As we are getting closer to the 52nd annual CMA Awards, I couldn't be more excited for country music's biggest night on Wednesday, November 14th in Nashville.

In all the years that I have attended the ceremonies, or watched at home, I've looked back and picked some of my favorite moments. And I hope you love them as much as I do.

 

  •  Alan Jackson, in 1999, was irked at the CMA for what he perceived was their mistreatment of George Jones, so he cut his own performance short on live TV to glide into the Jones tune 'Choices'. The slap in the face to the CMA was loud and clear.

 

  • Also in 1999, Alabama performed 'God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You' with the members of N'SYNC. I thought it was a brilliant pairing, especially since I got to meet some members of the hottest boy band on the planet at a party afterwards!

 

  • In 1975, one of the most infamous incidents in country music history happened at the CMA Awards. Charlie Rich, when announcing that John Denver had won the Entertainer of the Year award, promptly set the envelope on fire in disdain. On stage. On live TV. This is probably my most favorite moment of all time, and I especially love that Glen Campbell, who was the host of the show, was smoking on stage during the live broadcast. Classic.

 

  • One of my favorite moments was in 1997, when pop superstar Sting sang with Toby Keith on ‘I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying’. It was one of the first times a rock star played his own song onstage during the live show, and they even managed to get the nominees out for the Musician of the Year category. Pretty awesome.

 

  • In 1993 Reba McEntire performed 'Does He Love You' with Linda Davis, live on the CMA Awards. The song was great, but Reba's low cut red dress was the talk of the town, and very controversial at the time. I personally thought she looked smokin' hot!

 

  • A few weeks after 9/11 Alan Jackson wrote a heartfelt tribute to that terrible day, and performed  it on the 2001 CMA Awards show. Everyone in the audience, and at home, was crying, and Alan later went on to win many many accolades and awards for his beautiful song. I was in the audience when he performed this, and it is a moment I will never forget.

 

 

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