NASHVILLE, TN (CMT) - CMT honors country music icon and king of the common man
Hank Williams Jr. with the 'Johnny Cash Visionary Award,' presenting it to him at the 2006 CMT MUSIC AWARDS airing live Monday, April 10. Williams joins an elite circle of gifted performers to have received this prestigious mark of distinction, including
Loretta Lynn (2005),
Reba McEntire (2004),
Johnny Cash (2003) and the Dixie
Chicks (2002). CMT's 'Johnny Cash Visionary Award' recognizes an artist's extraordinary musical vision, innovative and groundbreaking music videos, and pioneering initiatives in entertainment.
Williams' raw creativity and passion has shaped the history of country music for over five decades. The five-time Entertainer of the Year will release his 70th album this year, boasts three multi-platinum albums, eight platinum albums and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Williams holds the distinction of being the first country artist to ever win an Emmy, a feat he repeated 1990 through 1993 for his Monday Night Football anthem, 'Are You Ready for Some Football?'
A true visionary on all fronts, Williams paired up with friend Waylon Jennings in 1983, just shortly after the launch of CMT, for his first music video 'The Conversation.' The following year he called on some more famous friends to create the video for his 1984 signature hit 'All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight,' which featured a 'who's who' of country music names including George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and George Thorogood. Williams went on to conceptualize dozens of music videos, including the 1989 duet with his late father 'There's a Tear in My Beer,' which used cutting-edge production techniques to appear as if the father and son duo were actually performing together in the video.
CMT presented the first ever Visionary Award to the Dixie Chicks, known for their solid musical talent as well as their music video originality and creativity. In 2003, CMT honored the incomparable Johnny Cash for his immeasurable achievements and musical vision. Vince Gill hosted the moving tribute and presented the award to June Carter Cash, accepting on behalf of her husband who was unable to attend. In 2004, Reba McEntire was the recipient of the permanently renamed award in honor of Cash. Loretta Lynn was honored in 2005, recognizing her distinctive vocal style and skill as a songwriter.
Hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, the 2006 CMT MUSIC AWARDS honors country music's elite for the year's most outstanding videos and is the genre's only fan-voted awards show. Scheduled performances include Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Trace Adkins, Gretchen Wilson, Brooks & Dunn and Sugarland. The fifth annual awards show premieres live from The Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville on Monday, April 10 at 8 p.m, ET.
Visit CMT.com for 18 full-length streaming videos of Hank Williams Jr., including 'The Conversation,' 'All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight,' and his duet with his father Hank Sr. 'There's a Tear in My Beer.' Click on: https://www.cmt.com/artists/az/williams_jr_hank/videos.jhtml.
CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches more than 80.9 million households in the United States. Go to country music's biggest web site at www.cmt.com.
*EDITORS: The 2006 CMT MUSIC AWARDS premiere LIVE on Monday, April 10 at 8:00 p.m., Eastern and 7:00 p.m., Central; and at 9:00 p.m., Mountain and 8:00 p.m., Pacific (tape delayed).
