NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – CMT honored a diverse group of country musicians reflecting the wide range of styles the genre has embraced, from country rocker Jason Aldean, guitar slinger Keith Urban and fiery singer Miranda Lambert, and then capped it all with a special tribute to country legend Merle Haggard.
The “CMT Artists of the Year” show, which aired live from Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday evening, bounced from country’s present, future and past with nods to influences from rock n’ roll, hip hop, rhythm and blues and the Bakersfield Sound.
Aldean, who is one of country’s biggest touring artists, teamed up with Chris Cornell, of the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, to open the show with a blast of arena rock guitars.
“When we heard he was going to be here, I started trying to figure out a way to get him on stage with us,” Aldean said of Cornell.
Lambert, who made history this year as the most decorated female country artist at the CMA Awards last month, followed with a soulful performance of “Holding On To You,” from her album, “Platinum.”