By Annie Reuter
Next year, the Academy of Country Music Awards will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the first-ever ACM commemorative book.
This Is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of Country Music Awards will be available on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014. Written by the Academy’s own Lisa Lee, with a foreword by Reba McEntire, the 224 page book invites fans to peek behind the scenes of the ACM Awards.
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The book includes contributions from country music’s biggest stars from the 1960s to today, including Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Loretta Lynn, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Reba, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and Marty Stuart. There is also commentary from Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard, Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and many more.
This Is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of Country Music Awards includes backstage and performance photos as well as behind-the-scenes stories and firsthand accounts from artists.
“For five decades, the Academy of Country Music Awards has proudly showcased the best in country music, to the delight of millions of viewers,” said Bob Romeo, CEO of the Academy of Country Music in a press release. “We are so excited to share some of the most candid moments in our history with music fans. ‘This Is Country’ truly is a backstage pass to the ACM Awards.”
The 50th ACM Awards will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. on Sunday, April 19, 2015, on CBS. All of the Academy’s proceeds from sales of the book will go to the Academy’s charity, ACM Lifting Lives.
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