Kix Brooks Misunderstood

Posted by amyclark on 08/24/2008
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2/25/2008 Staff In an interview with Beverly Keel of Nashville’s daily newspaper The Tennessean, Kix Brooks clarified his comments made last week  regarding artists being paid to perform at the CMA Music Festival (Fan Fair). Kix says he was simply stating what the festival needs to do to survive and grow larger.  Kix became committed to making it the best festival possible when he joined the board of the CMA. Fan Fair, as the festival was then called, was facing a 20 percent decrease in ticket sales, and some were considering ending the annual event. Brooks told The Tennessean, "I've always gotten so much back from working on this festival." "I feel I have a responsibility to make sure the fans get the greatest show they can for their money.” "How can we just book acts every year and fill the stadium up and have more money to give the charities and have the fans see the greatest shows on earth?" he asks. In addition to celebrating country music fans, the event is also a charity that raises money to purchase musical equipment for Metro's public schools. "Making the music festival a charity event was one of the things I'm most proud of as board member," Kix says. "Finding the best way to give more to charity and the city and, most importantly, the fans, will always be a challenge." Kix said he was simply relating to the business models used by other successful fairs, such as the Houston Livestock Show. “Paying artists to perform, a move that would help ensure top names would appear annually, is just one idea to strengthen the festival long-term, he says. " Kix stresses that he has never said the festival would move to another city if the performers aren't paid. "One thing I've always been clear about is this festival could never work anywhere else," he says. "It never would and it never could, and I've never hinted in that direction. It just doesn't make sense." Kix told The Tennessean he’s still excited about the festival, in spite of being “stung” by some of the critical remarks aimed at him.