Fans Come First at CMA Music Fest

Country artists and fans alike are getting ready for this week's CMA Music Festival, the four-day event, which began in 1972 as Fan Fair. The festival draws more than 400 artists and celebrities who perform at various venues around Nashville and also hold autograph sessions.

This year's event takes place June 10 - 13 in Nashville, and it is a time when country music fans take precedence over everything else. Folks such as Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson and many more explain what their fans mean to them.

Carrie Underwood remembers her first time at CMA Music Festival. "My very first CMA Music Fest right after ['American] Idol,' that's a moment I will never forget," states the superstar. "It's just amazing that country music does something like that for the fans, and the fans come to support their favorite country music people, doing a lot of autograph signing and things like that."

Most of the time, Trace Adkins speaks his mind, and his fans are no different. "They don't have a problem telling you when they like something or when they don't," says Trace. "I hear it all the time. I always think it's funny, though, when somebody will stand in line for an hour just to get up to you and bitch about something." Fans attending the festival can catch Trace performing at LP Field on Sunday, June 13.

Taylor Swift, who meets with her fans at every show, and will hold a 13-hour meet-and-greet this year, says she dreamed one day of being an artist at the CMA Music Festival. "I remember when I was 14 years old and I was holding a clipboard, interning at the CMA Music Fest and just feeling that if there was ever a chance that someday people would line up to have me sign something of theirs, that that would be a very, very good day for me ... and it's so wonderful to get the chance to do this."

Josh Turner says the weirdest thing he ever had to sign for a fan was an "unused toothpick. It was quite challenging, actually. It didn't look anything like my autograph. It took a really small Sharpie, though."

Tim McGraw loves performing for his fans. "It's a rush [to walk out onstage]," explains Tim. "When it's time to do the show, I think it's the energy of the crowd [that gets to me]. When you're 16 years old and you're dreaming about being a rock star, you're not dreaming about being in a studio with some headphones on. You're thinking about being out in front of all those people and having a great time. And I still get to do it, and it still feels great to me every time I go out there." Tim will be out and about at this year's Music Fest. He'll be signing autographs in the Fan Fair exhibit hall, as well as performing at LP Field on Thursday, June 10.

Dierks Bentley's fan club, the DB Congress, follow him everywhere, and he is nearly everywhere playing hundreds of shows a year. "Everything we do revolves around the road and playing live shows and being in front of people and that's why we're out so much on the road," says Dierks. "I really feel like I've met everyone who's bought one of my records. I truly feel like that ... we have such hardcore fans that sing along to every song off the record[s] ... I feel really blessed to get out there every night and have them get up and sing these songs back to me."

Alan Jackson has been making music professionally for more than 20 years, but still considers himself a fan. "I've had a huge fan club forever, and just some of the greatest fans," says the singer-songwriter. "I can't imagine that every format of music and every artist has the support that I've had. I mean, they follow me all over the country and like most people do that sing ... but country music fans I think are a little different. They like to be more personal. I've always felt like that I'm still more of a fan in a way than I am a music business person. And so, I guess I still relate." Alan performs at LP Field on Thursday, June 10.

Kenny Chesney, who is taking a year off from touring, is not scheduled to participate in this year's CMA Music Festival, but he certainly enjoys his fans, even the most fanatical of them. "Some of the more rabid ones, they'll follow us to the next city and follow us to the hotel," laughs Kenny. "This is no lie ... my steel guitar player one night had a heart attack in Virginia Beach, and there were some fans that literally beat the ambulance to the hospital ... but for the most part, it's OK."

Blake Shelton has a unique relationship with his fans, which is a bit different from other country artists. "There have been times where she and I have been together, and she'll be recognized and I won't or vice versa," says Blake about he and fiance Miranda Lambert. "When somebody recognizes Miranda, they're kind of timid and they circle like a buzzard and they finally get the nerve up and say, 'Are you Miranda? Can I have your autograph? I love your music.' And with my fans, it's never that way. My fans, it's like a drive by. 'Hey Blake, kiss my ass!' But a kiss my ass with a thumbs up, like a good old boy deal. Or 'Blake, what the hell is wrong with you?' Or they think it's fun because of the 'Some Beach' video that it's fun to flip me off. They assume that it's flattering to me, so I'll flip them off back and they love it. That's the kind of relationship that I have with my fans, and I think that's why they call themselves BSers, because none of them take themselves or me that seriously." Blake is set to to take to the stage Sunday, June 13 at LP Field.

Miranda Lambert, who performs at LP Field on Friday, June 11, recalls totally losing her cool when she attended Fan Fair as a young teen. "I completely mobbed Tammy Cochran, randomly, for no reason and was freaking out," explains Miranda. "I was up here with my parents, and I was the biggest gherm, groupie fan ever and would not shut up, and she probably hates me to this day [laughs]. She doesn't know it's me, though ... I'm sure she doesn't remember."

Kellie Pickler also had moments where she found herself a bit overwhelmed by meeting some of her idols. "The first time I was really starstruck was when I met Martina McBride and when I met Dolly Parton," says Kellie. "But the last time I was really starstruck, I met Shania Twain, and I started crying. I was so embarrassed. I was like, 'Holy cow, I just totally cried in front of Shania,' and she said, 'No, don't mess your make-up up.' I know I probably scared her to death, but I made a fool of myself ... sorry, Shania!"

Martina McBride enjoys performing for her fans. "I love looking out there and seeing my fans and people singing a long," the mother of three says. "When you think about the fact that they pay their hard-earned money for a ticket and they plan on it ... I just remember the feeling going to concerts myself and how excited you'd get for weeks ahead of time and just all that excitement, and I think, 'Wow! People are doing that coming to my show!' And it makes me want to go out there and give them the very best show that I possibly can because it's important, and it's a privilege to get to be up there and to share that experience with them."

Reba McEntire is constantly surprised by her fans. "It never ceases to amaze me the dedication of a country music fan," says the redheaded superstar. "They always come up with something new that makes me go, 'Wow! Now why would you do that?' But they were there. They've always been there. They're sweet." Reba is set to perform for her fans on Friday, June 11 at LP Field.

The guys of Rascal Flatts know where their paycheck comes from, and it's the fans. "The fans employ us as artists," says lead singer Gary LeVox. "Sometimes we don't realize that, but we've been very fortunate to have a lot of success. And looking back, it's like 'Wow! They've employed us for awhile now and for a lot of different things.'"

The legendary Dolly Parton is in agreement with Rascal Flatts. "If it wasn't for the fans, we wouldn't buy our groceries," states the bigger-than-life star. "And I never take that for granted, I never have, and I've been at it for a long time."



Jo Dee Messina, who has had her share of issues in getting new music to the fans, says they are her support group. "The fans sustained me through the time, or the downtime, between records by coming to the shows, still checking the website, still writing their letters, always just showing support," she says. "That's pretty phenomenal ... country fans are as loyal as the day is long, and we need to be grateful for that."

Trisha Yearwood, who will appear at Chely Wright's Reading, Writing and Rhythm benefit concert on Tuesday, says sometimes fans are too generous. "I made the mistake of mentioning some things that I liked at one point, and people would bring me jars of peanut butter," says Trisha. "I love peanut butter, but I've got enough ... It's just like after we made the album cover with the sunflowers on it. I really do like sunflowers, but I got a lot of sunflowers."