writers."

As for Drake's long-term career goals, her work with CMA Close Up has definitely made an impression.

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Television veteran Storme Warren, host and co- Executive Producer of "Country Music Across America" on Great American Country (GAC), received the CMA Media Achievement Award from CMA CEO Tammy Genovese in a surprise presentation on the Red Carpet prior to the CMA Awards at the Sommet Center in Nashville.

Warren was in the midst of producing "Country Music Across America's" coverage of the star-studded event when Genovese surprised him with the news.

"Shocked doesn't begin to express my emotions," said Warren. "I've always just felt lucky to have the opportunity to get close to the Country Music community. Now to be honored for doing something I absolutely love.yep, I'm stunned. Very blessed but stunned. CMA helped raise me in this business and they've been very patient parents."

The CMA Media Achievement Award was established to recognize outstanding achievements in the media as they relate to Country Music. Print and Internet journalists, columnists, authors, editors, syndicated radio reporters, television writers, producers and bookers are eligible to win this award.

CMA member publicists nominate media candidates for consideration. The top five nominees are collected and sent to the publicist panel for a second round of voting. The overall winner is presented to the CMA Executive Committee for approval.

"Storme is very deserving of this honor," said Genovese. "He routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty and has built meaningful relationships with our artists and publicists. He has a personality that puts everyone at ease, but he is also a thought-provoking and prepared interviewer."

Growing up in Tulsa, Okla., Warren began his career in radio, answering request lines and pulling music for the disc jockeys at Tulsa radio station KELI in return for free albums and concert tickets. When his family relocated to Southern California, Warren continued his radio career with part-time positions at KCAQ/Oxnard and later at Country Music station KCZN/Ventura and KQLE/Hollywood.

Following high school, Warren enrolled at California State University Northridge, where he worked as a freelancer for CNN. He later joined CNN Los Angeles full-time as a camera operator and quickly worked his way up the ranks, becoming a segment producer for the entertainment news show "Showbiz Today."  Warren then moved to Nashville, where he worked as a segment producer and on-camera talent for Jim Owens & Associates, a long-time producer of Country Music-related programming for TNN. 

In 2002, Warren teamed with veteran Country Music artist managers Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Hartley and Nashville television producer Greg Travis to found Different Drummer Productions, LLC., and partnered with GAC to produce "Country Music Across America." The program, which premiered on GAC in November 2003, delivers a weekly digest of artist profiles and Country Music news worldwide. As on-air host, Warren enjoys introducing emerging talent to his viewers and maintaining the show's fresh, personal appeal that has resonated so well with its growing national and international fan base.  In November, the show celebrated its fourth anniversary and 100th episode.

Warren lives in Nashville with wife, television producer Allison Warren and their two sons. He is an active steward in the Nashville community, serving as board member for the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research.

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

During CMA Board of Directors meetings in October, CMA Board President Clarence Spalding surprises longtime CMA Awards Producer Walter C. Miller with the CMA President's Award. Given annually at the discretion of the Board President, this distinction honors its recipient's outstanding contributions to Country Music and/or CMA.

Spalding praised the personal sacrifice, creativity and dedication that Miller has demonstrated during his 37-year stewardship of the CMA Awards broadcast.

"Walter's contributions to the CMA Awards can be felt in every detail and second of the program," Spalding said. "He has dedicated himself to delivering an Awards broadcast that reflects the best of our industry and the artists. He cares deeply and protects the prestige of the program absolutely."

"I suppose 'thank you' is enough," said a stunned Miller, "because once you turn me on, you can't turn me off." Known for his dry wit and sarcastic humor, he quickly added, "If I had a heart, I'd cry." 

Miller began his association with the CMA Awards in 1970 and through the years, he has contributed to the careers of Country Music's biggest luminaries - from Johnny Cash to Vince Gill, Dixie Chicks to Dolly Parton. Along the way, he has created indelible television in the name of Country Music. He was named Executive Producer of the CMA Awards in 2005.

In addition to a 37-year relationship with the CMA Awards, Miller's credits include the Grammy Awards, the People's Choice Awards, "A Capitol Fourth," a longtime turn with the Tony Awards (which yielded a pair of Emmys), "Comic Relief," and specials for such stars as George Burns, John Denver, Bob Hope, Sam Kinison, Barbra Streisand, and Andy Williams. Miller's many accolades include three Directors Guild Awards, two Peabody Awards, five Emmy Awards and 20 Emmy nominations.

"Walter respects the traditions and protects the roots of Country Music while keeping a keen ear and eye focused on our future," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "A sense of humor, a passion for creativity and a deep love of music is at the heart of what Walter creates each year for the CMA Awards."

After nearly four decades, Miller knows Nashville's creative heartbeat as well as anyone. He created a setting suitable for Country's Mount Rushmore of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson. He gave Mary Chapin Carpenter her big break, singing about the indignities of being the "Opening Act." When the nation needed help healing after the September 11th terrorist attacks, he programmed Alan Jackson's hushed performance of "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

"This world is tough and we all know it," said Texas firebrand Jack Ingram, unapologetically. "Music is my touchstone. For me, songs that turned a line never made me cry, but songs about people's lives ."

His voice, raspy from throwing his whole soul at what he sings and then talking about it to anyone who'll listen, drifted off. He didn't need to complete the thought. It was, after all, obvious.

The truth is that with his first No. 1 for last year's "Wherever You Are," stints opening for Brooks & Dunn, Sheryl Crow and Brad Paisley, his upset win of the CMT "Wide Open Video of the Year" for the Top 10 single "Love You," anointment from Mediabase as Most Played New Artist of 2006, and This Is It, his breakout Big Machine Records album, debuting in the Top 5, whatever Ingram is doing seems to be working.

It's hard to believe it began with a friend's father's copy of Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger, which Ingram heard when he was just 17. "That was all we listened to for two straight weeks," he remembered. "Very simple but very, very real - and the more you listen, the more that stuff cuts through all the circumstances, right to the basic emotion."

