The CMT show’s best pairings are also its most unexpected

Alison Krauss & Robert Plant

Feb. 11, 2008

“When I first arrived at CMT, Crossroads had just started and Alison was the channel darling,” says CMT president Brian Philips. “We thought, ‘Who would make a good partner for her?’ The answer came back, ‘Well, she really loves British hard rock.’ We could have run through names for a day-and-a-half without daring suggest Robert Plant – yet he would be the one to hook up with her and make a great show.”

Taylor Swift & Def Leppard

Nov. 7, 2008

The inspired matchup of a budding country star with classic rockers started when Crossroads executive producer John Hamlin saw a Def Leppard poster on Swift’s wall and joked that they’d make a good pairing. “Taylor said, ‘I’d love to do that,’ he recalls, so he got to work on it, then worried,” ‘What have we gotten ourselves into here?’ This was opposite ends of the spectrum on so many levels. But it was one of the highest-rated ones ever.”

Carrie Underwood & Steven Tyler

Feb. 4, 2012

The highest-rated Crossroads since Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie took the stage in 2005, when the American Idol winner and Aerosmith frontman drew an audience of 1.9 million to a live Super Bowl edition of the show. “It was a completely different dynamic, with more mistakes but more adrenaline,” says Philips. “That show revealed the fearless side of Carrie that would come to play out when she did The Sound of Music Live!”

Lady Antebellum & Stevie Nicks

Sept. 13, 2013

“Back in the first meeting we ever had in 2001 about this show, I think we said, ‘Well, I suppose Stevie Nicks would be right at the top of the list,’” says Philips. “We locked her in in 2013.” Adds Hamlin: “She had a dream that she was in Lady Antebellum.” By the end of the taping, it had come true, and Lady Antebellum rerecorded “Golden” as a single with Stevie Nicks.

Shirley Halperin & Chris Willman / Billboard / May 31, 2014

CMT CROSSROADS: STEVIE NICKS AND LADY ANTEBELLUM
Premieres Friday, September 13 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT

Other airdates this weekend:
Friday, September 13 @ 11pm ET/PT
Saturday, September 14 @ 2pm ET/PT
Sunday, September 15 @ 3pm ET/PT

Rock-and-roll icon Stevie Nicks will share the stage with country superstars Lady Antebellum when CMT presents an all-new episode of CMT CROSSROADS, which premieres tonight at 10pm ET.

Meeting and collaborating for the first time on the CMT CROSSROADS stage in Los Angeles, Nicks and Lady Antebellum will share harmonies and stories on CMT CROSSROADS: STEVIE NICKS AND LADY ANTEBELLUM featuring the classic hits “Edge of 17,” “Landslide,” “Rhiannon,” “Stop Draggin My Heart Around,” Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” “Love Don’t Live Here” and more.

CMT CROSSROADS is produced by Tom Forrest and Kathryn Russ. John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux and Bill Flanagan serve as executive producers for CMT.

Watch “Rhiannon”

[iframe src=”http://media.mtvnservices.com/embed/mgid:uma:video:cmt.com:953128/cp~id%3D1713578%26vid%3D953128%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Acmt.com%3A953128″ width=”740″ height=”416″]

10-11PM
CMT Crossroads
CMT

Crossroads has seen some epic pairings: Dixie Chicks and James Taylor, Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow. The latest matchup—Lady Antebellum and Stevie Nicks—is flawless. The Fleetwood Mac mainstay and the country trio mesh so well that it’s hard to believe they haven’t collaborated before. Nicks’ hits “Edge of Seventeen,” “Landslide,” and “Rhiannon” swell further when performed with Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood, while the trio’s “Need You Now,” “Love Don’t Live Here,” and “Golden” glow with help from Stevie’s signature rasp. Nicks tell Antebellum, “Your songs make me want to be in love.” This hour of TV is similarly bewitching. A-

Tanner Stansky / Entertainment Weekly / Friday, September 13, 2013

STEVIE NICKS AND LADY ANTEBELLUM TEAM UP FOR AN ALL-NEW EPISODE OF “CMT CROSSROADS” PREMIERING FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

