The CMA Awards Are Coming Up

The ACM Awards

For those country music lovers, the CMA Music Awards are being broadcast tonight. The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards airs live 8 p.m. EST (tape-delayed on the west coast) Sunday on CBS. Reba McEntire is this year's host. McEntire, 53, is also ACM a nominee this year, with "Because of You" a contender in the "Vocal Event of the Year" category.

The industry professional members of the Country Music Association vote to determine CMA Awards nominees and winners. MJI Programming, a division of Premiere Radio Networks, is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards, which includes Red Carpet coverage and a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event.

What It Takes to Write a Hit Country Music Song

"It takes more creativity and ingenuity to write a hit Country & Western music song than you might think," said David Featherstone, a Dallas area recording artist and songwriter. Mr. Featherstone used to teach me about guitar harmonics back when I was in high school. He was also one of my composition instructors.

Writing country music lyrics isn't easy. There is moving poetic beauty in many country music songs, particular those "old country" greats like George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Charlie Daniels. Good country music tells a story, using images and icons that tap into the collective unconsciousness of us all. Even if you're not a country music fan, you can still appreciate the thoughtful poetics that go into a good country music song.