CMA Country Music Association Awards Nashville, Tennessee

This travellog is nothing but pictures we captured as Country Music Stars exited the Red Carpet area to enter the Sommet Center where the CMT Country Music Television was hosting their nationally televised Awards show. We did not have tickets. We were looking for free tickets and did not luck out although we did get VERY close. Ticket hawkers on the street were selling tickets for $175.

On the last night of "Fan Fair" we noticed a huge tent being erected on 5th street as we made our way back to our car, after the big show at LP field (Titan Stadium). It was after midnight and we wondered why they were erecting a tent in that location while every other venue was being disassembled. The stages and stuff being disassembled were associated with the CMA Music Fest" which was officially over. Later we found out that the huge tent being erected on/in 5th street next to the Sommet Center was the location for the Red Carpet where the media fawns over each "star" as they arrive for the CMT Awards Show scheduled for Tuesday night.

Now you know the setting. It is Tuesday night around 5pm and we were arriving on Broadway later than usual since we were still recovering from Fan Fair where we had NOT gotten home earlier than 2am in 5-days/nights. As we are walking down 5th street past the old Ryman Auditorium toward Broadway, and our favorite honky tonks, we noticed a crowd of folks around that huge tent which was situated about 1/2 block south of Broadway. We peaked in Legends Corner and did not recognize the band so decided to walk down to the tent and see what was attracting the crowd.

What we found was an area that had been barricade off so as to cordon off a pathway from that tent into the Sommet Center where the CMT Awards Ceremony was being televised. Ahhh, so now we were able to put things together. The tent was the Red Carpet area where massive amounts of media were interviewing each star as they arrived. After leaving that Red Carpet the stars still had to make their way into the Sommet Center and it was along this barricaded area that they walked. Now we knew what all the excitement was about. Most people in this crowd had tickets to the event and had to be in their seats by 6:30 because the entry doors closed then and no one was allowed into the seating area after that. That seemed strange to me but they all said it had to do with the event being televised and was customary.

While we are not the brightest crayons in the box it did not take either of us but a nanosecond to realize that it would not be long before this crowd would dissipate. In a few minutes they evaporated as they rushed into the Sommet Center to take their seats thus leaving us with "ring side seats" to the walkway between the Red Carpet and the Sommet Center.

In short order there we were with ring side seats ------ getting caught up in the excitement and having as much fun a couple of teenagers.

Miranda Lambert

Recognizing all the stars is difficult for us since we do not see them on TV very often and that is the only place I could put a face with a name. However, I think this pretty blond is Miranda Lambert. The crowd was going wild so it was one of the big name stars and I am betting that it is Miranda.

Miranda Lambert

Miranda stopped and posed for us. I think she was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention she was receiving.

Lady Antebellum

This is the group Lady Antebellum posing for us.

Lady Antebellum

Actually, this is the "voice" that propels Lady Antebellum, in my opinion. She broke away from the boys and started signing autographs.

Jamey Johnson

This is Jamey Johnson who is as big a star as there is right now with his hit song "if you could only see it in color". Jamie also wrote George Strait's hit song "Just give it away". He is known around Nashville as a song writer in spite of the fact he did the vocals on his big hit "if you could only see it in color".

Jamie has become "old-hat" for us since we have seen him so many times. He is a fellow on the move and has never met anyone that wasn't a friend. We first met Jamie this winter in Tootsies on Panama City Beach, Florida where he was vacationing. Jamie and his lead guitar player stopped in to party with the folks at Tootsies and in the process got up and performed with the band.

We also saw Jamie in the Stage on Broadway where he stopped in to party. He got up on stage there with Darryl Worley, Chuck Wicks & Lee Ann Womac to perform a few of his hit songs. Jamie got Lee Ann to sing his George Strait song "Just give it away" with him. Boy, they knocked that one out of the park. It was every bit as good as "King George's version".

We also saw him perform a concert at BamaJam last week and again this week on the big stage at Titan stadium and now this. Joyce doesn't get excited about getting her picture taken with him any longer. Ain't that a hoot. VBG

Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan and that gorgeous blond with him came off the red carpet and mingled with the crowd around us. Then he opened the barrier and joined us on the other side. Here they are out walking around amongst us commoners.

Darryl Worley

Darryl Worley is moving down the line shaking hands and signing autographs before making his way into the Sommet Center. Darryl is one of the good guys. He has cleaned up his act considerably since becoming a father.

Alan Jackson

Here comes the really big guy. It is hard to get any bigger than Alan but here he is holding his wife Denise's hand. Ya gotta love this picture as Alan passes by the porta potties set up for the media covering the red carpet activities.

Alan and Denise Jackson

I was surprised. Alan dressed up in a new pair of jeans for his walk down the red carpet. He is about as unassuming a guy as there is. Ya-recon Denise threw away his jeans with the holes?

Alan Jackson

Alan is talking with the folks as he makes his way to his waiting esculade.

If you look close you can see Joyce's red hair at the bottom of this picture.

Alan & Denise Jackson

I think Alan is talking with Joyce in this picture. You can see a sliver of Joyce's head in the lower right corner.

Alan & Denise Jackson

Alan and Denise were making their way to their chauffeured escalade that was ready to whisk them away from the event rather than staying for the awards ceremony. Joyce and I were standing behind his "getaway" vehicle in this picture. Joyce shouted to Denise, "Denise, I love your book" Denise is looking at Joyce and saying "thanks". Alan is telling her to "get in the car".

Heidi Newfield

This little blond is Heidi Newfield. We saw Heidi in concert at BamaJam last week and again this week on the "big stage" at LP Field during CMA Music Fest.

Heidi Newfield

Do you recognize Joyce's head between my camera and Heidi. She doesn't like me getting close to those young blonds. VBG

Bucky Covington

Bucky Covington spent time walking down the line shaking hands and signing autographs.

Jake Owen

Jake Owen also spent a good amount of time shaking hands and signing autographs.

I forget who this girl was but she was popular with the crowd. Help me with a name if you can.

Trace Atkins

Trace Atkins made his entrance without stopping by to mingle with us common folk.

James Otto

This is James Otto "I am not through loving you" signing autographs with Rodney Adkins behind him in the blue ball cap.

Rodney Adkins

This is Rodney Adkins and I think that is Martina McBride on the other side of him. Rodney had a hit song back in 2006 "If you are going through Hell" that was written by a friend of ours, Billy Pearson, who performs regularly at Tootsies on Panama City Beach in Florida.

Kyle Wentworth

I introduced you to Kyle Wentworth in an earlier travelogue. We made friends with Kyle yesterday while listening to our friends in Legends Corner. Kyle got up and sang with Crain & Mindy Campbell.

This is now Tuesday and a lot is going on where we are but we spotted Kyle and talk for a few minutes then we head to the area where the crowd is and Kyle heads to a Karaoki booth. I did mention that Kyle had a beautiful voice didn't I? Anyway, we agree to meet back in Legends Corner later.

OK, that could be the end of it but it is not. Kyle won 3-free tickets to the CMT Music Awards. That was enough for him to take Joyce and I with him. He looked frantically for us until the last minute (remember everyone had to be in their seats by 6:30). Yes, the doors closed and no one entered after 6:30. He went to the show without us. We were back at the Red Carpet hob-nobbing with the stars as they made their grand entry.

Later in the evening Kyle appears in Legends Corner where he shows us the two tickets that he still had for us. What a hoot. We could have gone to the event and to think those tickets were going for $175 each. Drat, the luck ----- but we would have missed much of the action in the pictures above.

Oh well. Such is life.

Now you know the rest of the story.

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That is all there is.

June 16, 2009

Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix