JIMMY BUFFETT AND ZAC BROWN BAND COME TOGETHER FOR “CMT CROSSROADS” PREMIERING MARCH 19 ON CMT
03/02/10
NASHVILLE – March 2, 2010 – Known for his high-energy sold-out shows, beach inspired tropical tunes and devoted and enthusiastic fans, singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett shares the stage with this year’s Grammy winner for “Best New Artist,” the Zac Brown Band, as they team up for the latest episode of the critically-acclaimed CMT CROSSROADS series. CMT CROSSROADS: JIMMY BUFFETT AND ZAC BROWN BAND premieres Friday, March 19 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on CMT.
Taped before an invitation only audience, Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown Band bring their tropical tastes and rousing performances to each other’s hit songs such as Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” and “Son of a Sailor” and Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” and “Toes.”
Singer/songwriter/author Jimmy Buffett has recorded more than forty records, most of which have gone gold, platinum or multi-platinum. His legions of colorfully-attired fans, affectionately known as Parrotheads, flock to his sold-out concerts to hear the songs they know and love: "Margaritaville," "Cheeseburger In Paradise," "Fins," "Come Monday," "Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes," etc. As a best-selling author, he is one of only nine authors in the history of the New York Times Bestseller List to have reached No.1 on both their fiction and non-fiction lists. Jimmy has received two Grammy nominations, numerous CMA awards and was the recipient of one of the nation's highest songwriting honors when he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Buffett released a new studio album, "Buffet Hotel," in December of last year, his first studio album since 2006's "Take the Weather With You."
Zac Brown Band were recently named GRAMMY's "Best New Artist" and are nominated for four Academy of Country Music Awards including "Entertainer of the Year." They are currently on the road with their "Breaking Southern Ground" national tour, headlining arenas and amphitheatres along the West Coast. The band's platinum-certified, major label debut The Foundation - one of Billboard's Top 20 albums of 2009 - is out now (Atlantic Records/Home Grown/Big Picture) and features the band's first three No.1 hit singles and a fourth single "Highway 20 Ride," which is rapidly climbing the charts. Amid a schedule full of festivals and their own headlining shows, this summer, Zac Brown Band will also join the Dave Matthews Band to perform at select shows across the U.S. including New York's Citi Field.
Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown Band join an elite group of performers who have taped CMT CROSSROADS, which pairs country music stars with popular artists from other genres—pop, rock, R&B—to play together, swap stories, and share their common love of music. Previous episodes of CROSSROADS have included Lindsey Buckingham and Little Big Town; Bon Jovi and Sugarland; John Fogerty and Keith Urban; Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire; Joss Stone and LeAnn Rimes; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; and Def Leppard and Taylor Swift.
CMT CROSSROADS is produced by Tom Forrest and Chad Hines. John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux and Bill Flanagan serve as executive producers for CMT.
For more information on CMT CROSSROADS log on to CMT.com
Visit CMT's press-only web site www.cmtpress.com for more information.
CMT, a unit of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 89 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.
MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.
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PRESS CONTACTS:
For CMT, please contact Cindy McLean cindy.mclean@cmt.com 615-335-8404
For more information on Jimmy Buffett, please contact Laurie Gorman laurie3g@aol.com 310- 550-5256
For more information on Zac Brown Band, please contact Rebecca Shapiro (rshapiro@shorefire.com) or Elizabeth Lutz (elutz@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media, 718-522-7171 or Sheila Richman at Atlantic Records, 212-707-3063 sheila.richman@atlanticrecords.com or Liz Norris at ROAR 917-755-1005 norris@roar.la.
