Time Life in conjunction with the Country Music Association is proud to announce the upcoming release of CMA Awards Live: Greatest Moments 1968-2015, an extensive 10-DVD set of many of Country’s musical moments that have made history over the years. Time Life will begin taking pre-orders Wednesday, Oct. 11, with a 30-minute infomercial promoting the package airing throughout the fourth quarter of 2017. CMA Awards Live will be officially released to retail early next year.
Since 1968, millions of Country Music fans tune in each year to the CMA Awards to see which of their favorites walk away with the most coveted awards in the industry. In addition to the presentation of the yearly accolades to the biggest stars in the Country format, the yearly telecast is famous for historic performances and collaborations – many of which are the first time legendary songs were featured on television. Outside of their original airings, these performances have never been commercially available.
The set includes 127 performances from five decades of the nationally-televised ceremony, with performances from many of the premiere artists in the genre – Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Barbara Mandrell, Buck Owens and Kenny Rogers – all of which helped define the sound that brought popular appeal to Country Music.
CMA Awards Live: Greatest Moments 1968-2015 features unforgettable moments from the artists who have nurtured the sound over the past decade and taken the music to new heights, like Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.
Besides the performances, the set also includes bonus features and interviews with artists who have performed – and won – on the telecast over the years, including Naomi Judd and Charley Pride, as well as the last interview with the longest-serving CMA Executive Director, Jo Walker Meador, and CMA’s current Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. Other moments include:
• Merle Haggard’s performance of the iconic “Okie From Muskogee,” the Single of the Year from 1970 – the same night that he was named CMA Entertainer of the Year.
• Dolly Parton and Kenny Roger’s riveting performance of “Islands In The Stream,” which opened up the 1983 telecast – the same year that the song topped the Country and Pop charts throughout the world.
• Alan Jackson’s 2001 world premiere performance of “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” which captivated America following the tragic 9/11 attacks.
• CMA Entertainer of the Year winners Brooks and Dunn (1996) and Reba McEntire (1986) performing a passionate version of “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” in 2008.
• Alan Jackson and George Strait’s tender tribute to George Jones following his passing in 2013 with a soaring version of “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” a CMA Single and Song of the Year winner from 1980.
And, speaking of collaborations, there are plenty in the collection, like once-in-a-lifetime pairings of artists Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette, from 1993 performing “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” and an incredible performance from Miranda Lambert, Loretta Lynn, and Sheryl Crow of Lynn’s signature “Coal Miners’ Daughter” from 2010.
CMA Awards Live: Greatest Moments 1968-2015 also features many performances from some of music’s biggest stars from outside of the format, including Jimmy Buffett, Rita Coolidge and Lionel Richie. Also included with the collection is a 44-page collectible booklet featuring Award winners and the history of the CMA Awards shows.
About Time Life
Time Life is one of the world’s pre-eminent creators and direct marketers of unique music and video/DVD products, specializing in distinctive multi-media collections that evoke memories of yesterday, capture the spirit of today, and can be enjoyed for a lifetime. TIME LIFE and the TIME LIFE logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc.
About the CMA Awards
The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on television for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network TV. The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006. ABC will be the network home of the CMA Awards and CMA’s other two television properties, “CMA Fest” and “CMA Country Christmas,” through 2021.