Distilling the essences of life has been Ingram's standard since he signed with Rising Tide in 1996 and later with Sony/Lucky Dog Records, which in 1999 released his album Hey You featuring the snarling "Mustang Burn" as well as "Biloxi," a jagged song of reckoning from an abandoned teenage son to a returning father. But this once brash young man, now a tawny-haired guitar slinger, is seeking broader truths.

It's not so much that he's mellowed. Rather, he's lived and, in living, seems to have found a deeper place from which to write and record.

"The thing I experienced when I heard Red Headed Stranger, or Born to Run, or Guy Clark for the first time is that sense of immediacy, the realness of it," he explained. "I want people to experience that when they hear my records."

Certainly his more recent hit single, "Measure of a Man," moves beyond the bitterness of "Biloxi" toward resolution as the song's hero realizes that wisdom can be achieved by striking out on his own, putting his faith in another and knowing there are many paths and truths on the way to adulthood. It also proves that growing up and settling down don't necessarily mean giving up one's edge.

Always a Texas maverick, Ingram drew from Nashville's top session players for This Is It, a move akin to burning the Lone Star flag in certain circles back home. "How do you go in there without walking over the line?" he remembered thinking. "These are the best players in the world, but what I want is their emotion. If I could get them to feel it, then I knew I was going to be fine."

Whether embracing the complicated, sexually tangled triangle of the Oklahoma band Hinder's "Lips of an Angel" or the raving kiss-off "Love You" (which means anything but), Ingram found ways to incinerate a dozen songs about a fully engaged life. It's not preaching, nor is it empty swagger; it is, simply, the view from where Ingram stands.

"I first saw Jack when Rising Tide brought a bunch of us out to a showcase in Arizona," said Lon Helton, Country Aircheck publisher and host of "Westwood One's CMT Country Countdown USA." "And you could tell then, it wasn't a matter of if but when. He always knew how to connect with people. It was just a matter of getting him on a label where they understood what he did and had the time to devote to getting it across to the audience."

Until then and to this day, Ingram has roamed between what's considered mainstream Country and the roots high ground that artists such as Crow inhabit.

"Sheryl's audience reacted exactly like mine did for the 10 years previous to this current step," Ingram said. "Her audience buys Johnny Cash's American Recordings, and I think when they saw us, they were connecting with that part of what we do. They recognize the roots of my music from the most basic places."

And also the most personal places: This Is It includes "Ava Adele," a pretty ballad that seems like the ultimate love song to a woman with the power to bewitch. In a way, that's true, since Ingram wrote it about his daughter.

"I know," he said, laughing over the fact that even angry young men can embrace sentimental realities. "It's funny coming from the guy who wrote 'Biloxi,' the guy who used to make fun of those kinds of themes. But I think I'm talking a lot about commitment and being there for your people. That is pretty universal, whether you're blue collar, white collar or no collar."

That willingness to evolve, to embrace life's deeper moments, intensifies what Ingram does.

That seems to be true for Ingram, whose career has unwound over pretty extreme peaks and valleys. There were times, especially in the wake of his Sony/Lucky Dog deal evaporating, when he had to walk on faith, believing there was something worth pursuing just around the bend.

"Every time the transmission blew, the engine broke down or the gig sucked, there'd be two people who got it," he recalled, speaking with the vehemence that informs so much of his music. "Two out of the five folks some nights - and those people kept me coming back, playing music, believing in the dream.

"I saw so many folks who were on the radio who didn't care like that, selling millions of records - and they didn't mean it. Sitting outside my mechanic's office, I remember thinking, 'I am not going to be that guy.' For the most part, it was passion, remembering those two people. But that kept me playing when there was no reason.

"And I knew I was right," he insisted, recognizing now that his hope wasn't grounded in illusion. Then he laughed and admitted, with a rakish turn in his voice, "That's where the spite comes in. If it kills me, I'm gonna prove I'm right."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

There are already plenty of Jason Isbell fans who have come to appreciate his writing, singing and playing within a three-guitar attack during his run with Southern rock mainstay Drive-By Truckers. These listeners will hear something different in his solo debut on New West Records, Sirens of the Ditch: 11 original songs written by Isbell that add up to a more personal sound, with a wider range of emotion and a subtle sense of exhilaration that comes from striking out on your own.

This last quality is evident from the first seconds of the opening track and single, "Brand New Kind of Actress," with its no-nonsense drum beat and grungy guitar hook. His voice, rough and dusty as a Country road winding outside his hometown of Muscle Shoals, ties the diverse elements of the album together and brings each lyric to life, whether through reciting a mournful paean for young lives lost in "Dress Blues" or evoking classic R&B balladry on "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades."

Raised in a musical family in one of America's most musical towns, Isbell grew up in a community that was used to seeing Duane Allman, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and other giants pull up to FAME Studios, also where Isbell recorded his album, to lay tracks with David Hood and Spooner Oldham, local guys who happened to be members of one of the hottest studio rhythm sections on Earth. They're among the artists who appear on Sirens of the Ditch too - a gesture that says as much about the endurance of soulful music in northern Alabama as it does about Isbell's right to a place within that tradition.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"Neil Young. He always seems to do exactly what he wants."

What book is on your nightstand?
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, by Crystal Devon (Warren Zevon bio)."

What song do you wish you had written?
"'Room at the Top,' by Tom Petty. I'm glad I didn't have to go through what he was dealing with when he wrote it, though. That's usually the case with my favorites."

What phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again?
"Stop apologizing."

What mode of transportation do you prefer?
"Prevost XLIIs with a Ducati in the trailer."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Like the sound of her music, the story of Sarah Johns is classic. Raised in a fly-speck Kentucky town, with a father so strict that she was punished when caught listening to a Faith Hill album, Johns learned to raise her head and sing in church before mastering the art of telling life's sad and joyful tales by singing a Country song.

