Biography

A once in a lifetime gathering of country music hitmakers, Artists of Then, Now & Forever was the collective name given to the musicians who participated in the 2016 single and video "Forever Country." Created to pay tribute to the Country Music Association Awards, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary that year, "Forever Country" was a medley of three classic songs: "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (first recorded and co-written by John Denver), "On the Road Again" (written and originally recorded by Willie Nelson), and "I Will Always Love You" (written and first recorded by Dolly Parton). Produced by Shane McAnally, "Forever Country" was designed to celebrate country music's past and present, and with that in mind, the recording (and subsequent music video) included an impressive roster of country talent. Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, whose songs helped shape the medley, were both on hand, as were veteran stars Reba McEntire, Ronnie Milsap, and Charley Pride. Traditionalists Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, and George Strait were featured, as well as newer and more contemporary acts such as Kacey Musgraves and Darius Rucker. Great female singers who participated included Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, and Carrie Underwood. Groups as well as individuals took part, among them Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, and Rascal Flatts. Current Nashville stars who lent their talents to the project included Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Keith Urban. And while Randy Travis -- one of the leading country stars of the '80s and '90s -- has seen his career sidelined since 2013 by a stroke, he made a cameo appearance in the video, and is credited as one of the artists on the single. The track was released as a digital single on September 16, 2016 and a 90-second preview of the video was aired on Dancing with the Stars on September 20. The Country Music Association, which helped organize and finance the project, has pledged that all profits realized by "Forever Country" will be used to support the CMA's music education programs. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi