Why the CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton will be epic
The show will celebrate the legacy of women in country music.
Country music's biggest night promises to be bigger than ever in 2019, as Carrie Underwood teams up with Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire to pay tribute to some of country's most-loved female vocalists at the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs).
You'll want to already be in your seat when the show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday on ABC, because it'll start with an unforgettable mega-medley unlike any you've ever seen.
"It is gonna be a big opening number kicked off by myself and Dolly and Reba," Underwood told ABC News. "Just kind of going back and forth [between] some of the favorite songs from women throughout our history, either the artists singing them or being represented by newer artists, just kind of having this moment."
"Hopefully everybody will just be like, 'Yes, that was amazing!' and set the tone for the rest of the night," she added.
If you're wondering exactly which songs they'll do, here's a preview: "Those Memories of You," "You're Looking at Country," "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," "Delta Dawn," "Redneck Woman," "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," "Better Things to Do," "Born to Fly" and "Independence Day" are all strong possibilities.
"There's gonna be a lot of ... moments for some women that you might not have seen on the CMAs in awhile," Underwood revealed, "to get to step back into the spotlight and make us all remember why we love this genre so much."
Look for Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Crystal Gayle, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker and Gretchen Wilson among them.
Underwood not only looks forward to sharing the stage with the two icons, but carrying on the legacy they've established for women in country music.
"Both [Reba] and Dolly are artists that are beyond just being a country music singer. They both act. They both have many endeavors in, you know, fashion, in charity, in Dollywood!" she said, laughing. "They both have a lot of irons in the fire."
The "Love Wins" hitmaker admits she still works to pattern herself after the two Country Music Hall of Famers.
"Both of them are people that I've tried to take cues from," she explained, "and be like, 'How did they just become beyond, you know, and really get to do whatever whatever they want?'"
"Because they commit to it and they do it well," Underwood said, answering her question.
The three-hour 53rd Annual CMA Awards kicks off promptly at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday night on ABC, live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
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