Highlights from one of the largest music events in the United States will air as a two-hour summer television special. Nashville’s 2004 Country Music Association (CMA) Music Festival, formerly known as Fan Fair and set for June 10-13, will provide the highlights for the CBS broadcast. The network also airs the annual CMA Music Awards.
“We are thrilled to extend our relationship with CBS Television,” CMA executive director Ed Benson says. “This is a great opportunity for country music to have another, nationally-televised program exposing our music to viewers across the country.”
Robert Deaton of Nashville-based Deaton Flanigen Productions will produce the special, which will highlight all aspects of the massive event.
The CMA Music Festival will present nightly concerts at the Coliseum, home of the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans, on two stages. There will also be daily shows at the Greased Lightning Riverfront Park Stages, and at various venues around Music City.
The Wrangler-sponsored Fan Fair will take place in the Exhibit Hall at the Nashville Convention Center. The daily event will feature artists meeting with fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures. The CMA Celebrity Close Up series will host Q&A sessions with artists at the Ryman Auditorium, hosted by Lorianne Crook.
The 2004 CMA Music Festival will also add a Sports Zone adjacent to the Coliseum and the Cumberland River. Various artists and celebrities will participate in such activities as the annual Andy Griggs Celebrity Archery Tournament, while the area will also host the Bassmaster Tour Expo.
As previously reported, the initial list of performers boasted Brooks & Dunn, Clint Black, LeAnn Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Wynonna, Trace Adkins, Terri Clark, Vince Gill, Lonestar, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Joe Dee Messina, Clay Walker, Glen Campbell, Darryl Worley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Charlie Daniels, Diamond Rio, Pat Green and Buddy Jewell.
Since that late January announcement, the lineup has grown to include Lynn Anderson, Jessica Andrews, Sherrie Austin, Steve Azar, the Bellamy Brothers, John Berry, BR549, Suzy Bogguss, Joe Diffie, Lee Greenwood, Jennifer Hanson, Ty Herndon, Aaron Lines, Little Texas, Brian McComas, Neal McCoy, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jamie O’Neal, Lee Roy Parnell, Pinmonkey, Doug Stone, Mel Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Rhonda Vincent and Mark Wills.
