The CMA Awards are turning the big 5-0 this year, and the Country Music Association is pulling out all the stops to celebrate this half-century milestone. On September 16, “Forever Country,” a mega-mashup of three iconic tunes (John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love you”) simultaneously hit the airwaves across multiple radio stations. The epic music event brought together 30 CMA Award-winning country all-stars for not only a once in a lifetime single, but also an amazing music video. The reaction to the song was so huge that it made its own place in music history, becoming only the third song in chart history to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Continuing the celebration, CMA recently introduced its “Forever Country Cover Series.” The four-video series features covers of CMA Award winning songs by current artists, each representing a different decade:
- Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” – Song of the Year (1979) covered by Mark Wills
- Randy Travis’ “Forever and Ever, Amen” – Single and Song of the Year (1987) covered by Jon Pardi
- Garth Brooks’ “Friends In Low Places” – Single of the Year (1991) covered by Dustin Lynch
- Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe” – Single, Song and Music Video of the Year (2006) covered by Lauren Alaina
The covers are performed acoustically, while each artist puts a bit of their own spin on the songs. You can watch these and upcoming videos here.
For more information about Forever Country, visit http://www.forevercountry50.com/
The 50th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will broadcast on ABC on Wednesday, November 2 at 8/7c. Click here for more information, including a list of this year’s nominees, presenters and performers (TBA).