2012 ACM Awards Performances to Include Duets From Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and Lionel Richie
The 2012 ACM Awards are shaping up to be quite an entertaining evening, with new country stars being added to the celebrity lineup of performers each day. That's in addition to a live onstage wedding, and now, a list of country talents set to bring special duets to the ACM stage. The Academy announced today (March 29) the lineup of special collaborations that are slated to be a part of country music's "party of the year."
Sharing the stage during the live telecast Sunday, April 1 will be Blake Shelton and Lionel Richie; Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw; Rascal Flatts and Steve Martin; and Toby Keith with yet-to-be-announced surprise guests.
Shelton and Richie will be performing the first track from Richie's new record 'Tuskegee,' the song 'You Are,' which is a duet between the pair on the album itself. Shelton will have to take a break from co-hosting the awards show with Reba McEntire in order to carve out time for this performance, but it promises to be great. Aside from his appearances on the live telecast, Richie will be hosting the event 'ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert,' which will air on CBS April 13.
Chesney and McGraw were also quite a natural duet pairing, since the two are set to hit the road together in June for the Brothers of the Sun Tour. While we don't yet know what song they're going to sing, we're sure the two -- who have won quite a few ACM Awards in the past -- will cook up something special.
Rascal Flatts and Martin will be taking the stage to perform the Flatts' single 'Banjo,' which is an appropriate song for Martin, who just so happens to play the banjo in his bluegrass band the Steep Canyon Rangers. Rascal Flatts are preparing to drop their highly anticipated new record 'Changed' April 3.
While we don't yet know which guests Toby Keith will bring along, we do know that the singer will be performing his smash hit 'Red Solo Cup' with a little help from his friends, described in a recent press release as "special surprise iconic Las Vegas performers."
With everything that's going into this year's show, you won't want to miss it. Tune in to the 47th Annual ACM Awards Sunday night (April 1) at 8 PM ET on CBS.