CMA Announces MusicFest Preview Tour

3/17/2008 Staff The Country Music Association is giving country music fans a warm-up to this year's CMA MusicFest.  The "Road to the CMA Music Festival Presented by Tetley® Iced Tea" will tour 10 cities beginning in Houston on April 17th. "Tetley has been making iced tea for over 50 years," said Clive Rowlandson, Vice-President of Marketing for Tetley Iced Tea.  "We know our product is about more than refreshment, it's about sharing good times with family and friends.  That's what this tour is all about too, a great way to kick back and have fun this summer.  We think Tetley Iced Tea and Country Music is a perfect partnership." The CMA hopes to get fans excited by bringing two of this year's CMA Music Festival performers, Darryl Worley and Jennifer Hanson, to some of the most popular clubs in the Southeast.  Besides Houston, tour dates include Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Ft. Worth, Houston, Jacksonville, Orlando, Raleigh, San Antonio, and Tampa.  At each concert venue, fans will be able to sample Tetley Iced Tea and Greased Lightning® Cleaning Products. "I'm very excited about going on the road with Jennifer Hanson, she is such a great talent," said Worley, whose hits include "Have You Forgotten" and "Awfule Beautiful Life." "I look forward to new relationships with Tetley Iced Tea and Greased Lightning. This will be a terrific way to lead up to the CMA Music Festival and hopefully this will increase the excitement." Hanson, whose has written numerous hits including "Beautiful Goodbye" and "Joyride," was also thrilled.  "The CMA Music Festival is one of my absolute favorite events of the year," said Hanson. "When I was a little girl, I spent many of my summer vacations in Nashville with my dad, attending the shows and getting autographs. But not everyone gets to come to Nashville and experience Music Festival in Music City. It's great that the CMA and Tetley Iced Tea are sponsoring a tour that takes a little slice of the excitement that is Music Festival out on the road."   Originally known as Fan Fair in 1972, the CMA MusicFest heats up downtown Nashville every June.  The CMA's signature event brings together over 400 country music artists and celebrities, over 100 hours of live music, more than 40 hours of autographs signing sessions, and much more.  The 2008 country music event takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8. "Road To The CMA Music Festival Presented By Tetley® Iced Tea " TOUR INFO 4/17/08 - Houston Firehouse Saloon 5930 SW Freeway and Fountainview Houston, TX  77057 Tickets available at firehousesaloon.com or at the door 4/18/08 - San Antonio Cowboy's Dancehall 3030 NE Loop 410 @ I-35 San Antonio, TX  78218 Tickets available at cowboysdancehall.com at the box office 4/19/08 - Dallas/Ft. Worth Billy Bob's 2520 Rodeo Plaza Ft. Worth, TX  76164 Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or at the box office 4/24/08 - Orlando Cheyenne Saloon 128 W. Church St. Orlando, FL  32801 Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or at the box office 4/25/08 - Tampa/St. Petersburg Jannus Landing 16 Second St. N. St. Petersburg, FL  33701 Tickets available at ticketmaster.com 4/26/08 - Charlotte Coyote Joe's 4621 Wilkinson Blvd. Charlotte, NC  28208 Tickets available at etix.com or at the box office 4/30/08 - Birmingham Zydeco 2001 15th Ave. S. Birmingham, AL  35205 Tickets available at zydecobirmingham.com or ticketbiscuit.com 5/1/08 - Jacksonville Maverick's 2 Independent Dr. Jacksonville, FL  32202 Tickets available at mavericksatthelanding.com or ticketmaster.com 5/2/08 - Atlanta Wild Bill's 2075 Market St. NW Duluth, GA  30096 Tickets available at ticketmaster.com 5/4/08 - Raleigh Longbranch Saloon 600 Creekside Dr. Raleigh, NC  27609 Tickets available at the door