Johns didn't start performing until after she'd enrolled at the University of Kentucky at Lexington, but a long residency at Regatta's seafood restaurant sharpened her skills to the point that she felt good about quitting school, bidding her boyfriend adieu and heading down to Nashville to build a career from scratch.

Eventually she won an invitation from Toby Keith's manager, who had caught her act back at Regatta, to do two songs on one of his client's tours. She chose a pair of originals, the rollicking "When Do I Get to Be a Woman" and the kiss-off anthem "The One in the Middle," probably the rowdiest celebration of a particular finger set to music in recent years.

The response she earned led straight to a record deal with BNA Records and a debut album, Big Love in a Small Town, produced by Joe Scaife and loaded with both of those barn-burners plus nine more songs that include a wickedly funny ode to love at first sight ("He Hates Me") and power ballads ("Touch Me" and "Baby My Heart") that add raw physical spice into her formula for romance. All of these bear her co-writing credit and reflect the promise that Johns has lots more to say with her pen, her voice, her country-bred charisma and maybe that middle digit every now and then.

IN HER OWN WORDS
What CD is on your stereo?
"George Jones' My Very Special Guests. I warm up my voice singing along with this album."

Who is your dream duet partner?
"Loretta Lynn, because I'm as feisty as she is."

What's your pet peeve?
"People who don't give 100 percent."

What word or phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again?
"What city are we in?"

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Battling to the top on this year's "Nashville Star," Alabama-born Angela Hacker emerged as a prototype for the modern Country chanteuse: Her voice was raw, switching from tenderness to gut-wrench passion on a dime. Onstage she radiated charisma yet resembled the girl next door. She seemed ready to take on the world, including her brother Zac; they were the last two contestants standing, but when Angela emerged as the winner, no one could miss the love and pride that each harbored for the other.

The dust had barely settled before Hacker's debut, produced by Nathan Chapman and Tracy Gershon, hit the display racks. The Winner Is Angela Hacker: Nashville Star Season 5 is the culmination of a story dating back to childhood appearances at talent shows and festivals. She and Zac grew up on a diet of live Country rock, courtesy of their father's band. By age 13 she was leading her own group and well on her way to a young life spent selling cars, waitressing and doing whatever day work had to be done to allow her to play the bar circuit at night.

Hungry for a more fulfilling creative life, she began writing with James LeBlanc - two of their songs can be heard on the album - before signing a publishing deal with Rick Hall Music and auditioning for "Nashville Star." Her performances, all the way to her showdown with Zac, tempered a gig-toughened professionalism with the grit one picks up on the rougher roads through life, not to mention a rich residue of soul that comes from paying dues around her hometown of Muscle Shoals.

Her gutsy personality comes into full view through the decision to follow Aretha Franklin and Barbara Mandrell to the well of "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" - and to bring it back with a taste of something that's already all her own. Forget "Season 5," Hacker is obviously a winner for many seasons to come.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"The Outlaws: Merle, Willie, Waylon and Kris."

What CD is on your stereo?
"A compilation of originals by me and other writers I know, studying songs for my next album."

Who is your dream duet partner?
"My brother Zac and James LeBlanc."

What song do you wish you had written?
"'I Hope You Dance.'"

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

When Rissi Palmer invites all the women in the house to "clap your hands . show the world you're a Country girl," she's doing more than delivering a show-stopping vocal over a stomping, fiddle-lashed groove. She's actually practicing what she preaches.

That's the main reason why the world didn't get the chance to know her first as an R&B superstar. That opportunity beckoned when legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis invited her into their stable of big-time clients, which at that time included Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson.

But as a finalist in "Star Search" in 2003, the glitzy talent hunt phenomenon of the 1980s and early '90s that CBS-TV had revived, she found her true path, thanks to a few simple words from celebrity judge Naomi Judd: Awarding Palmer the maximum score of five stars, the Country legend said, "There are only two kinds of music, good and bad - and Rissi is good."

That's made clear on her self-titled debut featuring nine songs written or co-written by Palmer. The swaying romanticism of "Hold Onto Me," thoughtful introspection of "Anybody Out There" and irresistible strut of "Country Girl" testify to Palmer's refined, soulful singing. But her writing chops are just as evident, making it no surprise that one of her songs, "Faith," was included in the soundtrack for the Miramax film "The Woodsman" in 2004.

For all the travels she's taken, creatively and personally, from the talent shows of her teenage years in St. Louis to the publishing deal she signed with Song Planet in Nashville at age 20, she presents her message with the assurance you'd expect from a down-home Country girl on her way to the big time.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
"I admire Dolly Parton and Barbra Streisand. They both have had amazing careers, succeeding in music and film, and in Dolly's case, songwriting. And they still do it today. They have longevity, and that's what I want."

Which song would you secretly like to cover?
"'Sweet Lorraine' by Patty Griffin. That song gave me chills the first time I heard it."

What is your pet peeve? 
"People who won't let you over in traffic."

What CD is on your stereo?
"I have a six-CD disc changer: Mindy Smith, Patty Griffin, Sugarland, Craig Morgan, Robin Thicke and me."

What actor would portray you in a biopic about your life?
"Someone with really curly hair."

What moment in your life would you relive if you could? 
"Any time spent with my mother."

Do you have a lucky charm?
"My yorkie, Jeremiah."

Which mode of transportation do you prefer - planes, trains or automobiles?
"I love the loud engine of my Mustang."

Who is your dream duet partner?
"Vince Gill or Jamie O'Neal."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Long journeys start with a single step. For David Tolliver and Chad Warrix, the urge to explore began with the occasional short trip to Hazard, whose movie theater and fast-food stands beckoned to those from even smaller Kentucky towns not far away.

From there they made their ways to Nashville. Warrix came first, to study at Belmont University. Tolliver lingered for a while, working a restaurant job to pay for classes at Hazard Community College and the University of Kentucky at Lexington. Purely on impulse, he hung up the apron one night in 1998 and headed for Music City, right around the time that Tolliver secured his music industry degree. Fate, played here by the manager of Warrix's band, brought them together.

