CMA AWARDS LIVE: Greatest Moments 1968-2015 Brings the Best Performances to DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from Time Life is a New Years gift that will keep on giving to country music fans who remember the music and want to see it again with the CMA AWARDS LIVE: Greatest Moments 1968-2015.

It has been 50 years since the CMA Awards have recognized the performances of some of country music’s greats. Time Life offers a look back to 1968 with amazing performances from singers I learned about from my father. In this three disc set, fans will be delighted in what this three disc set has to offer.

Beginning with the 2^nd Annual CMA Awards in 1968 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee we start with a song that still brings me to tears to this day. Bobby Goldsboro croons us with his rendition of the hit song Honey only to be charged right away with Johnny Cash and Folsom Prison Blues.

Two other hits of country music brought by strong women are Harper Valley PTA by Jeannie C. Riley and D-I-V-O-R-C-E from Tammy Wynette. Entertainer of the Year Glen Campbell  performs his haunting hit By The Time I Get To Phoenix.

The 4^th and 5^th CMA Awards also at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville has performances by Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Sixteen Tons and the wild performance by Jerry Reed with When You’re Hot, You’re Hot. Female Vocalist of the Year Lynn Anderson sweetly sings Rose Garden and Male Vocalist of the Year Charlie Pride reminds us all to Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’.

At the 7^th CMA Awards, a very young Tanya Tucker tells us the story of Delta Dawn and Female Vocalist of the Year Loretta Lynn tell us all that Love Is The Foundation. There is also a Bonus Feature of a Charlie Pride Interview along with an interview with Sarah Trahern, the CEO CMA.

On disc two, the 19^th Annual CMA Awards in 1985 at the Grand Old Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, fans get their first glimpse of The Highwaymen. Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson come together to perform memorably.

The 20^th and 21^st Annual CMA Awards bring Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty on stage to belt out Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man. Lionel Richie takes the stage with the group ALABAMA to sing Deep River Woman. At the 21^st CMA, Randy Travis wins Single of the Year with Forever and Ever, Amen as well as winning Male Vocalist of the Year.

At the 22^nd Annual CMA, it is John Denver that sings a song that still hits the heart of fans today with Back Home, Again. Clint Black receives the Horizon Award and performs Killin’ Time at the 23^rd Annual CMA.

The 24^th and 25^th Annual CMA’s bring Single of the Year winner Vince Gill to the stage with Patty Loveless to sing When I Call Your Name. Personal favorite Travis Tritt brings his southern growl telling us all to Put Some Drive In Your Country. Trisha Yearwood with She’s In Love With The Boy and a foot stompin’ Alan Jackson singing Don’t Rock The Jukebox.

The DVD includes a Bonus Feature of Record Breakers: King George with more on a man who kept the charts buzzing – George Strait.

On disc three and the 40^th Annual CMA’s in 2012 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, a very, very young Taylor Swift sings Begin Again as well as Little Big Town with Pontoon. The 47^th Annual CMA unites Alan Jackson and George Strait with He Stopped Loving Her Today. The Vocal Duo of the Year went to Florida George Line as they sang Round Here.

At the 48^th and 49^th Annual CMA, Keith Urban performs Somewhere In My Car and Dierks Bentley tells us about being Drunk On A Plane. Sam Hunt reminds us to Take Your Time and Little Big Town sings Girl Crush.

Finish the 49^th Annual CMA’s is a performance that still finds its way around the internet through YouTube and Facebook because its that damn good! Justin Timberlake joins Chris Stapleton for a soul rendering Tennessee Whiskey/Drink You Away and now you can see and hear it again and again! The Bonus Feature on this disc is Blake Shelton Entertain ‘Em, Blake!

That’s just the performances on the Time Life CMA AWARDS LIVE: Greatest Moments 1968-2015. Besides the 40 performances by some of the most legendary singers in country music, there are unforgettable moments as well.

There are Award Acceptance speeches from Country Music legends like Glen Campbell and Charlie Pride as well as Loretta Lynn and Lynn Anderson. You can also go behind the scenes on Country Music’s Biggest Night to see interviews.

