Pictured (L-R): Lon Helton, Joseph Kahn, Shane McAnally, Karen Fairchild. Photo Credit: Kayla Schoen/CMA
CMA unveiled the music video of “Forever Country” with key industry members on Monday night (Sept. 19) at a viewing party presented by YouTube at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville.
CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern welcomed the guests and acknowledged the dedicated work of the CMA Board of Directors – many of whom were in attendance – for spearheading the project through numerous committees and developing a global release plan over the past 18 months.
“I mean it from my heart when I say that ‘Forever Country’ would never have been possible without the industry putting aside individual interests for the opportunity to help us promote the genre around the world and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the CMA Awards,” said Trahern.
The evening also featured a panel with Karen Fairchild, a CMA Board member and member of CMA Award-winning act Little Big Town; Joseph Kahn, Grammy Award-winning director of “Forever Country”; and Shane McAnally, “Forever Country” producer, also a CMA Board member and CMA Award winner. The panel was moderated by Lon Helton, CMA Board member and CMA National Broadcast Award winning host of Country Countdown USA.
Thirty CMA Award-winning acts with careers that span all five decades of the CMA Awards are featured in the “Forever Country” music video, which will be featured in a special sneak peek on Tuesday night on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars (8:00-10:00 PM/ET). Fans will be able to view the full version immediately following at ForeverCountry50.com.
The music video is set to a medley of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Denver, Nelson, and Parton are all former CMA Entertainers of the Year.
Following remarks from Trahern at the industry party, Vivien Lewit, a member of the CMA Board and YouTube Director of Music Content Partnerships, and John Esposito, CMA Board Chairman and CEO/President of Warner Music Nashville, addressed the audience. Also in attendance was CMA Award winner and 2016 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Randy Travis, who makes a special appearance in the “Forever Country” music video.
Pictured (L-R): Steve Buchanan, Opry Entertainment President; Vivien Lewit, YouTube Director of Music Content Partnerships; Lon Helton, host of Country Countdown USA; Terry Calonge, owner of Richards and Southern, Inc.; Mark Bright, owner of Mark Bright Productions; Kurt Johnson, Townsquare Media Senior Vice President of Programming; Karen Fairchild; Deb McDermott, Media General Chief Executive Officer; Shane McAnally; Joseph Kahn; Tony Conway, Conway Entertainment Group President; Randy Travis; Scott Scovill, owner of Moo TV, CenterStaging, LLC, and Moo Creative Media; Sally Williams, Ryman Auditorium General Manager; Sherod Robertson, MusicRow Enterprises President and owner; Victoria Shaw; Biff Watson, Biff-Bangs Productions, Inc. President; Kerri Edwards, KP Entertainment President; Butch Spyridon, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation President and CEO; Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer; Damon Whiteside, CMA Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships; Pat Collins, SESAC Vice Chairman; and John Esposito, CEO/President of Warner Music Nashville. Photo Credit: Kayla Schoen / CMA
