Las Vegas Weekly

April 17, 2010 · 4:56 PM

Photos: Reba, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert rehearse for ACM Awards

By Robin Leach

Keith Urban performs onstage during the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards rehearsals at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 16, 2010.

Photo: Kevin Winters/Getty Images/ACM

It’s a giant of an entertainment spectacular: 22 superstar performances and 10 award presentations. That’s the incredible 13-act rundown for the mighty three-hour Academy of Country Music Awards live on CBS tomorrow night from MGM Grand Garden Arena.

As if that’s not enough of an incredible undertaking, Dick Clark Productions’ TV crew then tapes a two-hour special, Last Rodeo, on Monday night in a tribute to Brooks & Dunn that will air May 23, also on CBS.

Reba McEntire is not only hosting the ACM Awards for the 12th consecutive time at this 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, but she also will perform and is nominated for Top Female Vocalist of the Year.

“Yes, that’s three hats to wear tomorrow,” she laughed with me when we sat down yesterday after she showed me this year’s set. “I don’t think of it like that, though, and I’ve been doing this so long that it’s really rather comfortable.”

Photo: Kevin Winters/Getty Images/ACM

Reba McEntire onstage during the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards rehearsals at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 16, 2010.

Miranda Lambert, who is fighting a vicious sinus infection, was in fine voice during yesterday’s rehearsals. She refuses to let it stop either her pre-midnight free show this evening at Fremont Street downtown or her performances tomorrow night and for the Brooks & Dunn taping Monday night.

ACM nominee leaders Lady Antebellum performed a free concert that ticked just past midnight last night on Fremont Street, and our thanks to Darrin Bush of Las Vegas News Bureau for these candid shots.

Producers of tomorrow’s awards show have loaded the first 20 minutes with an explosive, throat-grabbing power pack of performers: Miranda will be joined by Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, John Fogerty and Charlie Daniels for the opening number and are followed by Blake Shelton, Billy Currington and Kenny Chesney.

Photo: Darrin Bush/Las Vegas News Bureau

Lady Antebellum performs at Fremont Street Experience on April 16, 2010.

Photo: Darrin Bush/Las Vegas News Bureau

Lady Antebellum performs at Fremont Street Experience on April 16, 2010.

Faith Hill will then present the first award -- Song of the Year. Then it’s a performance by Broadway actress turned country singer Laura Bell Bundy and the first of several minute-long location remotes promoting Las Vegas for our Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The running order of star appearances is Toby Keith with jazzman Dave Koz, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, Miranda, Jack Ingram with Dierks Bentley, Carrie, Tim McGraw, Brad, Brooks & Dunn, Reba and Darius Rucker. The prestigious Entertainer of the Year Award based on live viewer and Web site voting will be the last presentation announced just three minutes before the broadcast ends.

The running order of presenters is Faith, Josh Duhamel, LL Cool J, Julianne Hough, Kristen Bell, LeAnn Rimes, Matthew McConaughey, Lindsay Vonn and Eddie Cibrian.

The orange carpet arrivals start as early as 2:30 p.m. tomorrow at the rear box office area of MGM Grand Garden Arena. We will have full coverage from all of our contributing photographers on my Twitter and as fast as we can post photographs to Vegas DeLuxe. Editor Don Chareunsy will be on duty in the arena for the awards show itself and plans to tweet from there, and I will be backstage to talk with winners and presenters throughout the telecast.

Today, we also have our face-to-face with Sugarland at MGM, Toby’s party with Randy Houser at his I Love This Bar & Grill at Harrah’s and Kenny’s Summer in 3-D movie premiere at Town Square. Additionally, Montgomery Gentry leads a motorcycle run through the Nevada desert, and Toby headlines a USO concert in tribute to Willie Nelson at Nellis Air Force Base.

Keep checking back to Vegas DeLuxe as we update all the Country Party of the Year coverage throughout the weekend.

REBA McENTIRE

Reba knows she’s hosting the show for the 12th time but admitted that she doesn’t know how many times she’s been nominated. She told me: “I’ll be wearing three hats Sunday night: hosting, performing and hopefully getting an award! It’s now become old hat in a way. I’m very comfortable sliding into my own shoes again.

Photo: Kevin Winters/Getty Images/ACM

Robin Leach and Reba McEntire at the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards rehearsals at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 16, 2010.

“But, you know, it is fun to get nominated again this year. I’m very flattered. The first time I won for Female Vocalist of the Year was back in ’94, and you never forget that one. I have all my awards scattered around in my office, my house in Los Angeles and of course our home in Nashville.