Time Life continues to bring never before released anywhere classic collections of television shows for fans to revisit and remember what has made television so special. Time Life has released Mama’s Family, CPO Sharkey and The Tonight Show and they now reminds of us of a time when sex and politics were up for grabs with ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN. For more of what Time Life has to offer fans of classic television visit www.timelife.com.

As someone who was raised around all kinds of music (my mother loved opera) but it was my dad was one of country music’s biggest fans. On reel-to-reel and vinyl, country music was always being played in the house. When we went for drives and camping, it was country music that came out of the AM-FM radio. That’s what country music does, it finds its audience through average people who understand the heartache, the daily life and the humor in this life.

Once the CMA Awards came to the airwaves, it was a chance to expand their reach into a bigger audience who came to embrace the music. The performances were sometimes teary, sometimes funny and sometimes to-the-bone in reality and Time Life gives us a chance to see them again and again.

This is an astounding CMA collection of legendary performers and performances that I can’t recommend highly enough. It was pretty cool to revisit some of the moments I shared in my younger days listening to country music and taking a look at how far country music has taken us all.

In the end – these are Country Music’s Greatest Moments with more to come!

Take a Trip Back to the Cornfield of Comedy with HEE HAW Pfft! You Was Gone! on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

On DVD from Time Life is a trip back to the cornfield of comedy with the release of HEE HAW Pfft! You Was Gone!

Seriously, I can honestly admit that my childhood included the Sunday ritual of tuning into the CBS series Hee Haw. After Sunday dinner, my seven member family would find out places on the braided carpet (have I aged myself?) with popcorn and prepare to spend time laughing.

Running from 1969 to 1971, Hee Haw was hosted by the country singers Buck Owens and Roy Clark. Filled with country culture and music, there was an equal mix of comedy and musical guests including Merle Haggard, George Jones, Dolly Parton and more.

Sketches on the Joke Fence and pop ups in the cornfield captured audiences’ funny bone. The iconic and song-stuck-in-your-head “Where, oh where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I search the world over, and I thought I’d found true love, You met another and Pfft! You was gone!” were only part of the hilarity.

Grandpa Jones was often asked “Hey Grandpa! What’s for Supper?” and trust me sometimes the menu sounded very southern and delicious. If you needed a visit to Archie’s Barbershop, you could be sure to hear a twisted fairy tale or two or perhaps visit The Culhanes of Kornfield Kounty with Minnie Pearl and Junior Samples.

A Season 1 episode includes Merle Haggard singing Mama Tried and sketches from The Culhanes and KORN News. From Season 2, Marty Robbins crooned to television audiences I’m So Afraid of Losing You Again. The comedy of Owens and Clark with Pickin and Grinnin brought even the singers to laughter. 

Dolly Parton brought her famous song Coat of Many Colors in 1972 along with Roy Clark and his stunning performance of There’ll Be Peace in the Valley For Me. The Kornfield Kounty gang returns along with the newest tale from Archie’s Barbershop and a menu of vittles with Hey Grandpa, What’s for Supper?

George Jones brought his voice of hurt to the song Nothing Ever Hurt Me Half as Bad As Losing You and Tammy Wynette sang Kids Say the Darndest Things. There is more KORN News and a new menu from Hey Grandpa! What’s for Supper?

Time Life has brought this never before released anywhere classic collection of the series to fans. For more of what Time Life has to offer fans of classic television visit www.timelife.com.

It seems only appropriate finishing up with another iconic show song as Buck Owens and Roy Clark would gather with the cast and sing “We loved the time we spent with you, To share a song and a laugh or two, May your pleasure be many and your troubles be few…” with a final closing to another episode of HEE HAW.

Anyone who was part of the HEE HAW era will love revisiting the show once again. Time Life gathers us one and all back together to remember southern comedy, charm and music. This series brought families together to share laughs and see our favorite country musicians sing the hits we would hear on the radio.

I think that’s what we all miss most about entertainment, finding something that reaches the entire family enough to make them want to sit around the television together. HEE HAW brought just that and we now have a chance to have Sunday dinner and race to our favorite spots with popcorn and have a fun as a family.

In the end – it’s the best down-home country variety show!