NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 6 -- It's a raucous girls' night
out when "Dancing with the Stars" champion Julianne Hough, former "American
Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler and reigning CMA Horizon Award winner Taylor
Swift host "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" Monday, Sept. 8
(9:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.
"The summer's hottest concert special, just got hotter with the
addition of these three beautiful, talented performers as hosts," said CMA
Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. "They are all America's sweethearts
and I know they will each add sparkle and fun to a great night of musical
performances."
Filming Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8, during the annual CMA Music
Festival, the special features today's most exciting Country Music stars
during a four-day party and music celebration in Nashville.
Some of the artists already announced to appear at the Nightly Concerts
on the VAULT(TM) Concert Stage at LP Field include Trace Adkins, Rodney
Atkins, Billy Ray Cyrus, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Jewel, Miranda Lambert,
Pickler, Sugarland, Swift, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Dwight Yoakam,
and surprise appearances by Country superstars -- a hallmark of the
Festival.
The annual event is unlike any other: four days, 30 hours of autograph
signings, 100 hours of live music, hundreds of artists and celebrities, and
a party list of thousands of avid, singing and dancing-till-dawn fans. This
is the fourth time ABC will broadcast this special -- which invites the
whole country to America's biggest Country Music bash. Originally started
as Fan Fair(R) in 1972, last year the event experienced its biggest
attendance to date -- 191,000.
In addition to exciting, never-before-televised music performances,
viewers will also enjoy the ultimate, Country Music fan experience. In
exclusively shot segments for the special, the cameras will capture behind-
the-scenes moments between the artist and their fans and follow the stories
of several passionate Country Music enthusiasts.
Most people know Hough as winner of two consecutive seasons of ABC's
"Dancing with the Stars," but her passion is Country Music. She recently
released her self-titled, debut on Mercury Nashville and her current
single, "That Song In My Head," is climbing Billboard's Hot Country Songs.
She will be on tour throughout the summer with Brad Paisley. Hough is no
stranger to the Festival. She made her first CMA Music Festival appearance
in 2007, when she introduced Big & Rich.
Undoubtedly one of the most popular finalists on "American Idol,"
Pickler's legion of fans continues to grow. She just released her new
single, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" from her forthcoming sophomore
album, which will be available in late summer. Her Gold certified debut
album, Small Town Girl, includes the hit singles "Red High Heels" and "I
Wonder," a song that moved many in the audience to tears when she performed
it in November on the 2007 CMA Awards.
What a difference a year makes. Swift has gone from High School student
to bonafide Country superstar with a treasure trove of accolades and awards
including the coveted 2007 CMA Horizon Award. Swift is consistently ranked
Country's No. 1 artist on MySpace and was named Country Music's Hottest
Female Artist of 2007 by AOL Music and Best New Artist of 2007 by the
editors of iTunes. Her self titled, Big Machine debut has surpassed sales
of 3 million copies and this summer she is on tour with CMA Vocal Group of
the Year Rascal Flatts.
"CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" is executive-produced by
Robert Deaton and directed by Gary Halvorson. The 2008 CMA Music Festival
is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. "CMA Music
Festival: Country's Night to Rock" will be shot in high definition and
broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1
channel surround sound.
For information, logos and downloadable photos, visit our media-only
website, http://www.CMApress.com. Photos and information will be posted on the
site daily during the Festival for media use.
See Also
