Country Music's Legendary Stages Take Center Stage in ABC's '20/20' Special
The countdown to the 59th Annual CMA Awards has officially begun, and with it comes a nostalgic trip down memory lane for country music's biggest stars. In the highly anticipated "Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards - Special Edition of 20/20," hosted by Luke Bryan, viewers are treated to an intimate look at Music City's most iconic stages.
Kenny Chesney takes us back to his early days on Lower Broadway, where he began playing gigs in a small downtown bar. The country music icon reminisces about the thrill of sitting on stools for hours, playing four-hour sets with nothing but a tip jar as payment – an experience that shaped him into the artist he is today.
Other music legends including Lauren Alaina, Gabby Barrett, Dan + Shay, Russell Dickerson, and Keith Urban also share their experiences at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville's most storied stage. For Urban, it was a revelation when he arrived in Music City: "I thought I'd made it because I'm in Nashville... And then the Opry is this whole other level."
The special doesn't stop there – it delves into this year's CMA Award-nominated Musical Event of the Year collaborations, featuring buzzworthy pairings like Blake Shelton with Post Malone and Carrie Underwood with Cody Johnson. Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Ashley McBryde, and Dolly Parton also make appearances.
"Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards - Special Edition of 20/20" airs on Tuesday, November 18, at 10:07-11:00 p.m. EST on ABC, with streaming options available on Disney+ and Hulu. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at country music's most legendary stages – it's the perfect preview to the highly anticipated CMA Awards ceremony, which takes place live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 19, also on ABC.
The countdown to the 59th Annual CMA Awards has officially begun, and with it comes a nostalgic trip down memory lane for country music's biggest stars. In the highly anticipated "Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards - Special Edition of 20/20," hosted by Luke Bryan, viewers are treated to an intimate look at Music City's most iconic stages.
Kenny Chesney takes us back to his early days on Lower Broadway, where he began playing gigs in a small downtown bar. The country music icon reminisces about the thrill of sitting on stools for hours, playing four-hour sets with nothing but a tip jar as payment – an experience that shaped him into the artist he is today.
Other music legends including Lauren Alaina, Gabby Barrett, Dan + Shay, Russell Dickerson, and Keith Urban also share their experiences at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville's most storied stage. For Urban, it was a revelation when he arrived in Music City: "I thought I'd made it because I'm in Nashville... And then the Opry is this whole other level."
The special doesn't stop there – it delves into this year's CMA Award-nominated Musical Event of the Year collaborations, featuring buzzworthy pairings like Blake Shelton with Post Malone and Carrie Underwood with Cody Johnson. Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Ashley McBryde, and Dolly Parton also make appearances.
"Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards - Special Edition of 20/20" airs on Tuesday, November 18, at 10:07-11:00 p.m. EST on ABC, with streaming options available on Disney+ and Hulu. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at country music's most legendary stages – it's the perfect preview to the highly anticipated CMA Awards ceremony, which takes place live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 19, also on ABC.
I'm so down for this "Center Stage" special! It's like, my fave country artists are gonna take me on a wild ride through their history at those iconic stages 
Kenny Chesney's story is giving me all the feels 
. And can we talk about how epic it is to see Gabby Barrett and Dan + Shay performing together? They're literally making my favorite songs 
. I'm also so excited to see what this year's CMA Awards ceremony has in store 
The collaborations sound AMAZING 
Post Malone and Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Cody Johnson... Yaaas! Can't wait for it all to go down 
and they share all their crazy stories & experiences on stage 
. and lauren alaina's got some juicy stuff to spill too 
. its like the special is gettin us ready for the cma awards ceremony which is gonna be EPIC 
At least some of them are still holding down the torch for real country music. Anyone else feel like the industry is just phoning it in at this point? 
Dolly Parton was right when she said "work hard, study more" and now she's a meme icon 
kenny chesney's story about playing gigs in a small bar for hours was everything i needed to know more about him lol. and can we talk about how Keith Urban became an Opry member? 
it was like, he arrived in nashville thinking he'd made it, but the Opry was this whole other level? 
and also blake shelton with post malone as a collab? game changer 
. And don't even get me started on the CMA Awards themselves – just another excuse for celebrities to wear fancy clothes and pretend they care about country music 
.
It just feels like more of the same to me... 
. Can't wait to watch "Center Stage" though, it's gonna be a must-watch for any music lover 
. I'm also super excited to see the collaborations and pairings they're featuring this year - Blake Shelton with Post Malone? Carrie Underwood with Cody Johnson? That sounds like so much fun!