Working a regular Tuesday night gig at Nashville's 3rd & Lindsley, they honed a tough Country sound, with a gritty rock inflection and harmonies that cut sweet and strong at the same time. Their following grew to include influential A&R scouts, but when Tim McGraw took note, the die was cast and they settled at StyleSonic/Mercury Nashville.

With McGraw and Byron Gallimore producing, their self-titled debut benefits from both a high-profile blessing and sure-fire studio sensibility. But the focus is on the artists, whose raw, fist-pumping delivery suggests how The Who's Roger Daltrey might have rocked it had he cut his teeth in dixie. Bass and drums add muscle to the duo synchronicity at the heart of their music. As for their songs, all but two of which were written by Tolliver and Warrix, suffice it to say that "Country 'Til the Day We Die" might match Skynyrd at the peak of their defiance, passion and pride.

And for anyone tempted to follow in their footsteps, "Welcome to Nashville" closes the album by delivering this twist of ironic wisdom to a body-slam beat: Halfway to Hazard just might be as far as you need to go to follow your dream.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Who is your musical hero?
TOLLIVER: "Garth Brooks."
WARRIX: "Led Zeppelin, George Jones."

What song would you secretly love to cover?
TOLLIVER: "'Big Bottoms' by Spinal Tap."
WARRIX: "'Bohemian Rhapsody.'"

What book is on your nightstand?
TOLLIVER and WARRIX: "The Bible."

What CD is on your stereo?
TOLLIVER and WARRIX: "Let It Go, by Tim McGraw."

Who is your dream duet partner?
TOLLIVER: "Shakira."
WARRIX: "Paul Rodgers or Tina Turner." 

What moment in your life would you relive if you could?
TOLLIVER: "The birth of my daughter. It made me feel a different level of love and now I see how much my parents love me."
WARRIX: "Any moment that contains my family, guitars and motorcycles."

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
TOLLIVER: "Living the Dream."
WARRIX: "How to Survive the Music Business with Balance."

What song do you wish you had written?
TOLLIVER: "'The Dance' by Garth Brooks."
WARRIX: "'Pink Houses' by John Mellencamp."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Country Music has its hallowed places, and among one of the most revered is Nashville's RCA Studio B.

The outside of this rectangular brick building at 1611 Roy Acuff Place is nondescript, save for the chink a nervous Dolly Parton put in the wall with her car as she arrived for one of her early recording sessions. Even so, it didn't take long, after opening its doors, for this studio to become known as "The Home of 1,000 Hits."

Studio B's first sessions transpired in November 1957, a milestone celebrated this year by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum through tour packages, live broadcasts from the studio, recording workshops and panel discussions, all of which have a rich history to examine. Researchers are still trying to verify the very first artist who recorded there, but some of the earliest include The Stanley Brothers and Don Gibson, whose "Oh, Lonesome Me" was the first big crossover hit to emerge from the facility.

Eddy Arnold's majestic "What's He Doing in My World?," Bobby Bare's "Detroit City," The Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown," Waylon Jennings' "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line," Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely," Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors," Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight," "Good Luck Charm," "It's Now or Never" and "Little Sister," and smashes by Skeeter Davis, Donna Fargo, Don Gibson, Hank Locklin, Jim Reeves, Porter Wagoner and many more are all part of Studio B's legacy.

Nashville businessman Dan Maddox built and leased the facility to RCA Records to accommodate the label's local recording interest and in particular its hot young Country producer, Chet Atkins. But it was seasoned by the work of Nashville's top session musicians.

Although many of the players had rural roots, they were a sophisticated lot with a strong grasp of music history. Some were classically trained. Some played in jazz bands and were deft improvisers when not obliged to follow charts. They were also dedicated craftspeople who wanted to get the best performances at every turn.

"They were really committed to studying the room right from the start," said John Rumble, Senior Historian, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, "so they'd know how to adjust their own sound to get excellent results for the artists they were supporting."

The musicians often held Sunday afternoon picking parties around a galvanized tub of cold beer. Chief Engineer Bill Porter's tapes of these jams revealed that the room had a problem with "standing waves" - points where an amplified sound would bounce off a wall and cancel out, or where volume would swell suddenly. To remedy the problem, Porter cut pieces of acoustical ceiling tile into small pyramids and hung them at different levels to break up the waves. "The session musicians called them 'Porter's Pyramids,'" Rumble recalled.

Atkins' A-Team included guitarists Harold Bradley, Ray Edenton, Hank Garland and Grady Martin, bassist Bob Moore, pianists Floyd Cramer and Hargus "Pig" Robbins, drummer Buddy Harmon, saxophonist Boots Randolph, harmonica ace Charlie McCoy and others whose names recur on credits for the 35,000 songs cut at Studio B during its 20 years of operation.

The same players would also record at the Bradley Film and Recording Studios, which included a surplus Army "Quonset Hut," located on 16th Avenue South, a stone's throw from RCA Studio B. In fact, Studio B was built to compete with the Bradley studios, which were owned by Bradley and his brother, producer Owen Bradley. They ran their operation from 1955 until 1962, when Columbia Records purchased the Hut and operated it until 1982. Throughout the decades it was the home of hits recorded by Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Burl Ives, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

"I don't think Studio B compared favorably to the Quonset Hut for sound," said Harold Bradley, who still does sessions and is President of the Nashville chapter of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM 257). "The Hut was very large and my amp was at the very back of it. So I was 35 or 40 feet away from Patsy Cline when we were recording 'Crazy' there, but you could hear everything well, which was important since that was before they started using headphones in studios.

"But somehow," he continued, "whether we recorded at the Quonset Hut or Studio B, the songs turned out great and I always got the guitar sound I wanted on tape."

Rumble agreed that Studio B was not a remarkably designed room. "It's concrete block construction. There's nothing fancy about it. Between the engineers and the players, there was a genuine esprit de corps. They were aware that they were doing something special in Nashville and building its reputation as Music City U.S.A."

