Terri Clark Kicks Off 2007 CMA Music Festival on the Greased Lightning Daytime Stages

Terri Clark Kicks Off 2007 CMA Music Festival on the Greased Lightning Daytime Stages

Craig Morgan, John Anderson, Jamie O'Neal and Chris Young Join Clark To Jump-Start Four Full Days of Non-Stop Music in Downtown Nashville

GAC To Tape Performances for Upcoming Concert Series

Tickets for Riverfront Shows Available at the Gate for $14 a Day

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- How do you kick off the biggest Country Music festival in the world? With one of the most fan-friendly, crowd- pleasing entertainers in the format -- Terri Clark. The leave'em rocking singer/songwriter kicks off the 2007 CMA Music Festival on the Greased Lightning(R) Daytime Stages Thursday, June 7 (10:00 AM/CT) with her distinctive brand of power Country. The four-day event takes place in Downtown Nashville and runs through Sunday, June 10.

"Terri Clark is one of the most energetic performers in Country Music today," said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Operating Officer. "She is a fan- favorite; her high-energy performance and engaging personality will set the tone for four days of fun, great music and great times."

Clark, a quadruple CMA Award nominee, has sold more than 4 million albums and scored nearly a dozen Top 10 hits, including "Better Things To Do," "I Wanna Do It All" and "Girls Lie, Too." The first Canadian woman inducted into the historic Grand Ole Opry, she is a prolific entertainer, musician, producer and songwriter. Recently signed to BNA Records, her debut single "Dirty Girl" is fast climbing the singles and download charts and her new album My Next Life will hit stores in August.

Joining Clark in the opening morning show June 7 are Craig Morgan, John Anderson, Jamie O'Neal and Chris Young. Genovese added, "What I love about all of these performers is the diversity of styles and talent they bring to the occasion. This group is a microcosm of the best this Festival has to offer -- a place where you can find your favorite stars and discover the stars of tomorrow."

Since it began in 1972, CMA Music Festival has been about the fans and every year CMA attempts to put together concert performances that will bring them to their feet. And this year is no exception.

Other artists added to the line up of stars at Riverfront include Lynn Anderson, T. Graham Brown, Jason Michael Carroll, John Conlee, 2007 "Nashville Star" winner Angela Hacker, Steve Holy, Hal Ketchum, Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Louvin, Rockie Lynne, Lorrie Morgan, Connie Smith and many more.

Single-day tickets for the Greased Lightning Daytime Stages will be sold the day of each show at the gate for $14 each. Children 6 and younger are admitted free of charge, making the Riverfront concerts a popular destination for families who want to enjoy great musical performances while relaxing on the sloping bank of the Cumberland River. The concerts are fun in the sun within easy walking distance of all the Festival event sites, with food vendors, activities and more.

The opening festivities are just the start of more than 30 hours of performances covering the entire range of Country Music from today's rising stars, to legends, bluegrass, and more at the Greased Lightning Daytime Stages. Over the four-day event, more than 100 artists are scheduled to perform during the Daytime Concerts.

Thursday, June 7:

John Anderson, Catherine Britt, Sarah Buxton, Eric Church, Terri Clark, Bucky Covington, Ty Herndon, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Blaine Larsen, Little Texas, Neal McCoy, Craig Morgan, Jamie O'Neal, Jake Owen, Danielle Peck, PovertyNeck Hillbillies, Julie Roberts, Kevin Sharp, Trent Tomlinson, Gene Watson, Whiskey Falls, Darryl Worley, and Chris Young.

Friday, June 8:

Luke Bryan, Carolina Rain, Jason Michael Carroll, Cole Deggs & the Lonesome Brad Cotter, Dusty Drake, Katrina Elam, Jace Everett, Flynnville Train, Josh Gracin, Andy Griggs, Angela Hacker, Jennifer Hanson, Heartland, Steve Holy, Jypsi, Hal Ketchum, The Lost Trailers, Ashley Monroe, Lorrie Morgan, Megan Mullins, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ray Scott, Jeffrey Steele, and Mark Wills.

Saturday, June 9:

Alvarado Road Show, Jeff Bates, Blue County, Bomshel, Lane Brody, T. Graham Brown, Laura Bryna, Sonny Burgess, Donovan Chapman, Cowboy Crush, Crossin Dixon, Linda Davis, Emerson Drive, Morgan Evans, Adam Harvey, Lady Antebellum, Rockie Lynne, Lila McCann, Memarie, Jerrod Niemann, Michael Peterson, Carmen Rasmusen, The Road Hammers, Connie Smith, Rick Trevino, Trick Pony, and Bryan White.

