CMA Celebrates 50 Years of Service to Country Music

Those who arrived for CMA's 50th Anniversary celebration on the evening of Sept. 24, were serenaded in the lobby of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum by a medley of sounds: the strains of a string trio, playing Country standards and other tunes with a classical air, and the bubbling of water as it flowed from the second-floor fountain along the staircase into the wishing pool near the entryway.

A touch of elegance softened by an evocation of pastoral streams, the Museum edifice testifying to the endurance of Country Music with pennies in a pool forecasting a hopeful future: These details, brought to life by an assembly of artists, industry executives and civic leaders, seemed to mirror the story of CMA - the iconography as well as the humanity in all it has accomplished.

Highlights included Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen sharing his appreciation for CMA. After raising laughter by asking if he could receive a lifetime pass to the CMA Awards, he presented CMA CEO Tammy Genovese with a certificate that proclaimed "a day of recognition" of CMA's contributions and added, "Thank you all so much at CMA for all that you do. You're such a vital part of our state and our city."

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean followed with another proclamation, which focused on the importance of CMA in "the branding of this city as Music City USA. When you look around you, we have a new bus terminal coming in, which is the Music City Central. There is shortly to be a new convention center, the Music City Center. That is crucial to our city."

And then, after lauding the economic stimulus brought by the CMA Music Festival and CMA's donations of more than $1 million to music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools through the "Keep the Music Playing" program, Dean concluded, "On behalf of the entire city, thank you for all that you do. We congratulate you on your 50th anniversary."

Following Dean, CMA Board President Randy Goodman, President, Lyric Street and Carolwood Records, announced Joe Galante, Chairman, Sony Music Entertainment, as recipient of this year's CMA Board President's Award. Galante, a CMA Board member for 24 years, responded by acknowledging former CMA Board President Jerry Bradley for bringing him into CMA. "It was really exciting to be around this organization because it taught me about Country Music and being involved and giving back," Galante said. "That tradition has been carried on for everybody who has joined."

And then, following Country Music Hall of Fame Member and former CMA Executive Director Jo Walker-Meador's tribute to former CMA Executive Director and CMA CSO Ed Benson on the occasion of his retirement, Genovese introduced Kix Brooks, Chairman of the CMA Board Artist Relations Committee, who presented an endowment check for $1 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's "Words & Music" program, conceived to enable language arts and music teachers to instruct students on writing lyrics for songs. "It's a great outreach program for what we do as an industry," Brooks observed. Museum Director Kyle Young, accepting the check, said, "My hat is off to you guys who play the CMA Music Festival every year and are making this gift possible. And I really do want to thank CMA. This is an extremely generous gesture."

The evening ended as Genovese, who had emceed the proceedings, invited previous CMA Board Presidents and Chairmen to join her onstage for a champagne toast. As glasses rose throughout the glittering hall, she said, "For five decades, the Country Music Association and industry leaders have come together and worked in harmony for the good of the genre and to broaden the audience. Tonight, you are the stars. This toast is for you in celebration of your valuable contributions to the legacy and the future of this great organization and industry. Cheers!"

2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.