Sammy Kershaw Says the CMA Denied Him the Red Carpet: Manager Says He Could Buy $800-Plus Tickets Instead
The 60th annual CMA Awards will be held on November 18 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, in Davidson County, Tennessee, and this year's ceremony will pay special tribute to 1990s country music. On the evening of November 5, Sammy Kershaw, one of the defining country voices of that decade, posted on his Facebook page that the Country Music Association (CMA) had denied his request to walk this year's red carpet. The post spread quickly among fans, drawing thousands of supportive comments.
Kershaw wrote that he had only asked to walk the carpet for a few minutes with his wife, Mendy. Because of touring and schedule conflicts, the couple rarely get to attend industry events; this year he rearranged his tour schedule and booked flights and a hotel, and Mendy had been looking forward to sharing a special evening celebrating country music. Instead, after being strung along for several months while expecting to attend, he learned two weeks before the show that the request had been denied. He called the experience "extremely hurtful, embarrassing and very disappointing," and closed the post by suggesting that the next time he attends the CMAs may be in a tribute after he is gone, "if I'm lucky." He added that he is not the only successful country entertainer kept off the carpet.
Kershaw's manager then told country outlet Country Rebel the reason the association gave: the red carpet and the awards show received an overwhelming number of artist requests, and Kershaw did not meet the updated criteria. He could purchase tickets to the awards, at roughly $800 or more apiece, but the association could not guarantee that he and his wife would be seated with the other artists. The manager said Kershaw is not planning to attend the ceremony as of now.
Among those who weighed in under the post was country singer Riley Green, who commented: "If you haven't earned the right to be there then nobody has... disappointing to say the least."
Kershaw, a Louisiana native, has been a lifetime CMA member since 1992. According to Country Rebel, his debut album, Don't Go Near the Water, was released in 1991 and certified platinum; across a career of more than 50 years he has placed 25 songs in the Top 40 of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including the No. 1 "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" and the hits "Cadillac Style," "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer" and "Third Rate Romance." In 1993 he was nominated for the CMA Horizon Award, now known as New Artist of the Year. Country Now noted that the CMA's own awards database lists that single nomination for him.
This year's ceremony, hosted by fellow Louisiana native Lainey Wilson, airs live on ABC on the evening of November 18. The CMA has not publicly addressed Kershaw's post. Country Now noted that the CMA red carpet has specific eligibility requirements for artists, and that space limitations and venue safety regulations can factor into access decisions.
Source: Sammy Kershaw's Facebook post
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 萨米·克肖本人资料图（右，2018年2月摄于一场演出期间，Republic Country Club摄，CC BY 2.0，经Wikimedia Commons）
