The critically-acclaimed concert series “Front and Center” and the Country Music Association have teamed up to present four all-new CMA Songwriters Series episodes set to air as part of “Front and Center’s” Spring season on public television (check local listings).
The shows will feature performances from some of the hottest names in Country Music including Brandy Clark, Bob DiPiero, Sara Evans, Hunter Hayes, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, and Charlie Worsham, who have collectively sold more then 20 million albums, won 12 CMA Awards, had 11 No.1 albums and charted more than 30 No.1 singles.
Along with a virtual who’s who of songwriters, the shows will be filmed from Marathon Music Works in Nashville onDec. 1 and 2.
Last season “Front and Center” announced its partnership with the CMA and taped two shows. One featured Lady Antebellum and the second a special 10th Anniversary Celebration of the CMA Songwriters Series with Dierks Bentley. The episodes premiered last month as part of the 48th Annual CMA Awards celebration and will continue to air through the end of the year.
“CMA is extremely proud of our songwriters and their many contributions to the success of Country Music,” saidSarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “And we are thrilled to partner with ‘Front and Center’ again to shine a national spotlight on this important segment of our industry. It’s great knowing that we have a partner who truly appreciates the talent of Nashville’s creative community.”
“The reaction that we received as a result of our partnership with the CMA, and subsequently from the shows that we aired with Lady Antebellum and Dierks, was overwhelming,” said “Front and Center” Executive Producer Don Maggi. “The acceptance that ‘Front and Center’ has received from the Nashville music community, and its fans, left no question that we should do even more for the forthcoming Spring season. Four NEW CMA Songwriters Series shows, with some of the best that Country music has to offer – a clear victory for the fans that will get to see these artists in a one-of-a-kind setting.”
Evans and McBride will take the stage at 6:30 PM/CT on Monday, Dec. 1, followed by a 9:30 PM/CT performance with Hayes. Little Big Town will open the performances on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6:30 PM/CT, followed by Bob DiPiero and Friends: Clark, McAnally and Worsham at 9:30 PM/CT. Tickets for all shows will go on sale at 10:00 AM/ET, Saturday, Nov. 21st, and can be purchasedhttps://www.citiprivatepass.com/landing/cma_events.html
CMA Award winners Evans and McBride will join forces for a CMA Songwriters Series “Ladies Night Out.” McBride has sold more than 18 million albums, which have included 20 top 10 singles and six No. 1s. She has earned more than 15 major music awards including four wins for the CMA Female Vocalist of The Year. Evans’ recent studio album Slow Me Down debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. She is also a CMA Award-winning artist who has had five No. 1 songs, two No. 1 Country albums and has been nominated and/or won nearly 10 major music awards. They will take the stage with some of Nashville’s finest songwriters, with whom some of their best-loved songs have been crafted.
Four-time Grammy Award nominee and CMA Award-winning artist Hayes roared on to the music scene in 2011 with his No. 1, self-titled, Platinum-selling debut. With three No. 1 singles under his belt, his latest release, Storyline, features the new single “Tattoo” which is already Top 25 and climbing. Hayes, the consummate songwriter having written or co-written all his recordings, will be joined onstage by fellow writers Barry Dean, Lori McKenna, and Gordie Sampson, all of whom wrote with him on his recent album.
The three-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Little Big Town, will bring out songwriter collaborators and friends to celebrate some of the band’s best-loved hits. The recent Grand Ole Opry inductees first entered the music scene more than 15 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It Home” and the Grammy nominated single “Little White Church.” Their latest, Pain Killer, features the No. 3 single “Day Drinking” and fan favorite “Girl Crush.”
The final taping on Tuesday will be Bob DiPiero and Friends. DiPiero was instrumental in the creation of the CMA Songwriters Series back in 2005. A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he has notched 15 No. 1 Hits including “Little Rock” (recorded by Reba), “Blue Clear Sky” (recorded by George Strait), and “Southern Voice” (recorded by Tim McGraw). He will be joined by 2014 CMA Song of the Year winners, Clark and Shane McAnally as well as Warner Music Nashville recording artist Worsham.
For more information on the CMA Songwriters Series visit CMAsongwritersseries.com.
Citi® cardmembers will have exclusive access to purchase tickets to these shows through its Citi Private Pass® program beginning Saturday, Nov. 23rd. For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://www.citiprivatepass.com/landing/cma_events.html.
About “Front and Center: “Front and Center” is the critically-acclaimed concert series that was launched in the spring of 2012. The original one hour, commercial-free, all-music series airs nationwide on public television (check local listings). Through the years, it has presented an eclectic mix of Grammy, Country Music Association, American Music and Academy of Country Music Award winners, rock icons, and multi-platinum sellers including Keith Urban, The Fray, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Dierks Bentley, Jack Johnson, Counting Crows and The Avett Brothers.
“Front and Center” is a production of Front and Center Entertainment, LLC in association with WLIW21 for WNET, and distributed by American Public Television.
All episodes of “Front and Center” are directed by Pierre and François Lamoureux of FogoLabs.
For more information on the “Front and Center” music series please visitfrontandcenter.com and check out the YouTube page atyoutube.com/frontandcentertv.
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