Miranda Lambert & Lady Antibellium at CMA Country Music Association Awards

June 16, 2009:

This travellog is nothing but pictures we captured as Country Music Stars exited the Red Carpet area to enter the Sommet Center where the CMT Country Music Television was hosting their nationally televised Awards show. We did not have tickets. We were looking for free tickets and did not luck out although we did get VERY close. Ticket hawkers on the street were selling tickets for $175.

On the last night of "Fan Fair" we noticed a huge tent being erected on 5th street as we made our way back to our car, after the big show at LP field (Titan Stadium). It was after midnight and we wondered why they were erecting a tent in that location while every other venue was being disassembled. The stages and stuff being disassembled were associated with the CMA Music Fest" which was officially over. Later we found out that the huge tent being erected on/in 5th street next to the Sommet Center was the location for the Red Carpet where the media fawns over each "star" as they arrive for the CMT Awards Show scheduled for Tuesday night.

Now you know the setting. It is Tuesday night around 5pm and we were arriving on Broadway later than usual since we were still recovering from Fan Fair where we had NOT gotten home earlier than 2am in 5-days/nights. As we are walking down 5th street past the old Ryman Auditorium toward Broadway, and our favorite honky tonks, we noticed a crowd of folks around that huge tent which was situated about 1/2 block south of Broadway. We peaked in Legends Corner and did not recognize the band so decided to walk down to the tent and see what was attracting the crowd.

What we found was an area that had been barricade off so as to cordon off a pathway from that tent into the Sommet Center where the CMT Awards Ceremony was being televised. Ahhh, so now we were able to put things together. The tent was the Red Carpet area where massive amounts of media were interviewing each star as they arrived. After leaving that Red Carpet the stars still had to make their way into the Sommet Center and it was along this barricaded area that they walked. Now we knew what all the excitement was about. Most people in this crowd had tickets to the event and had to be in their seats by 6:30 because the entry doors closed then and no one was allowed into the seating area after that. That seemed strange to me but they all said it had to do with the event being televised and was customary.

While we are not the brightest crayons in the box it did not take either of us but a nanosecond to realize that it would not be long before this crowd would dissipate. In a few minutes they evaporated as they rushed into the Sommet Center to take their seats thus leaving us with "ring side seats" to the walkway between the Red Carpet and the Sommet Center.

In short order there we were with ring side seats ------ getting caught up in the excitement and having as much fun a couple of teenagers.

Miranda Lambert exiting the Red Carpet at CMA Awards Show Nashville, Tennessee

Recognizing all the stars is difficult for us since we do not see them on TV very often and that is the only place I could put a face with a name. However, I think this pretty blond is Miranda Lambert. The crowd was going wild so it was one of the big name stars and I am betting that it is Miranda.

If by chance this is not Miranda please let me know .....here is the email address:

just put "info" in the place of "FAKE" in this address: FAKE@travellogs.us

Miranda Lambert exiting the Red Carpet at CMA Awards Show Nashville, Tennessee

Miranda stopped and posed for us. I think she was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention she was receiving.

If by chance this is not Miranda please let me know .....here is the email address:

just put "info" in the place of "FAKE" in this address: FAKE@travellogs.us

Lady Antebellum exiting the Red Carpet at CMA Awards Show Nashville, Tennessee

This is the group Lady Antebellum posing for us.

Lady Antebellum exiting the Red Carpet at CMA Awards Show Nashville, Tennessee

Actually, this is the "voice" that propels Lady "A", in my opinion. She broke away from the boys and started signing autographs.

Kyle Wentworth singing in one of the honky tonks along Broadway Street in Nashville, Tennessee

I introduced you to Kyle Wentworth in an earlier travelogue. We made friends with Kyle yesterday while listening to our friends in Legends Corner. Kyle got up and sang with Craig Campbell & Mindy Ellis.

This is now Tuesday and a lot is going on where we are but we spotted Kyle and talked for a few minutes then we head to the area where the crowd is and Kyle heads to a Karaoki booth. I did mention that Kyle had a beautiful voice didn't I? Anyway, we agree to meet back in Legends Corner later.

OK, that could be the end of it but it is not. Kyle won 3-free tickets to the CMT Music Awards. That was enough for him to take Joyce and I with him. He looked frantically for us until the last minute (remember everyone had to be in their seats by 6:30). Yes, the doors closed and no one entered after 6:30. He went to the show without us. We were back at the Red Carpet hob-nobbing with the stars as they made their grand entry.

Later in the evening Kyle appears in Legends Corner where he shows us the two tickets that he still had for us. What a hoot. We could have gone to the event and to think those tickets were going for $175 each. Drat, the luck ----- but we would have missed much of the action in the pictures above.

Oh well. Such is life.

Now you know the rest of the story.

That is all there is.