Excitement builds for CMA Awards show

10/28/2005

The upcoming CMA Awards show promises to be a special treat this

year. Always known as country music's biggest night, organizers are

reaching out to all genres this year.

For the first time, the CMAs will not be in Nashville. It will air

from 8 to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

On Monday, it was announced that Bon Jovi will be performing with

Sugarland. For those who caught the recent edition of "CMT

Crossroads," they saw Jon Bon Jovi and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles

powerful debut of a new duet, "Who Says You Can't Go Home," which is on Bon Jovi's recently released record, "Have a Nice Day."

In addition to the Bon Jovi/Sugarland collaboration during the show,

Willie Nelson and Paul Simon will perform together. And Garth Brooks will perform his current single, "Good Ride Cowboy," with Chris LeDoux's band, Western Underground, during a special tribute to LeDoux, who died earlier this year.

Others scheduled to perform include Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Julie Roberts, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, and Lee Ann Womack.

* * *

Speaking of Evans, she'll be performing her new single, "Cheatin',"

on the CMA show. Evans continues to pump out the hits (the latest

being the No. 1 hit "A Real Fine Place to Start"), but she hasn't had

much luck filming videos. During the filming of the video for "A Real

Fine Place to Start," she almost stepped on a rattlesnake and had a

close call with a cliff. This time around, Sara cut her foot on an

old copper pipe when she was changing clothes in a trailer during the

filming of the video for "Cheatin'." That cut resulted in a trip to

the doctor's and a tetanus shot.

* * *

CMT will debut "Shooter" this Saturday at 10 p.m. The series follows

Shooter Jennings, the 26-year-old son of Waylon Jennings and Jessi

Colter, on the road as he seeks to build on the success of his first

album, the critically acclaimed, "Put the O Back in Country."

Shooter's finishing up his second album, "Electric Rodeo," which

should be released in April.

To get an idea of the type of lungs this guy has and the passion he

has for his music, consider this: The singer/songwriter is healing

from a cracked rib he suffered on stage from singing too hard. He

finished his set and checked himself into the hospital the next

morning.

* * *

And finally, Blaine Larsen may not be able to buy a beer yet, but

he's already put out a successful album, "Off to Join the World,"

opened shows for Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts, and earned his

pilot's license.

Earlier this month, Larsen, 19, achieved his certification aboard a

single-prop engine Cessna.

"Everyone's really excited for me, but no one has volunteered to go

up with me yet," Blaine joked.

He's going to have a hard time getting in flying time anytime soon,

however. This week he returned to the studio to begin work on his

second record. The first single is due to hit radios at the beginning

of the year.