CMT Blog: Archive

I was a red carpet virgin. I only saw what everyone else saw on television. But last night (Nov. 10), I was able to be part (a quiet, out-of-the-way part) of the BMI Country Awards. And since BMI represents something like 400,000 songwriters, composers and publishers, that was an invitation I was not about to turn down.

So as the country stars were walking up the carpet, being interviewed by what seemed like an endless stream of television cameras, I just watched them in all their charming glory. And I really mean that. There wasn't a diva in the bunch.

But after they had done their press, all the stars and songwriters and other Nashville hotshots walked into what can only be described as a country lover's Mecca. It was like being at a meet-and-greet with every single solitary artist, but there was no line, and everybody seemed genuinely happy to be there. (That could've been the result of the open bar with top-shelf booze, but still.)

Let me try to paint a picture for you. I'm hugging Luke Bryan and telling him how happy I am that "Do I" keeps climbing the charts, but it's so crowded that I bump into the person next to me mid-hug. And it's Keith Urban. So we talk about guitars, but I'm really more interested in asking his wife Nicole if their baby is walking. (She is.) So Nicole and I talk about babies and our dresses, and she compares hers to the actual color of the red carpet. Who knew she was that funny? So while I'm laughing, I catch the eye of Taylor Swift, who comes up to thank me for all the blog love. And because her label head Scott Borchetta is standing right behind her, I take a minute to introduce myself. And just then, Justin Moore walks up to say hi. And we chat about his new single, "Backwoods." As I'm wrapping up my time there, I say hi to Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert.

And that was just the artists. If I were to write about the list of legendary songwriters I rubbed elbows with, I'd need another blog.

Photo credit: Ed Rode