“I still get a kick out of winning -- absolutely. That never gets old. I’m a very competitive person. My husband says I need to calm it down a bit and I tell him, ‘No, I cant!’ I’m a third-generation rodeo brat. My grandpap was roping steers. I’ve been competing since I was a kid. I love the competition. I’m not in it just to compete. I’m in it to win it. My positive attitude says I don’t lose because I’ve got to compete. Doesn’t mater if it’s backgammon, cards or dominos. I love to compete. I love to play and win!”

Reba, who will be singing “Keep on Loving You” written by Ronnie Dunn, said she’s thrilled that this year’s broadcast has so much entertainment: “It’s a lot. From the ones I know and the one’s I’ve seen and heard already, I know it will be an incredible show. I’m that confident. Watch for the newcomers because they will all give spectacular performances.

“In music, we always have new blood and new entertainers coming in. They keep those of us who have been around a long time on our toes. They make us step up to do it better. We have to be in top gear to compete with them.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Taylor Swift at the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“It’s interesting, though, that in other musical fields, the singers get their 15 minutes, but we get our 15 years. That’s all due to the loyalty of the fans. But the youngsters are coming on. I’m talking about Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood -- both up for the Entertainer of the Year Award. That’s two girls competing against six guys, so they are doing a fantastic job. They are working their tails off.

“Carrie and Taylor both have spectacular stage shows, and Miranda is now out headlining on her own. She’s going gangbusters. They’re all really hungry. You got to have that to stay in the competitive man’s world. I’m very proud of them.”

MIRANDA LAMBERT

Miranda is only the third female country singer in history to have three records debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. She’s fighting a serious sinus infection but is determined to continue. Her voice at rehearsals wasn’t affected. In fact, she was so hot that the video screens behind her began smoking! The stage crew stopped it before it went up in flames.

Photo: Kevin Winters/Getty Images/ACM

Miranda Lambert performs onstage during the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards rehearsals at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 16, 2010.

Miranda told me: “It’s funny. When you’re in rehearsals, I’m completely at ease. But when the excitement of all the glitz and glamour kicks in as they start the countdown to the live broadcast, that’s when I go, ‘It’s here.’ And I get really nervous. It’s worse because I’ve even got the first song! Everybody who means anything in country music is sitting there right in front of you. That’s definitely nerve-wracking. The only other time I get the nerves is singing the national anthem at the Grand Ole Opry.”

Miranda is up for so many nominations that I asked if her dream for tomorrow night is to walk away with her arms full of trophies. She laughed: “The dream is more in seeing your name on that screen as they call it out. Getting an award is amazing, but with five people nominated, they are not easy to come by. To me it’s more important that my peers in the industry have put my name on the ballot. That’s winning enough, but don’t get me wrong. I love those shiny silver awards!

“My heart will do double flips when they call my name. My stomach will then drop a little. I always tell myself, “No way will I win.’ Two years ago, I didn’t think for one moment I would win. You actually don’t hear your name. You totally blank out. You don’t believe it when they say it. (Boyfriend) Blake (Shelton) had to poke my side to get me out of my seat!

“You come down to Earth and go back to work immediately afterwards, but I spent all of that year celebrating my win -- basking in the glory. Wherever I went, I told everybody I’d just won Album of the Year (for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)! I was proud. I wanted them to know. If you win it, you milk it!”

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert.

Miranda is now out on her first headlining tour after five years of other stars’ cross-country shows. “I’ve been out the last three weekends with my Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars show. We carry on through June. … It’s the first tour I’ve headlined myself, and there’s a lot of added stress. I just don’t know why we bring it on ourselves. But my name is on that ticket, so I have to make sure we sell out. It’s also on the ticket if I don’t sell out, so there’s the worry. So far, though, so very good.”

Miranda performs tonight at the free fans concert at Fremont Street Experience.

SUGARLAND

Sugarland won’t be performing at the ACM Awards, but they will be singing at the Brooks & Dunn taping Monday. The duo kick off their 63-city Invention Machine Tour next weekend at Star of the Desert Arena in Primm.

Photo: Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush.

The four-time ACM Award winners Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush told me that they are adding more crazy stunts to this tour, which will be their biggest yet.

We’ll have that full interview and photo gallery Thursday before their show. Our thanks to Glenn Pinkerton of the Las Vegas News Bureau for these first shots.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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