The product of these historic interactions between the players, engineers, producers and vocalists, defined what would become known as the "Nashville Sound."

Up to that point, Country spun on an axis of fiddle- and guitar-driven honky tonk, or the jazz-inspired beat of Western swing, or the high and lonesome strains of mountain folk or bluegrass. In the mid '50s, sales declined as rock 'n' roll lured young listeners. In response, Country record label executives signed Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and other rockabilly artists to reach this burgeoning market, while also helping hard-edged Country acts update their sounds and adapt to changing tastes.

Additionally, to appeal to the pop audience - and, as Atkins later joked, to keep their jobs - he and Bradley replaced Country's raw fiddles, weeping pedal steel guitars and down-home singing with lush string sections, cocktail piano and crooners nestled on cushions of three- and four-part harmony from vocal backing groups.

In 1957 Atkins applied this formula at Studio B to produce Don Gibson's catchy "Oh, Lonesome Me." Two crossover classics, Jim Reeves' "He'll Have to Go" and The Browns' "The Three Bells," further proved the Nashville Sound's viability in the marketplace.

Aside from occasional projects such as Gillian Welch's Time (the Revelator) in 2001, Studio B has been closed as an active recording center since 1977. It is, however, far from mothballed. In 2002, The Mike Curb Family Foundation purchased the studio from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, to which  Maddox had donated the facility in the early 1990s. It is operated now by the Museum and Nashville's Belmont University as a tourist attraction and learning laboratory. Students in Belmont's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business get hands-on experience on its vintage gear, which is augmented now by a computer-based Digidesign Pro Tools system used exclusively for mixing two-track masters.

"Our educational mission is not just to preserve what's here at the studio but to preserve the history of recording," explained longtime RCA Studio B Manager Michael Janas. "We literally make students relive the entire history of recording at Studio B. They start with 16-track tape. When they're ready to mix to a master, they do it to quarter-inch analog two-track tape and then to the two-channel Pro Tools system so they can see the similarities."

Except for the computer, all of Studio B's gear is either original or was manufactured during its halcyon years. That includes a 1972 API recording console that is historic in its own right. It came from a mobile recording unit used for The Band's The Last Waltz, Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive! and U2's Rattle & Hum, as well as concert tapings by Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young with Crazy Horse.

"The music that came out of RCA Studio B in the late '50s and early '60s not only changed Country Music," reflected Janas, "it also influenced what The Beatles and countless other artists wrote and recorded. It affected how we make and listen to music in Western culture."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

The story behind Dale Watson's From the Cradle to the Grave on Hyena Records begins with an improbable transaction during the last months of Johnny Cash's life.

Two Johnnys were actually involved, both of them Tennessee legends in rather different ways. Cash, the seller, needs no introduction - and for a generation for whom being shot, crushed by a falling wall or facing an enraged bull while blindfolded might be considered entertainment, neither does the buyer, Johnny Knoxville.

Notorious as one of the visionaries behind the "Jackass" television shows and films, Knoxville actually knows as much about Country Music as he does about the hilarity of self-abuse. This helped usher him into music industry inner circles, where he eventually became friendly with the respected outsider artist Dale Watson, among others.

One of those others turned out to be Tommy Cash, who brokered the sale of a cabin to the young daredevil on behalf of his brother, the Man in Black.

"I never got to personally meet Johnny," Knoxville said. "But he knew his cabin was going to a Tennessee boy who did some kind of stupid crap in Hollywood."

Sometime after that, Knoxville called his pal Watson and invited him up to hang out for a while. It seemed like a good idea, especially if he could make use of the time to write and record some new material, so Watson agreed to spend a few days at the cabin while in town to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

"So I text-messaged Johnny and said, 'Hey, what kind of format do you have up there?'" Watson recalled. "Johnny was like, 'What?' I said, 'Is it digital? Is it analog?' He said, 'Man, what are you talking about?'' I said, 'The recording studio.' And he said, 'There's no studio here. It's just a cabin.'"

Of course, opportunity is often the flip side of any particular problem, and so Watson called another friend, Charlie Boswell, who heads the Digital Media and Entertainment division at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). For two years, they'd been talking about working together to record a Watson live performance; they'd just never considered doing it in a log cabin, until Watson invited Boswell to haul some gear up to that hilltop in Tennessee for a few days of tracking.

As Boswell and Kelly Stuart, AMD Operations Manager for Digital Media and Entertainment, hit the road from Austin, they called the celebrated recording engineer Chuck Ainlay in Nashville, who recommended various microphones for the session. Watson picked them up in town and then headed to the cabin for some intensive writing.

Over a three-day stretch he came up with 10 songs, all of them conceived solo except for "You Always Get What You Always Get," for which Gail Davies, Chuck Meade of BR549 and Chris Scruggs dropped by to co-write.

After wrapping each song, Watson taught it to his Lonestar Band, who were also enjoying the scenery at Knoxville's retreat.

By the time Boswell and Stuart pulled up the gravel road, Watson was ready to roll. "It was eight or nine in the morning," Boswell said, "and Dale met us at the door, carrying a shotgun and holding a Mason jar full of moonshine. But then he looked at his watch, and I could tell by the tone of his voice that this wasn't going to be a frat-house weekend. We were actually going to record an album."

The gear was unpacked quickly: some RME OctaMic preamps, a Mark of the Unicorn 896HD FireWire audio interface and AMD's Athlon Turion 64 mobile processor-based HP laptop computer. Within minutes the AMD guys had carried this compact cache inside and had their first look at what they had to work with.

"It really was a log cabin," said Stuart. "The beams and walls were very thick. The ceiling was low - maybe eight feet. And everything was tight: You didn't hear planes flying overhead or anything else from outside. There was a big fireplace . It was just like somebody's living room."

There was only one problem: With the smooth floor and tall windows, the sound might bounce a little too much. This was especially true of the drums, so the musicians and engineers went to work with what they had.

