'American Idol' Winner Carrie Underwood Makes First Post-Show Appearances in Nashville During CMA Music Festival Week

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's "American Idol"
 winner, Carrie Underwood, will make her first post-show appearances during CMA
 Music Festival Week in Nashville.
     Underwood will perform at CMA Music Festival on Thursday, June 9, at The
 Coliseum.  The four-day event was named the "crown jewel of Country Music
 festivals" by USA Today. "Country Music's Biggest Party(TM)" takes place
 Thursday-Sunday, June 9-12, in Downtown Nashville.
     "Carrie captured the nation's heart with her talent and her love for
 Country Music," said Ed Benson, CMA Executive Director. "We're excited to help
 celebrate her success at 'Country Music's Biggest Party!'"
     While in Nashville for CMA Music Festival Week, Underwood will also
 perform at the "CMT: 100 Greatest Duets" concert taping on Wednesday, June 8.
 She will make her Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, June 10.
     The Nightly Concerts at The Coliseum (home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans)
 begin each night at 8:00 PM/CDT (with Pre-Show activities beginning at 7:30
 PM/CDT on Thurs., June 9, only), and feature non-stop entertainment with
 state-of-the-art production on dual stages with fireworks at the conclusion of
 each show.
     The artist lineups (in alphabetical order) for the Nightly Concerts at The
 Coliseum are as follows:
     Thursday, June 9: Pre-Show Activities; Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton and
 The Grascals, Julie Roberts, Sugarland, Trick Pony, "American Idol" winner
 Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Phil Vassar and Lee Ann Womack
     Friday, June 10:  Sara Evans, Josh Gracin, Alan Jackson, Craig Morgan,
 Rascal Flatts, SHeDAISY, Blake Shelton and Travis Tritt
     Saturday, June 11: Trace Adkins, Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Messina, Joe
 Nichols, Kenny Rogers, Wynonna and Trisha Yearwood
     Sunday, June 12:  Jeff Bates, Big & Rich with Special Guest Appearance by
 Cowboy Troy, Diamond Rio, Andy Griggs, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sawyer Brown, Van Zant
 and Gretchen Wilson
 
     Advance-purchase tickets for each nightly show at The Coliseum cost $30
 plus applicable handling fees, and can be purchased through the CMA Music
 Festival Box Office at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, 501 Broadway,
 Nashville, Tenn., or toll-free at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Tickets will also
 be available through Ticketmaster at (615) 255-9600, at www.ticketmaster.com
 and all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket prices are subject to change.
     Single concert tickets will also be sold during CMA Music Festival at The
 Coliseum ticket office beginning Thursday, June 9.
     A limited amount of on-site pay parking ($8 per vehicle) will be available
 nightly at The Coliseum in Lots E and F, just across the Woodland Street
 Bridge. This parking is not available for pre-purchase. It is only available
 for purchase on-site on a first-come, first-serve basis after 5:00 PM on
 Thursday and Friday (June 9-10), and all-day Saturday and Sunday (June 11-12).
 Ample paid surface lots and parking garages are available in Downtown
 Nashville, conveniently accessible to The Coliseum via the Shelby Street
 Pedestrian Bridge.
     A limited number of CMA Music Festival four-day ticket packages, which
 include the Nightly Concerts, Daily Concerts at the Greased Lightning(R)
 Daytime Stages, Wrangler(R) Fan Fair (Exhibit Hall) and more, are still
 available and can be purchased through the CMA Music Festival Box Office at
 the Gaylord Entertainment Center, 501 Broadway, Nashville, Tenn., or toll-free
 at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Ticket prices are subject to change without
 notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.
     The CMA Music Festival is being filmed for a two-hour television special
 that will air on the ABC Television Network on August 2 (9:00-11:00 PM/ET).
 The special will be produced by Robert Deaton and directed by Gary Halvorson.
     For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information,
 schedules, artists appearing and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for
 e-news or purchase official CMA Music Festival merchandise.
     2005 CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music
 Association. CMA Board member Tony Conway is the Executive Producer of CMA
 Music Festival. MJI Programming, a division of Premiere Radio Networks, is the
 official radio broadcaster. Chevy, An American Revolution, is the official
 automotive sponsor of the CMA Music Festival. Promotional partners include
 Bush's(R) Baked Beans, Carl Black Chevrolet, Chick-fil-A(R), Cracker Barrel,
 CremeSavers(R) candies, Coca-Cola(R), Crisco(R), Greased Lightning(R),
 HCA/TRI-STAR, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, NBC
 Daytime, Prilosec OTC, Purity Dairies, T.G.I. Friday's, Tennessee Lottery,
 Ultra Pet and Wrangler(R). Fan Fair is a registered trademark of CMA.
 
 

SOURCE  Country Music Association