Jul 14, 2004
On July 14, 2004, CBS aired “CMA Music Festival: Country Music’s Biggest Party,” featuring Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn, Terri Clark, Martina McBride, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, among others
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 12 /PRNewswire/ — For 33 years the CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair(R) has been an annual celebration of Country Music, with one-of-a-kind performances from the hottest stars and amazing interaction between the artists and their fans. This unique four-day experience was filmed in Nashville in June 2004 for “CMA Music Festival: Country Music’s Biggest Party,” a new television special airing Wednesday, July 14 (9:00-11:00 PM/EDT) on the CBS Television Network.The outstanding artist performance lineup for the two-hour special includes Willie Nelson, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Terri Clark, Pat Green, Martina McBride, Montgomery Gentry, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Uncle Kracker and Rachel Proctor, Keith Urban, Hank Williams Jr., Gretchen Wilson and Wynonna. These performances were filmed during the festival’s Nightly Concerts at The Coliseum in Nashville, home of the NFL Tennessee Titans. In between performances, special vignettes featuring artists interacting with their fans spotlight the unique element that makes this event stand apart from other festivals.
SA Today calls the CMA Music Festival the “crown jewel of Country Music festivals.” In 2004, the event featured more than 70 hours of live performances. Country Music artists and celebrities signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans in the exhibit hall, competed in celebrity sports events, hosted fan club parties and charitable auctions, and much more. More than 132,000 fans from all 50 states and around the world attended the four- day festival.The special, filmed in Nashville during the 2004 CMA Music Festival June 10-13, is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the producer; Gary Halvorson is the director, with special material written by David Wild. The CMA Music Festival, formerly known as Fan Fair(R), is organized and produced annually by the Country Music Association.