"Knoxville has this really nice white furniture in there," Watson said. "So we took the couch and tipped it on its side, to keep the drums out of my vocal mic. In fact, we covered [drummer John] McTigue with pillows and everything, bless his heart."

The microphone setup was similarly impromptu: a Shure SM57 poked into the pillows piled around steel guitarist Don Don Pawlak's amp in one corner, an AKG C451EB for fiddler Don Raby in another corner, maybe three mics on the drums. Watson sang into an RCA 44 Blackbird ribbon microphone. A Holophone Microphone System, containing seven separate heads, stood in the center of the room to capture the ambient sound in a 7.1 surround mix.

All of this was set up within two hours of Boswell's and Stuart's arrival on Friday, after which an all-night session began. Everything was recorded live, including the vocals. There were no monitors or headphones. To minimize bleeding, the musicians played quietly, with McTigue often using brushes rather than sticks on his drums. They cut complete takes only; if something didn't feel right, they'd start again from the top and play it through to the end until Watson announced, "That's a keeper."

Not surprisingly, Cash's spirit haunts much of the music they laid down that weekend. This was, at first, exactly what Watson hoped would not happen. As much as he reveres Cash and his work, he has struggled, especially in the early stages of his career, to acknowledge that influence while also defining his own distinctive sound.

"The first song I wrote in that cabin was 'Justice for All,'" he said, referring to the track that opens From the Cradle to the Grave. "I kept thinking, 'This is boom-chicka-boom; I want to stay away from this.' But for some reason I felt compelled to keep it like that. I may be stepping way over my boundary here, but I think Johnny would have agreed with this song."

That rhythm, as well as the harmonized horn parts that were overdubbed later at Ray Benson's Bismeaux Studio in Austin, do in fact echo "Ring of Fire." "That was unavoidable," he insisted. "There's no way I could have written 10 songs in three days without some sort of creativity in the air, but it was in my head that Johnny owned it. That definitely affected me, just being there. I even got a Roy Orbison feel with 'It's Not Over Now,' maybe because Johnny loved Roy so much."

But as the musicians wrapped up their work on Sunday night, and after everyone had loaded up and driven back down that hill toward wherever they were bound, Knoxville sensed that Watson had left some of his spirit behind too.

"After Dale and his band had cleared out, my friend Gary Leffew, who was the world champ bullrider in 1970, stayed in the cabin with his wife," he said. "I was telling Gary how to set up the place, how to turn the water on, where the gun was . And I told him to enjoy some moonshine as well. Gary said, 'What moonshine? There ain't a drop here.' I assured him there was because I had at least 10 gallons and there ain't no way that Dale and his band could've drunk that much.

"'Oh, there's a way, Knoxville. [They] done drunk it all,' Mr. Leffew said. And that's OK because we got a great album out of it, that's for sure."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

When Porter Wagoner, known as "The Thin Man from West Plains" because of his lanky frame, succumbed to lung cancer, at 8:25 PM/CST on Oct. 28 in Nashville, a piece of Country Music history slipped into its rhinestone-studded jacket, stowed its guitar and headed toward the stage door.

Wagoner, who had survived an abdominal aneurysm in 2006, made his exit quickly, being hospitalized on Oct. 15 and released to hospice care on Oct. 26. But before then, he had flourished for half a century as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, pioneered the fusion of Country Music and television as host for 21 years of "The Porter Wagoner Show," won three CMA Awards and four Grammy Awards, helped Dolly Parton and Mel Tillis launch their careers, and then joined them in 2002 as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In addition to these accomplishments was the impact Wagoner made on countless fans who embraced him as one of their favorite entertainers. His homespun humor and accessible vocal style captivated radio listeners for generations. The gaudy outfits, upswept hair and room-lighting smile were indispensible elements in his live shows - but for those who could only listen from hundreds or thousands of miles away, the sound and feeling of the man, as broadcast from Nashville, were enough to make him seem like a friend.

"This is a terrible loss for the music industry on many different levels," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "Musically, the 'Wagonmaster' contributed a great deal to the format with his voice, his humor and his undeniable charm. He was a consummate showman, wrapped like a bright and precious gift to the nation in his trademark rhinestone-studded suits. He is an unforgettable figure in Country Music history. He will be missed. Our prayers go out to his children Debra, Denise and Richard and their families."

Porter Wayne Wagoner was born on Aug. 12, 1927, in the Ozark Mountain region of southwestern Missouri. Raised in West Plains, educated in a one-room schoolhouse, he worked as a young man by day in a butcher shop and as a Country performer at night. His style grew from its bluegrass roots into a synthesis of Roy Acuff, Hank Williams and other contemporaries, blended with Wagoner's own evolving sound. In 1951, he became a regular on the KWTO program, out of Springfield, Mo., that would become "The Ozark Jubilee." A year later he made his recording debut for RCA Victor, and the following year Carl Smith turned Wagoner's "Trademark" into a hit.

"A Satisfied Mind" hit No. 1 in 1955 and conveyed Wagoner to Nashville and membership in the Grand Ole Opry two years later. In 1960, he launched "The Porter Wagoner Show." Its mix of traditional Country Music, comedy sketches, and guest shots by established and upcoming stars helped it earn syndication to more than 100 television stations and expanded its audience to more than 3 million by the early '70s. It also introduced the world to Parton, Wagoner's protégée and duo partner. Through their seven-year association, they won three CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Awards, earned a Grammy and cut 14 songs that wound up in the Top 10, including "Just Someone I Used to Know," "Making Plans" and the chart-topping "Please Don't Stop Loving Me."

