CMA Songwriters Series Hits the Road

The wildly popular CMA Songwriters Series, which has played to sell-out crowds in New York City for the past five years, will be hitting the road this Fall with a show in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and two shows in Chicago, Friday, Oct. 2 at Joe's Bar, and Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Chicago Country Music Festival.
 
Each show will be hosted by Bob DiPiero, writer of hits such as "Take Me As I Am" (Faith Hill), "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" (Brooks & Dunn) and "Blue Clear Sky" (George Strait), and will feature some of Nashville's most talented writers as well as artist/songwriters.
 
BNA recording artist Kellie Pickler will be the featured artist/songwriter for the Sept. 15 Los Angeles show. Pickler, a two-time CMA Award nominee, is enjoying a Top 10 hit with "Best Days of Your Life," which she wrote with friend and tour mate Taylor Swift. The single has also been certified Gold. Pickler also co-wrote the Top 15 hits "Red High Heels" and "I Wonder" from her gold certified debut album, Small Town Girl.
 
Joining Pickler will be songwriters Chris Lindsey ("Amazed" recorded by Lonestar and "Let's Make Love" recorded by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill), and Aimee Mayo ("This One's For the Girls" recorded by Martina McBride and "Red High Heels" recorded by Pickler).
 
Tickets for the Sept. 15 Los Angeles show are $12.50 each and will go on sale Aug. 7. Tickets will be available at www.ticketmaster.com or at the House of Blues Sunset Strip office at (323) 848-5100.  

Universal Music Nashville recording artist Lee Ann Womack will be the featured artist/songwriter for both Chicago shows. A six-time CMA Award winner, Womack has sold over five million albums. Her hits include "I Hope You Dance," "A Little Past Little Rock," "The Fool" and "I May Hate Myself in the Morning." Womack's current release, Call Me Crazy, contains the Top 20 hit "Last Call" as well as her current single, "Solitary Thinkin'."
Joining Womack in Chicago will be Dean Dillon ("The Chair," "Unwound," "Ocean Front Property" and "Marina Del Rey" recorded by George Strait; and "A Lot of Things Different" recorded by Kenny Chesney), and Scotty Emerick ("I Love This Bar" and "Good As I Once Was" recorded by Toby Keith, and "Beer For My Horses" recorded by Keith and Willie Nelson).

Tickets to the Oct. 2 event at Joe's Bar are $20.00 each and will go on sale Aug. 7. Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster or at Joe's (cash only-no service charge). Tickets can also be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet or by phone at (312) 559-1212or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/32917. Fans can avoid service fees by purchasing tickets at Joe's any weekday beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tickets at the Joe's box office can only be purchased with cash. There is a $1 fee added for Chicago's city tax. All tickets are General Admission, standing room only unless otherwise noted. You must be 21 or older to attend a show or event at Joe's. 
 
The Chicago Country Music Festival takes place October 3 and 4 in Grant Park. The event is free and open to the public.