Sunday, June 10:

Deborah Allen, Lynn Anderson, John Berry, Lee Brice, Carter's Chord, Elizabeth Cook, John Conlee, Earl Thomas Conley, Amy Dalley, Janie Fricke, Todd Fristch, Billy Gilman, The Grascals, LoCash Cowboys, Charlie Louvin, Pirates of the Mississippi, Rio Grand, John Stone, Pam Tillis, Aaron Tippin, Jett Williams, and Trent Willmon.

And bringing the excitement to the fans at home is Great American Country. GAC will capture numerous performances at Riverfront Park for a 13-part concert series to air this fall. In addition, "GAC Nights," the network's nightly primetime program, will be on hand each day as host Suzanne Alexander speaks with artists and fans. And once again, GAC will produce two "CMA Celebrity Close Up" programs, hosted by popular media personality Lorianne Crook. The GAC autograph booth inside the Fan Fair(R) Exhibit Hall at the Nashville Convention Center will be buzzing with artists who will sign autographs and pose for photos throughout the event. Check in with http://www.gactv.com/ for the latest information on GAC's involvement and coverage of CMA Music Festival.

The National Anthem will be sung by Minnie Murphy on June 7; Rissi Palmer on June 8; Keni Thomas on June 9; and Rhonda Towns on Sunday, June 10. Each day's concert schedule is broken down into hosted segments. Among the hosts scheduled to appear during the Daytime Concerts are GAC personality Suzanne Alexander; XM Satellite Radio personality Jon Anthony; GAC personality Bill Cody; GAC personality Lorianne Crook; WSIX Radio (Nashville) personality Slam Duncan; WGSQ Radio (Cookeville, Tenn.) personality Philip Gibbons; GAC personality Kylie Harris; owner Country Air Check and host of the weekly "CMT Country Countdown USA" Lon Helton; The Tennessean celebrity columnist Beverly Keel; radio personality and "The Unofficial Mayor of Music Row" Charlie Monk; WKRN-TV (Nashville ABC affiliate) entertainment reporter Brad Schmitt; WZTV-TV (Nashville FOX affiliate) personality Kelly Sutton; MuzikMafia member Two Foot Fred; GAC personality Storme Warren; and WGKX Radio (Memphis) personalities Young & Elder. Special appearances will also be made by some of the ABC Daytime actors on Saturday, June 9.

Greased Lightning has been a title sponsor of the Daytime Stages since 2002.

"We are honored to be a sponsor for CMA and particularly this event. It's not only a sampling opportunity for us, but we actually get our retailers involved and we get to interact with consumers," said Greased Lightning Brand Manager Tracy Hudson. "Country Music has the greatest and most loyal fans and every year we look forward to participating in the CMA Music Festival."

This year, selected show segments on the Greased Lightning Daytime Stages will be sponsored by partners including Dr. Pepper, New Holland and Wrangler.

"The Wrangler brand has proudly partnered with the CMA Music Festival for six years now and we wouldn't miss the chance to be involved again this year," said Edyie Brooks-Bryant, Marketing Manager, Wrangler Special Events. "We're especially excited to be a part of the Riverfront concerts and activities and to have the rare opportunity to interact with some of our most-beloved consumers -- Country Music fans!"

All of the artists participating in CMA Music Festival donate their time. They are not compensated for performing. In appreciation of their continued support, CMA launched "Keep the Music Playing," a program, which donates half the net proceeds from the event to the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, to support music education in Metro Nashville's 134 public schools. In March, CMA donated $368,000 from the 2006 CMA Music Festival for music education brining to date a total of $1.1 million that CMA has donated to charity on behalf of the artists who participate in the Festival.

For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artist appearances and more, visit http://www.cmafest.com/ and sign up for e-news.

CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. CMA Board member Tony Conway is the Executive Producer of CMA Music Festival. Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio broadcaster. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music. Borders(R) Books & Music: The Official Music & Book retailer of the CMA Music Festival. Additional promotional partners include American Airlines, Coca-Cola(R), Country Weekly, CMT(R), Crisco(R), Dr Pepper(R), GAC, Great American Country, Greased Lightning Cleaning Products(R), Gibson Guitar(R), Hard Rock Café Nashville, Music Festivals(R), New Holland Agriculture Equipment S.p.A., On the Run(R) at Exxon, Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, The Sportsman Channel(R), Wrangler(R), and Yamaha Motor Corp., USA. Fan Fair(R) is a registered trademark of CMA.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Country Music Association

CONTACT: Wendy Pearl, +1-615-244-2840, or Scott Stem +1-615-244-2840,
both of CMA; or Lee Hall of GAC, +1-865-560-3853

Web site: http://www.cmaworld.com/
http://www.cmafest.com/
http://www.gactv.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For information, logos and downloadable photos, visit CMA's media Website, www.CMApress.com. Journalists may also register on this site for media credentials to cover activities during the 2007 CMA Music Festival.

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Profile: International Entertainment