In his solo work, Wagoner reflected extraordinary range. His songs, whether self-penned or selected to reflect the complexity of his artistry, combined elements that would seem incompatible in the hands of a lesser artist. Yet Wagoner displayed consistent insight as an interpreter, whether delivering gospel songs, playfully humorous material, stoic recitations or descents toward the depths of a tortured soul. From "Company's Comin'" (1954) and "Eat, Drink and Be Merry (Tomorrow You'll Cry)" (1955) through the stark, fiddle-haunted introduction to "Albert Erving" from his last album, Wagonmaster (2007) produced by Marty Stuart and released on ANTI-Records, from his gigs with the Blue Ridge Boys in his early 20s to his appearance in July as the opening act for The White Stripes at a sold-out show at New York's Madison Square Garden, his legacy is unique and secure.

"I may not be the world's greatest singer," Wagoner said in his 2007 interview with CMA Close Up. "But I know how to sing Country Music. I know what separates Country from other kinds of music. I've learned that it's important, if you're a singer or an entertainer, to know what you're doing. You need to study this business as if you were going to be a doctor, a lawyer or a man that makes big decisions. You never do find out all there is to know in your lifetime. But you learn from that process every day - and you don't forget what you learn."

© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

He'd grown up watching "The Porter Wagoner Show" in Mississippi; he even appeared on it, as a prodigy picker at age 13. The resurrection of these memories, one fateful day not long ago, was the first step toward the work that would lead this year to Wagoner's latest album, Wagonmaster, on Anti Records.

"That all came back on the day the war started in Iraq," Stuart said, relaxing at the Tennessee State Museum amidst his collection of Country Music memorabilia several weeks before it would be exhibited as "Sparkle & Twang: Marty Stuart's American Musical Odyssey." "There was CNN coverage all day long. I watched as much as I could stand and then went to the back of the bus to take a nap, just to get away from it. Then, when I came back to the front, 'The Porter Wagoner Show' was on the RFD Channel. I watched the entire show, and when it was done I felt like I did when I was a kid: as bad as things can be, it's going to be OK."

Wagonmaster grew around the sound that Wagoner cultivated on his show. Between the blazing hoedown fiddle that kicks off the "Wagonmaster" theme to the last moments, a stark solo rendition of "I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow" during the final moments of "Porter and Marty," the album's last track, these performances transplant Wagoner's roots into a conceptually adventurous setting. On 17 songs, nine of them written or co-authored by Wagoner, every facet of his persona comes into view, from the playful side he displays at the Opry ("Be a Little Quieter") to the dark corners of the soul he'd explored in his classic 1972 recording "Rubber Room" ("Committed to Parkview," written by Johnny Cash and given to Stuart in 1983 to pass along to Wagoner. That this request slipped Stuart's mind until now may prove all for the best, given the stark and scary eloquence that Wagoner brings to the tune today).

Wagoner's voice is worn yet irresistibly expressive, whether meditating on the fleetness of life's passage ("A Place to Hang My Hat"), recounting the stories of strangers on a bus ride toward their diverse destinies on a Wagoner-Parton co-write ("My Many Hurried Southern Trips"), remembering a hermit who harbored a heartbreaking secret ("Albert Erving"), or even just talking on tape with Stuart about Hank Williams.

On "Brother Harold Dee," though, Wagoner achieves a transcendent eloquence through the now neglected device of recitation. "Red Foley taught me how to do that. I got to know him real well in Springfield, Mo., where he was doing 'The Ozark Mountain Jubilee,'" he recalled, noting the radio program on which he was featured until joining the Opry in 1957.

"He knew how to talk to an audience. He told me one time, 'You can't talk over an audience, because there are hundreds of them sitting there. So if you lose their attention, talk softer. They'll listen harder.' And it works."

The impact of Wagonmaster owes much to Wagoner's gift for bringing characters to life, as a writer, a vocalist or both. "I try to put myself into every song I project, in a way that makes it sound as though I've been there. Now, most of them, I have not been there. I never tried any of the drugs because of my fear for it. But I've always had a softness for people who get hooked on whiskey or some type of drugs. In order to sing this way, you've got to believe that you somehow have it in yourself. 'The Late Love of Mine' was unique in this way because I wanted to project that the guy was telling this story as though he was a drinker."

And here Wagoner began to sing the slow, sad waltz of this track from Wagonmaster: "How can I expect a good woman to love a slave of the wine? I knew that someday I'd lose her, the late love of mine."

With that, we're taken somewhere far from here, to wherever that place is that feeds the genius of Country Music when it's allowed to flow freely and poetically. It was this place that Stuart visited, not long after that that incident on his tour bus, when he dropped by Wagoner's home one night and left knowing why he would produce, play on and help his friend bring Wagonmaster into the world.

As night falls in Nashville, the skyline as seen from the lobby of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum transforms slowly, its silhouette flecked by lights in the deepening dark.

So it was on Oct. 8, as the Museum welcomed guests to the annual Medallion Ceremony to witness the inductions of Ralph Emery, Vince Gill and Mel Tillis into the Hall of Fame.

Founded by CMA in 1961, the Hall honors the individuals whose contributions to Country Music have been judged most significant by their peers. All inductees are chosen by CMA's Hall of Fame Panel of Electors, consisting of more than 300 anonymous voters appointed by the CMA Board of Directors. Hall of Fame members were easy to spot among those who gathered in the vast, glass-roofed Curb Conservatory. Whether in formal or Western attire, each wore a black ribbon from which a handsome brass medallion hung.

There were 98 in this august group as the day dawned; by evening's end, there would be 101.

A festive feeling took hold as the crowd filed into the Museum's Ford Theater. Harold Bradley, Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, Jim Foglesong, Sonny James, the Jordanaires' Louis Nunley, Gordon Stoker, Ray Walker and Curtis Young, Charlie Louvin and former CMA Executive Director Jo Walker-Meador were among the previous inductees whose presence makes this annual event, in the words of Hall of Fame member E. W. "Bud" Wendell, Chairman of the Museum's Board of Officers and Trustees, a "reunion."

It started with Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" blasting into the room. As the tune faded, Museum Director Kyle Young stated, simply, "We miss Boots," and the crowd cheered for the late A-Team mainstay.

