Nashville’s CMA Music Fest is a four-day event that attracts country music fans from across the United States, and from around the world – including plenty of Australians. This year’s festival wrapped up on the weekend, and among the visitors this year was a group of Aussies, led by local travel agent Chris Watson.
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Nashville’s Broadway was filled with people during the festival. Music was blaring from the honky tonk bars. Daytime concerts were held on the Riverfront Park and other stages during the four days and plenty of singers were signing autographs down at the convention centre. Then each evening, the biggest stars took to the stage in the nearby Nissan Stadium, in front of 70,000 people.
“We took 31 people, 10 of these from Tamworth, others from Newcastle, Brisbane, Wollongong, Berry and Coffs Harbour,” Chris said.
The 10-day tour to Nashville is the 13th Chris has taken to CMA Fest.
The festival began in the early 1970s and for years was known as Fan Fair.
By then Nashville was well established as country music’s base.
Recording studios began popping up along 16th Avenue in the 1950s, followed by music publishing companies and others who make a living from music. They came because there were plenty of musicians there to play on the records.
The musicians were here because the Grand Ole Opry offered work.
The Grand Ole Opry promotes itself as “the show that made country music famous” and each week it is still broadcast across the USA with current stars and past legends regularly performing on the program.
Chris said highlights this year included a backstage tour of the Opry, a tour of RCA Studio B, where artists such as Elvis and Dolly Parton recorded, and a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
With the success of the television show Nashville, sites featured in the show were also on the itinerary for the tourists, who visited the Bluebird Cafe and iconic honky tonks along lower Broadway.
A welcome lunch was held for the Australian contingent last week at the George Jones Museum on Second Ave.
Performers at the lunch included Americans Darryl Worley and Ty Herndon, along with Aussies Troy Casser-Daley, O’Shea, this year’s Star Maker winner Karin Page, Travis Collins,Kaylee Bell and Kristy Cox.
“Clients received moonshine signed by (George’s widow) Nancy Jones,” Chris said, while another highlight was a night at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night last week.
Artists performing on the night included Carrie Underwood, Bill Anderson, Chris Jansen , Charles Esten (from the TV show Nashville), Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley and Cheap Trick.
“Back in the heart of town, the group was not overly impressed when Tootsie’s honky tonk was full and had a line with a one-hour wait. However management opened the artist’s entry and let our group in the back door,” Chris said.
Each night, from Thursday to Sunday, about 70,000 country music fans filled Nissan Stadium to hear the biggest stars in the industry.
“With great lower level premium seats, the group didn’t miss out on any action,” Chris said.
Among the performers at the stadium each night were Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Chris Young, Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line.
It’s well documented how Keith Urban became the biggest success story among the Australians, who have tried to make their mark in Nashville – although it did take the best part of a decade battling financially and battling substance abuse to get there.
When he walked onto the stage at Nissan Stadium in front of thousands of screaming fans – Australian flags waved proudly in the crowd.
