News & Publications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May. 18, 2004
JO DEE MESSINA TO KICK OFF CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL/FAN FAIR® WITH OPENING DAY PERFORMANCE AT GREASED LIGHTNING® RIVERFRONT PARK STAGES
“Nashville Star” Winner Brad Cotter, Eric Heatherly, King Wilkie, Connie Smith And Others Added To Riverfront Concert Lineup
NASHVILLE – Enjoy great musical performances while relaxing on the banks of the Cumberland River at the 2004 CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair®. The four-day event takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 10-13, in Downtown Nashville. Among the highlights of “Country Music’s Biggest Party™” are the Daily Concerts at the Greased Lightning® Riverfront Park Stages co-sponsored by American Airlines. The Daily Concerts feature more then 30 hours of performances covering the entire breadth of Country Music. Watch today’s rising stars, hear the legends, and experience bluegrass, Texas-style Country Music and more.
Superstar Jo Dee Messina will officially kick off “Country Music’s Biggest Party™” with a performance at the Daily Concerts on the Greased Lightning® Riverfront Park Stages on Thursday, June 10, at 10:00 AM/CDT. Since the release of her first single “Heads Carolina, Tails California” in 1996, the multi-platinum Curb recording artist has become a major force on the Country Music scene. She received the CMA Horizon Award in 1999 and released her Greatest Hits album in 2003.
“The Daily Concerts provide a wonderful opportunity for the fans to see their favorite artists perform at close range,” said CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. “We’ve heard from thousands of attendees who say the Riverfront concerts are their favorite part of the event. We know the fans will turn out in force to enjoy Jo Dee’s performance as she kicks off this year’s CMA Music Festival.”
Other artists recently added to the Greased Lightning® Riverfront Park Stages include: Thom Bresh; “Nashville Star” winner Brad Cotter; former Statler Brothers member Jimmy Fortune; Eric Heatherly; The Imperials and the Stamps Quartet present “The Gospel Side of Elvis;” King Wilkie; Longneck Jones featuring Billy Yates; Michelle Poe; Eddy Raven; Ricochet; and Connie Smith. On Sunday, Christopher Wayne Morris will perform the Nashville Song Search Winning Song “Another Round,” written by Bryan Winter.
Previously announced performers for the Daily Concerts at Greased Lightning® Riverfront Park Stages include Jessi Alexander; Lynn Anderson; Jessica Andrews; Sherrié Austin; Steve Azar; David Ball; Jeff Bates; Bellamy Brothers; John Berry; BlackHawk; Blue County; Suzy Bogguss; BR549; Lane Brody; Jim Ed Brown; T. Graham Brown; Tammy Cochran; Cooder Graw; Helen Cornelius; Cowboy Crush; Billy Currington; Joe Diffie; Jolie Edwards; Scotty Emerick; Lee Greenwood; Andy Griggs; Jennifer Hanson; J. Michael Harter; Ty Herndon; Hilljack; Jan Howard; Jedd Hughes; Stonewall Jackson; The Jenkins; Royal Wade Kimes; Miranda Lambert; Shannon Lawson; Johnny Lee; Aaron Lines; Little Big Town; Little Texas; Daniel Lee Martin; John Arthur Martinez; Lila McCann; Brian McComas; Neal McCoy; Mel McDaniel; Memarie; Craig Morgan; Mountain Heart; David Lee Murphy; Oak Ridge Boys; Jamie O’Neal; James Otto; The Pajama Party (featuring Deborah Allen, The Kinleys and Michelle Wright); Lee Roy Parnell; Pinmonkey; The Players; Colt Prather; Rachel Proctor; Restless Heart; Julie Roberts; Dan and Jim Seals; Jeannie Seely; Jeffrey Steele; Doug Stone; Sugarland; Mel Tillis; Pam Tillis; Tanya Tucker; Josh Turner; Lane Turner; Rhonda Vincent; Jimmy Wayne; The Wilkinsons; Trent Willmon; and Gretchen Wilson.
The Daily Concerts are grouped into non-stop shows hosted by a variety of celebrities and media personalities, including comedian T. Bubba Bechtol; syndicated radio show “Classic Country Gold” host Kyle Cantrell; syndicated radio show “Country Countdown USA” host Lon Helton; “Country Music Across America” television host Storme Warren; Great American Country television personality Kylie Harris; “Nashville Star” judge Tracy Gershon; and the NBC Daytime Stars of “Days of our Lives” and “Passions.” Other show hosts include the unofficial “Mayor of Music Row” Charlie Monk; Nashville television personality Kelly Sutton (WZTV-TV’s “Mornings on Fox 17”); Nashville radio disc jockeys Kim Leslie & Dean Warfield (WKDF Radio); Katie & Carp (WSM Radio); Atlanta’s Cadillac Jack & Mike Macho (WKHX Radio); Cleveland’s Jim Mantel & Michelle Maloney (WGAR Radio); and Memphis’ Young & Elder (WGKX Radio).
A wide variety of food vendors will also be set up at Riverfront Park to satisfy the thirst and hunger of those in attendance.
Single-day tickets for the Greased Lightning® Riverfront Park Stages will be sold the day of show at the gate for $12 each. Children 6 and younger are admitted to the Daily Concerts at the Greased Lightning® Riverfront Park Stages free of charge.
Or, come and enjoy the entire event for four days at a great price! CMA Music Festival’s four-day ticket packages (priced $125 to $145 for adults; and $86 to $100 for children 14 and younger; children 3 and younger are free) are on sale now. Ticket packages include the Nightly Concerts at The Coliseum; Daily Concerts at Greased Lightning® Riverfront Park Stages; the Wrangler® Fan Fair (Exhibit Hall); Sports Zone; Bush’s® Baked Beans Family Zone; CMA Music Festival After Hours™ free in-town shuttles to major event sites; the official CMA Music Festival Program Book; CMA Music Festival pin; and more.
To purchase ticket packages, order over the phone by calling toll-free 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) or Ticketmaster at (615) 255-9600; download an order form at www.CMAfest.com or visit www.Ticketmaster.com to buy online. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices, schedule, events and artists appearing are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.
CMA Music Festival also offers tickets to individual concert events at an extraordinary low price. Advance-purchase tickets for each nightly show at The Coliseum cost $25, and can be purchased now at the CMA Music Festival Ticket Office at the Gaylord Entertainment 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, at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. Single concert tickets will also be sold during CMA Music Festival at The Coliseum box office beginning Wednesday, June 9.
For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artist appearances and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for e-news. 2004 CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. Country Weekly is an official media partner. MJI Programming, a division of Premiere Radio Networks, is the official radio broadcaster. Promotional partners include American Airlines, B.A.S.S.®, Bush’s® Baked Beans, Camping World, Carl Black Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Greased Lightning®, NBC Daytime, Sparkle™ Paper Towels, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Wrangler®. Fan Fair is a registered trademark of CMA.