April 26, 2021, Issue 753
Inside The ACMs With RAC Clark
56th ACM Awards Exec. Producer RAC Clark goes behind the scenes of the April 18 CBS telecast. With last yearâs show postponed to September, how did you approach the quick jump into this one? Thatâs the fastest turnaround weâve ever done with a three-hour awards show. Artists came with great music, and the messaging all seemed to come together. We did ask for certain things in terms of music. For instance, we wanted Alan Jackson to do a different one of his classics, but he sent me the medley with âDrive,â and I said, âYep, youâre right.â What were the messaging points the show needed to cover? First of all, COVID. When we saw the masked and vaccinated front-line workers at RAC Clark the Super Bowl, we grabbed that idea, and it evolved into having workers from Vanderbilt in [the Opry House and The Ryman]. Once you have an audience, you can celebrate a little more, as opposed to September when we had to keep the tone down. Being on the Academy board helped me with insight into its agenda, both in diversity and inclusion and its support of Lifting Lives. We were able to weave those together in having two out of three in terms of diversity, female presence and Lifting Lives on almost every performance without feeling preachy. The other element was showcasing Nashville, which has had a rough year with the tornado, the bombing and the halt in live music. From interacting with her over the last few years, I knew Mickey Guyton would be a bit more effusive than Keith Urban, giving him someone to react to in that emcee role. And according to the Lifting Lives folks, we got lots of donations. So, all the elements came together. How did you freshen the production? Working with [Co-Exec. Producer] Raj Kapoor, we charged the production, design and lighting team to up the production value a bit at the Opry, Ryman and Bluebird. That meant we got to add some scenic elements in the Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd performance. (continued on page 8)
Somebody Somewhere 19th & Grandâs Tenille Arts celebrates her first No. 1, âSomebody Like That.â Pictured (top, l-r) are the labelâs Anna Bea Major, Suzanne Durham and Kellie Longworth; (middle, l-r) the labelâs Jim Dandy, Dave Collins and Jim Malito; (bottom, l-r) the labelâs Gator Michaels, writer Allison Veltz Cruz, Arts and producer/writer Alex Kline.
Teri Watson Celebrates 25 Years
St. Jude Childrenâs Research Hospital Sr. Dir./ Entertainment Marketing Teri Watson began attending Country Cares (CC) seminars in the late â80s. From the moment she walked through the doors, she knew she was witnessing something bigger than herself and was forever changed. Watson celebrates 25 years with St. Jude this month, and Oh, Snap: Watson with then-St. reflects on her journey with Jude patient and now fellow Country Aircheck. employee Carlos.
Š 2 0 2 1 Co u n t r y A i rc h e c k ⢠â A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d . S i g n u p f re e a t w w w. c o u n t r y a i rc h e c k . c o m . S e n d n e w s t o n e w s @ c o u n t r y a i r c h e c k . c o m