The Twang Gang: Montgomery Gentry highlights star-filled ACMA lineup

Spencer Patterson

Tuesday, May 25, 2004 | 8:18 a.m.

A big week for Montgomery Gentry caps off with a primo placement at Wednesday's Academy of Country Music Awards show.

The Kentucky duo will have the honor of opening the televised three-hour event, which kicks off at 5 p.m. at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

"The premier spot on the show is the opening. It's a hot spot for any artist," Troy Gentry said in a phone interview while traveling through last week. "It's where you have the most viewership."

Gentry and Eddie Montgomery arrive in Las Vegas fresh off an appearance on CBS' "The Early Show" in New York City on Saturday. One night earlier the pair were in Los Angeles, taping a performance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

Why all the hoopla? Last Tuesday, Montgomery Gentry released its highly anticipated fourth album, "You Do Your Thing," on Columbia Records.

The CD's first single, "If You Ever Stop Loving Me," has already reached No. 8 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"It's a busy time for Montgomery Gentry, but it's a good busy," Gentry said. "We've had very little sleep, but this is a great time for us.

"With all this stuff going on, Eddie and I are saying No' to nothing. And national television is the best way to hit a bunch of people at one time."

"The 39th annual Academy of Country Music Awards" airs live on the East Coast and tape delayed in Vegas -- host city for the second straight year -- at 8 p.m. local time on CBS (Channel 8).

Gentry said that Montgomery Gentry were tapped for the show's opening slot largely because of their long-standing relationship with Rac Clark, son of TV giant Dick Clark and producer of the 2004 ACMA broadcast.

"Rac has been a big Montgomery Gentry fan since early on, and we've always been big fans of his," Gentry said. "Whenever he asked us to do something we just did it, and I think being dedicated to him is paying off."

Also slated to perform: Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker, Loretta Lynn and Vince Gill, Clint Black, Terri Clark, Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban and Lonestar.

Among the scheduled presenters: LeAnn Rimes, Randy Travis, Tracy Lawrence, Diamond Rio, Trick Pony, the Warren Brothers, Dierks Bentley, Jimmy Wayne, Buddy Jewell, Joe Nichols and Pat Green.

Reba McEntire returns as the show's host.

"These awards shows are like class reunions," Gentry said. "We're all able to get together in one room and share stories and hang out, talk about the ups and downs of the road and everything else."

Last year's show featured a deeply patriotic theme, with three former U.S. POWs in Iraq who were present for the proceedings. Several performers dedicated songs to the men and women in the U.S. military.

Gentry said he hopes this year's ACMs will take a similar tact.

"Eddie and I are both very patriotic, very big supporters of our military," Gentry said. "So I hope that the show itself will take on support for all of our military that's across seas right now, that hasn't been able to come home from a war we thought we could be done with by now."

Montgomery Gentry are quite familiar with this year's ACM award nominees, having helped unveil them at a March 10 press conference in Burbank, Calif.

The duo received two nominations themselves: one for Top Vocal Group and another in the Vocal Event of the Year category for their contribution to Tracy Byrd's single, "The Truth About Men."

Gentry analyzed some of the top races during his phone interview with the Sun.

Entertainer of the Year: Nominees -- Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw.

"There are a lot of strong candidates up there," Gentry said. "They've all definitely made a big mark in the country music industry and brought back a bunch of listeners who we've lost in the last couple of years.

"It's hard to pick just one. If I had to base it on what the Academy will do, I would have to lean towards two. I think it will come down to Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney."

Top Male Vocalist: Nominees -- Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban.

"In their own right, they all deserve to be Top Male Vocalist," Gentry said. 'There's so many listeners out there and so many different people like so many different things. To be nominated in that category means you're well-liked by the public to begin with, so I'd say they're all deserving."

Top Female Vocalist: Nominees -- Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, Shania Twain.

"I'll go out on a limb on this one," Gentry said. "I'm gonna go with Patty Loveless. Patty knows, and anybody that's ever talked to me about Patty knows, that I'm a big Patty Loveless fan. I have been since the early '80s, when she came out to Kentucky. She came through with George Jones and played Rupp Arena, and I had the pleasure of meeting her. So that would be my personal pick."

Album of the Year: Nominees -- "Honkytonkville" (George Strait), "Martina" (Martina McBride), "Mud on the Tires" (Brad Paisley), "Red Dirt Road" (Brooks & Dunn), "Shock'N Y'All" (Toby Keith).

" 'Shock'N Y'All has a very good chance of stepping up and winning album of the year," Gentry said. "Not that I'm knocking anybody else's, because I've heard them all, but Toby has done some astounding things the last two years. He's come a long way. He's been hoofing it for 10 years now, and is just now finally getting the success."

Top New Artist: Nominees -- Dierks Bentley, Pat Green, Buddy Jewell, Josh Turner, Jimmy Wayne.

"For some reason, country music cycles between female and male acts," Gentry said. "The women are on top of the game for a year or two, then the guys come back and do their deal. For the last several years, it's been Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hall, Lee Ann Womack and a bunch of other female artists on top. And I think it's just cycling back to the guys -- that's why it's all guys (in the category) this year."

Top Vocal Duo: Nominees -- Blue County, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, the Bellamy Brothers, the Warren Brothers.

"I think the Bellamy Brothers are very deserving of the award, if you go back and listen to all the hits and everything they've done," Gentry said. "And I know not a whole lot of people have heard of Blue County yet, but I think they're gonna make a big splash in country music. I think they have a great future. But (10-time winners) Brooks & Dunn will be my pick. They had a big year with 'Red Dirt Road.'

"But next year, watch out for Montgomery Gentry. I think we're going to have a huge year with our new record, 'You Do Your Thing,' and with the singles to come off it. This could be the time where we really step up and take leadership."

archive