Wendell commenced the cavalcade of music and memories by comparing Country Music to the legacy of Michelangelo - an audacious proposition that rang truer as the proceedings continued. Following this, Randy Scruggs performed his Grammy-winning rendition of "Amazing Grace," which prompted Wendell to observe, "That's what happens when Maybelle Carter was your babysitter."

CMA CEO Tammy Genovese then shared her thoughts. "Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the greatest honor bestowed on a Country Music artist," she observed. "This is an appropriate and meaningful place for these gentlemen to receive the honor and accolades they deserve."

Young responded by thanking CMA "for this honor and for the underwriting of staff support that made tonight a reality." Then he noted that "the great Porter Wagoner had planned to be with us tonight. . Please keep the Wagonmaster and his family close to your heart and in your prayers. Let's hear it for Porter," he concluded, leading the room in an ovation for the beloved entertainer who, ironically, was in his last moments of life in hospice care, not far away.

Emery, Gill and Tillis, Young continued, had all "used the specifics of their life experiences to create a body of work that reflects an understanding of the cares and woes of their audiences as well as sympathy and solidarity with the need of all people to feel free from care, from want and from need, at least on a Saturday night. Who can count the numbers of people who've been comforted and uplifted, amused and relieved, or inspired and ready for another hard day, by the music and stories these men made available for so long? We recognize ourselves in this music and in these stories. That's why we love them and why millions like us keep coming back for more."

This message underscored every word spoken and note played over the next several hours. Artists performed songs honoring the careers of the new Hall of Fame members. Backing the performers were music director John Hobbs on piano and the Medallion All-Star Band, featuring drummer Eddie Bayers, steel guitarist Paul Franklin, harmony singers Tania Hancheroff and Wes Hightower, guitarists Brent Mason and Russ Pahl and bassist Michael Rhodes.  The Great American Country television network taped the event, portions of which can be seen on upcoming episodes of GAC's "Master Series."  The event was also taped for future broadcast by WSM-AM 650.

Tribute was paid first to Emery, through "You Gave Me a Mountain," delivered as a chilling solo piece by Raul Malo. The Gaither Vocal Band then romped through "Yes, I Know," and Con Hunley extolled Emery's interview technique by recalling one night on his show at WSM.

"I'd invited this young lady over to dinner in my trailer," Hunley said. "There was a place in the bathroom where the floor was rotted out, but the linoleum still covered it. All of a sudden, I heard this big scream . Anyway, I told Ralph about this when we were in the dressing room. We'd already discussed what we were going to talk about on the show - songs, my current single and all of that.

"Well, first pop out of the box," Hunley said, "I sat down, and Ralph says, 'What about that girl in the trailer?'" And as the laughter subsided, Hunley and the Medallion All-Star Band gave a steamy reading of "Since I Fell for You" that brought the room - not for the first or last time - to its feet.

Ray Stevens followed, with a story about an Emery radio contest that involved a chicken and a plane flight to Louisiana and an irresistible rendering of "Everything Is Beautiful." Wendell then called Emery to the podium for his induction. Speaking with his customary dignity, Emery thanked his wife, Joy, for their 40 years of marriage and then quoted from a spiritual poem of gratitude, written by the late Hall of Fame member Tennessee Ernie Ford, whose final lines - "Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered / I am, among all men, most richly blessed" - touched something close to the heart of music as well as faith.

To open the next part of the ceremony, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris sang "Some Things Never Get Old," from Gill's monumental These Days. Michael McDonald, joined by Gill's band members Tom Britt, Dawn Sears, Billy Thomas, Pete Wasner and Jeff White, sang "Go Rest High on That Mountain," his smoky vocal riding the slow gospel roll like a ship sailing home after too long at sea. Guy Clark walked onstage after that to perform "The Randall Knife" with a rugged eloquence that inspired Gill to leap from his seat and embrace his longtime mentor. And Al Anderson rocked Gill's "Next Big Thing" with an energy that dared listeners not to party.

Introduced by Hall of Famer Whisperin' Bill Anderson, mixing gentle humor with a profession of love for his wife Amy Grant, Gill confessed to still being surprised at his admission to the Hall. "Maybe it affirms the way I've tried to live my life, and that was trying to put everybody else first," he mused. "I felt that's the kindest way to live. And I enjoyed every role I was able to play in music. It never mattered if I was on the side; I just wanted to be in the band. I was just dumb enough to sing, and look at what happened."

He did allow himself a flicker of satisfaction. "As I look around this room, I see so many fellow Hall of Famers," he began. And then, after stopping for a moment, Gill beamed and said, "That felt . great!"

Tillis' segment was preceded by Bobby Bare's familiar yet powerful treatment of "Detroit City." ("Here's a song I never get tired of," the denim-clad singer growled before Brent Mason hit the famous E-string opening lick.) Kenny Rogers then reminded listeners of the meaning behind another Tillis composition, "Ruby,Don't Take Your Love to Town," a meditation on the impact of the Vietnam War that still bears relevance. "Mel, I'll just tell you this," Rogers summed up. "A lot of people in this world can write great songs. Very few people can write important songs."

After performing, Rogers yielded the spotlight to Pam Tillis, who  allowed that "so much of what I've done in my career has been an effort to make my Dad proud." She performed "Coca Cola Cowboy," Dierks Bentley followed by tearing through "I Ain't Never," and then it was time for Hall of Fame member Little Jimmy Dickens to come forward.

"You folks in our audience here tonight, if you've never seen Mel Tillis in concert, you've missed a lot," the Opry legend said. "When he steps on the stage, he upgrades Country Music and the industry that we all love and stand for. Men like this are hard to come by, and I'm proud that Mel Tillis is my friend."

With that, Dickens presented Tillis with his medallion. The newest member of the Hall spoke, with his impeccable comic timing, about his failure as a stuttering salesman for "Harrie's Cookies" ("I wouldn't eat a hairy cookie either," he said), his appreciation for girlfriend Kathy DeMonaco and the other special people in his life, and finally for "this little angel on my shoulder" who had stayed with him through good and tougher times.