NASHVILLE – Luke Bryan and The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry will team up to host the summer’s hottest television music event when the ABC Television Network airs “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” on Monday, September 17th (8:00-11:00 PM/ET).
“We have so much fun playing at CMA Music Festival,” said Bryan. “The entire town of Nashville turns into one big party and performing at LP Field becomes one of the best shows we play all year.”
“CMA Music Fest is special to The Band Perry because we love spending time with our fans,” said Perry. “We are excited to be a part of ABC’s coverage of the four-day event, co-hosting the television special.”
Filmed June 7th-10th, many of today’s most exciting Country Music stars will hit the stage during a four-day party and celebration of America’s music. The annual event is unlike any other with 30 hours of autograph signings, 200 hours of live music, 450 artists and celebrities, and a party list of 65,000 avid, singing, dancing-till-dawn fans.
This is the eighth time ABC will broadcast this special – which invites the whole country to America’s biggest Country Music bash. Artists appearing in the television special have not yet been announced.
Artists performing as part of the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during 2012 CMA Music Festival include Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Bill Anderson, The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Glen Campbell, Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Randy Houser, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Love and Theft, The Mavericks, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Ronnie Milsap, Kip Moore, David Nail, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Gwen Sebastian, Blake Shelton, Steel Magnolia, Carrie Underwood, and Zac Brown Band.
Bryan was nominated for CMA New Artist of the Year in 2010 and 2011. His most recent album is the Platinum-certified tailgates & tanlines, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and features Platinum-certified digital singles “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” and “I Don’t Want This Night to End”; and current smash “Drunk on You,” which recently hit 1 million downloads.
Perry is the lead singer of The Band Perry, a family trio with her brothers Reid and Neil. She won her first solo CMA Award in 2011 for Song of the Year for writing “If I Die Young.” The Band Perry won two additional CMA Awards last year including New Artist of the Year and Single of the Year (“If I Die Young”). The group’s Platinum-certified, self-titled debut album features the four-times-Platinum-certified digital single “If I Die Young” and two Gold-certified digital singles “All Your Life” and “You Lie.”
Originally started as Fan Fair® in 1972, the legendary event has featured performances by every major star in the format. What started with 5,000 fans has grown to a daily attendance of more than 65,000 representing every state and 23 foreign countries.
The primetime television special, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock,” debuted in 2004 on CBS as a two-hour special highlighting the Festival and Music City. In 2005, the special moved to the ABC Television Network, and expanded to three hours in 2009.
AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about co-hosting this year’s CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock ABC-TV special.
Luke Bryan (co-hosting CMA Music Fest TV special) OC: …for the fans. :23
“Well, I’m co-hosting CMA Fest with Kimberly Perry, got a performance too. It’s probably going to be my busiest CMA Fest ever, so we’re excited. Last year, I didn’t get the chance to participate in everything, and so this year, I’m coming back with a big bang. It’s going to be a fun time. I’m really excited about hosting, and certainly getting onstage and playing a big show for the fans.”
