At its core, CMA Fest is a celebration of the lifeblood of country music – the fans. In its 50-year history, the festival has been known to host all-star collaborations alongside special moments and events in between.
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The heart of the event is philanthropy as a portion of the proceeds benefit the CMA Foundation, which supports music education programs across the country. As CMA Fest 2023 kicks off, we look back on some of the best moments in the festival’s history.
1. Garth Brooks Signs Autographs for 23 Hours
Perhaps the biggest non-performance moment in CMA Fest history is when Garth Brooks signed autographs for fans for 23 hours straight. In 1996, the festival was celebrating its 25th anniversary when it was called Fan Fair. The superstar singer set up shop near a vacant building in downtown Nashville where he spent nearly a full day signing autographs nonstop, posing for photos and listening to fans’ stories.
“Let’s go down to Fan Fair, park the truck, and see what happens,” Brooks told Midland on their Amazon Music podcast, Set it Straight, in 2021 about his intention behind the signing spree. “Our bosses are not the record labels. Our bosses are not country radio or the CMAs. As much as I love those people, our bosses are those people on the other side of radio. Those people that show up in those seats. I said, ‘Let’s go see what the bosses think…’
“I’m not sure I could sign autographs that long, but when you get to take pictures,” he continues. “And then hear those stories of what that music has done to them, and you’ve got somebody in a suit and tie going, ‘I don’t think you’re still among the people,’ I’m gonna take those stories over any awards or anything they can give me.”
2. Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas X and Keith Urban Perform “Old Town Road”
Lil Nas X’s global hit “Old Town Road” dominated the charts in 2019. The cross-genre smash blended the boundaries of country and rap music, particularly when ’90s country star Billy Ray Cyrus hopped on the remix and helped take it to the next level.
During Cyrus’ set at the 2019 CMA Fest, he left fans hanging when his 30-minute set at Nissan Stadium concluded without performing “Old Town Road.” But he delivered the ultimate surprise when he and Lil Nas X, with a special appearance by Keith Urban on banjo, came back out halfway through the show to perform the track that had the whole crowd singing and dancing along to every word. It was an unforgettable CMA Fest moment that proved music knows no bounds.
3. Carrie Underwood Slays with Joan Jett
Carrie Underwood delivered all the rock and roll girl power when she brought Joan Jett out as a surprise guest during her 2019 CMA Fest set. Nissan Stadium erupted in applause at Jett’s presence, the two joining forces on Jett’s hits “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” Crimson and Clover” and “I Love Rock and Roll” that showed off Underwood’s powerhouse voice and Jett’s guitar prowess.
“Joan Jett is an icon, a trailblazer for women in music,” Underwood raved. “We just thought, ‘What’s a dream [collaboration]?’ and asked if she’d come, and here she is.”
4. Jason Aldean and Lenny Kravitz Sing “American Woman”
Jason Aldean merged the worlds of rock and country when he brought the legendary Lenny Kravitz out onstage with him at Nissan Stadium to perform their collaborative cover of “American Woman” at the 2013 CMA Fest. With both shredding on guitar and trading vocals on the classic hit, it created an electrifying environment at the festival.
This collaboration led to a performance of Kravitz’s hit, “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” that had the crowd of thousands of fans roaring in support. But the set took an interesting turn when Kravitz performed a set of his own material. He didn’t get the reaction he hoped, and the singer flipped off the audience as he left the stage. Regardless, his stage presence and musical strength still made for a memorable CMA Fest appearance.
5. Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation March
One of Miranda Lambert’s passions outside of music is her love for animals. She got to combine the two when she led the MuttNation March during CMA Fest in 2017. Lambert led more than 1,000 people, and their beloved dogs, from Nissan Stadium and over the Pedestrian Bridge to downtown Nashville with their furry friends in toe.
The event was in support of her MuttNation Foundation, which provides resources for rescue and shelter animals. There was also a MuttNation mobile adoption unit onsite at the festival. It certainly made for a unique and heartwarming CMA Fest moment.
Photo by Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images
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