NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's hard to believe, but this year marks 50 years since CMA Fest began. Back then, it was called Fan Fair and had only a fraction of the crowds' fans see today.
"They were so frightened of people not showing up, and nobody did show up that first year that they imported 5,000 soldiers from Fort Campbell just so there would be bodies in the Municipal Auditorium to see the shows," said Robert K. Oermann, a longtime country music journalist and historian.
Oermann says Fan Fair began as a way to give fans something to attend for CMA's Annual Awards week in Nashville back in 1972.
"It was much more about the fan clubs — all the different stars had their fan clubs. They would each decorate their booths. It was a contest, of who decorated their booth the cutest. And it was everybody. It wasn’t just the stars. It was the wannabes too," said Oermann.
In 1982, the party moved down the road to the Nashville Fairgrounds. More space created more demand.
"I have no sleep. I go home with bags under my eyes and I wouldn’t miss it. I work hard all year doing my craft, so I have enough money to come to Fan Fair," said Dottie Wright back in 1988.
"And then you’d go down to the speedway for the shows. And that’s kind of when the fans started to separate. The oldsters stayed in the buildings and they got younger and younger at the fairgrounds because as you know, every Fan Fair is hot and humid," said Oermann.
That age gap only deepened in 2001, when organizers changed the name to CMA Fest and the location to all over Downtown Nashville.
"Brad Paisley baby — when we two fall in love. That’s right here, standing in line all day to get his autograph, and I tell you, every bit was worth it," said a fan in a story NewsChannel 5 ran in 2001.
Change is inevitable for anything that lasts 50 years, but Oermann says one thing has remained constant — the focus has always been on the fans.
"It celebrates something I think that is really unique and that’s the bond between the country entertainer and the fan, and the message is basically, 'I’m not better because I’m on this stage. I am you," said Oermann. "People have gotten married at the CMA Music Fest, they’ve met the loves of their lives at music fest. It’s an amazing thing and it can only happen in country music."
