Just minutes into the Country Association Music Awards, the family-friendly show took a mischievous turn when Carrie Underwood poked fun at Dolly Parton’s ‘rack.’ The country legend was proud to point out her blessings!
Put country music’s most powerful trio of women on a stage, and they’ll deliver one memorable monologue! Anticipation was already in the air since the Country Music Association Awards’ longtime host Carrie Underwood, 36, would be joined by legends Dolly Parton, 73, and Reba McEntire, 64, in place of Brad Paisley, 47, on Nov. 13 — the first shakeup to the hosting gig in 12 years. Well, these three country queens got fans talking even more when Carrie joked about Dolly’s honkers at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Just being here with Reba and Dolly means the world to me, and I have loved working every second with them. Except, maybe the part of us all sharing a dressing room. I mean, it’s a fog of hair spray, shoes and costume changes,” Carrie joked, before turning her attention to their wardrobes. “There are racks of clothes and dresses everywhere and for some reason, Dolly’s rack is so much bigger,” Carrie said, seemingly unaware of the innuendo. But Dolly wasn’t, of course. “Well, Dolly’s rack is SO much bigger,” the queen of country declared, puffing her chest out further for reference. Dolly was just “addressing the elephants in the room,” after all. This is why she’s our favorite.
Carrie, Dolly and Reba sure do know how to get the party started, and it’s far from being over. After they opened the show by harmonizing to “Those Memories of You” which Dolly originally sang with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris in 1987, more country favorites will follow like Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson, Luke Combs, Lady Antebellum and Halsey, and Pink!
This is an especially big night for Carrie. Not only hosting and performing, the American Idol winner is also up for the award show’s most prestigious title: “Entertainer of the Year.” She’s the only women in the roster of nominees which also includes Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban (they’ll all be performing as well). Another exciting category to watch out for is “Female Vocalist of the Year,” which is yet another award Carrie will be competing for against country darlings Miranda, Maren, Kacey and Kelsea Ballerini.
As you can see, the 2019 CMAs is especially women-charged, a tone that Carrie, Dolly and Reba’s opening monologue help set! It was an intentional move, given the CMAs’ goal for tonight. “In addition to awarding the year’s best and brightest in the genre, ‘The 53rd Annual CMA Awards’ will celebrate the legacy of women within country music, and we couldn’t think of a more dynamic group of women to host the show,” Sarah Trahern, chief executive officer of the CMA, wrote in a statement. Jumping off this point, Carrie said on the Nov. 8 episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan, “Of course we’re going to have fun moments because it’s me and Dolly and Reba, but it’s a tribute to legends — women of country music, the now, current people and we’re looking to the future, too.” The message has been received!