Hits “Landslide” and “Need You Now” Get a New Spin When Nicks and Lady Antebellum Share Vocals

NASHVILLE – August 16, 2013 – The much-anticipated episode of CMT CROSSROADS, bringing together the iconic Stevie Nicks and country superstar trio Lady Antebellum, will debut Friday, September 13 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT. Meeting and collaborating for the first time on the CMT CROSSROADS stage in Los Angeles, Nicks and Lady Antebellum will share harmonies and stories on CMT CROSSROADS: STEVIE NICKS AND LADY ANTEBELLUM. The one-hour special will feature the classic Nicks hits “Edge of Seventeen,” “Landslide,” “Rhiannon” and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” as well as Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” “Love Don’t Live Here” and “Golden.”

Stevie Nicks is a multi-Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Her extraordinary career as a solo artist, songwriter, live performer and member of Fleetwood Mac is legendary. Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” was one of the biggest selling albums of all time. Expanded and deluxe versions of Rumours were released earlier this year on Rhino Records. Nicks has penned such Mac classics as “Landslide,” “Dreams,” “Gold Dust Woman” and “Rhiannon.” As a solo artist, beginning with the five times platinum debut “Bella Donna,” her solo hits include unforgettable singles such as “Edge of Seventeen,” “Leather and Lace” and “Stand Back.” Her most recent CD, “In Your Dreams,” co-written and co-produced by Dave Stewart, was followed by a tour and a documentary of the same name. Fleetwood Mac just completed their sold out U.S. arena tour and will head to Europe and Australia this Fall.

The harmony-based trio Lady Antebellum continues to reaffirm their very beginnings with their new album, “Golden,” by focusing on deft songwriting and fresh uses of their talents, which was at the heart of what drew them together in the first place. Since its 2006 inception, Lady A has won the “Vocal Group of the Year” honor from both the CMA and from the ACMs three times in a row and sold more than 11 million albums worldwide. The trio has taken seven trips to No. 1 on the country radio charts, earned five platinum singles, including their recent “Downtown,” and has been awarded with seven Grammy Awards, including the all-genre “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year.” This Fall, Lady A will launch the first leg of their headlining Take Me Downtown Tour 2013 that will hit 40-plus cities across North America. In the end, the mix of their road experiences, songwriting and creative partnership has allowed the magic to remain because they have kept the focus on the music.

CMT CROSSROADS is produced by Tom Forrest and Kathryn Russ. John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux and Bill Flanagan serve as executive producers for CMT.
www.cmtpress.com

CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.
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PRESS CONTACT:
Cindy Finke 615-335-8404 ci*********@*mt.com

Previous the upcoming episode below:

Landside (Video courtesy of Brian De Sena)

Golden (Video courtesy of Amy B)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0wnjurkFvw]

Hillary Scott talks about Stevie’s idea (Video courtesy of coyote937)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruu4fatSVYY]

Interview (Video courtesy of Associated Press)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF5XzIT2mQU]

CMT CROSSROADS: STEVIE NICKS AND LADY ANTEBELLUM
Premieres Friday, September 13 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT

Other airdates that weekend:
Friday, September 13 @ 11pm ET/PT
Saturday, September 14 @ 2pm ET/PT
Sunday, September 15 @ 3pm ET/PT

Rock-and-roll icon Stevie Nicks will share the stage with country superstars Lady Antebellum when CMT presents an all-new episode of CMT CROSSROADS. Meeting and collaborating for the first time on the CMT CROSSROADS stage in Los Angeles, Nicks and Lady Antebellum will share harmonies and stories on CMT CROSSROADS: STEVIE NICKS AND LADY ANTEBELLUM featuring the classic hits “Edge of 17,” “Landslide,” “Rhiannon,” “Stop Draggin My Heart Around,” Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” “Love Don’t Live Here” and more. CMT CROSSROADS is produced by Tom Forrest and Kathryn Russ. John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux and Bill Flanagan serve as executive producers for CMT.

Read more about the CMT network’s fall season here.