SUPERSTAR TOBY KEITH TO PERFORM MERLE HAGGARD

SUPERSTAR TOBY KEITH TO PERFORM MERLE HAGGARD TRIBUTE
AT THE “2016 AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS”
Academy Award® Winner Matthew McConaughey to Introduce Tribute
2nd Annual Country Music Awards Show Airs Live Sunday, May 1, On FOX
LOS ANGELES (April 21, 2016) — Superstar singer/songwriter Toby Keith will perform a
heartfelt tribute in celebration of his friend and musical hero Merle Haggard at the 2016
AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS airing live from The Forum in Inglewood,
Calif., Sunday, May 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Oscar®-winning actor
Matthew McConaughey will introduce the tribute to the late legendary songwriter who inspired
countless musicians and who is one of country music’s greatest icons.
Haggard’s longtime back-up band, The Strangers, will join Keith as part of this memorable
performance. In addition, Haggard’s widow, Theresa, will be in attendance along with other
members of the Haggard family, including son Ben, who also will perform with The Strangers.
Keith joins previously announced performers Kelsea Ballerini, 2016 NASH Icon Award
recipients Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Cam, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt,
Martina McBride, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell and Carrie Underwood.
From his first No. 1 smash "Should've Been A Cowboy" to his new album 35 mph Town, Toby
Keith has been one of the most consistent self-directed hit makers of his era. His single, "Made
In America" (from the album Clancy’s Tavern) topped the charts as one of the fastest rising
songs in a long line of his chart burners. The second hit, "Red Solo Cup," has become one of
the most commercially successful country singles with a viral video garnering more than 30
million views while having topped the top downloaded country songs charts. The first single
from 35 mph Town, "Drunk Americans," debuted at No. 1 Most Added on both the Billboard and
Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts.
At the core of Keith's unparalleled success is his songwriting, with an astounding succession of
hit songs to the tune of more than 87 million BMI performances on commercial radio stations
worldwide. In June 2015, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, and he has been
honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association International with its Songwriter/Artist of the
Decade distinction. He is a three-time BMI Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year and was
named the American Country Awards' Artist of the Decade. His albums have sold more than 40
million copies, ranking him among the top-selling all-genre artists on Billboard's Top 200 Artists
of the Decade; he is also Billboard's No. 1 Country Artist of the Decade and No. 1 Country
Songwriter of the Decade. His tours have drawn more than one million fans each year for the
last decade. This year's tour, Interstates & Tailgates presented by Ford F-Series, kicks off in
May with
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dates scheduled throughout North America. However Keith’s most rewarding experiences come
from giving back. Whether it's helping sick children and their families in his native Oklahoma
through the Toby Keith Foundation and the cost-free home OK Kids Korral, or supporting US
Troops, including 11 USO Tours throughout the world, Keith has never lost touch with the most
important things in life.
Matthew McConaughey will next be seen in the June 24th release of Free State of Jones, an
epic action-drama set during the Civil War that tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt
Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. In 2016 he will also lend
his voice to Kubo and the Two Strings and Sing as well as star in Gold, directed by Stephen
Gaghan.
The AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS is based on country music’s longestrunning radio countdown show (43 years), “American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks,” and
honors country music’s biggest stars, based on album sales and radio airplay. Finalists and
winners for all categories are based on radio airplay charts, sales and streaming data from April
1, 2015 to March 28, 2016 provided by BuzzAngle Music. Touring data is from Pollstar “The
Concert Hotwire.”
Tickets for the AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS at the “Fabulous” Forum are
on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com.
The AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS is produced by dick clark
productions. Allen Shapiro (CEO, dick clark productions), Mike Mahan (President, dick clark
productions), Mark Bracco (Executive Vice President, Programming and Development, dick
clark productions), Kix Brooks, Richard Godfrey and Tom Forrest are executive producers.
About dick clark productions
dick clark productions (dcp) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event
entertainment programming, with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Country
Countdown Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New
Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Hollywood Film Awards” and
the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance,
from 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group and dcp. dcp also owns one of the
world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries, with more than 55 years of
award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming.
For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.
About Cumulus Media
A leader in the radio broadcasting industry, Cumulus Media (NASDAQ:CMLS) combines highquality local programming with iconic, nationally syndicated media, sports and entertainment
brands to deliver premium content choices to the 245 million people reached each week through
its 454 owned-and-operated stations broadcasting in 90 U.S. media markets (including eight of
the top 10), more than 8,200 broadcast radio stations affiliated with its Westwood One network
and numerous digital channels. Together, the Cumulus/Westwood One platforms make
Cumulus Media one of the few media companies that can provide advertisers with national
reach and local impact. Cumulus/Westwood One is the exclusive radio broadcast partner to
some of the largest brands in sports and entertainment, including the NFL, the NCAA, the
Masters, the Olympics, the GRAMMYs, the Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards
and Miss America. Additionally, it is the nation's leading provider of country music and lifestyle
content through its NASH brand, which serves country fans nationwide through radio
programming, NASH Country
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Weekly magazine, concerts, licensed products and television/video. For more information,
visit www.cumulus.com.
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SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION:
Cheat Tweet: .@TobyKeithMusic to perform a @merlehaggard tribute at the @ACCAs. Don't
miss it May 1 on @FOXTV: bit.ly/ACCAsTribute
Twitter: @ACCAs
Instagram: @ACCAs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americancountrycountdownawards/
Tumblr: http://theaccawards.tumblr.com/
Snapchat: ACCAwards
Vine: ACCAwards
CONTACTS:
AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS
Lisa Chader
615-428-7223
lisa@wortmanworks.com
dick clark productions
Liz Morentin
Lydia Baskharoon
310-255-4602
310-255-0319
lmorentin@dickclark.com
lbaskharoon@dickclark.com
FOX
Alyssa McGovern
Kelley Kirkpatrick
Nicole Gonzales
310-369-5361
310-369-5820
310-369-0827
Alyssa.mcgovern@fox.com
Kelley.Kirkpatrick@fox.com
nicole.gonzales@fox.com
For Toby Keith
Elaine Schock
818-932-0001
elaine@shockink.com