After opening the 2020 ACM Awards by singing “Before He Cheats,” as part of a medley with her fellow Entertainer of the Year nominees, Carrie Underwood returned to the stage to honor several female country music legends, including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Martina McBride.
“These strong voices mean so much to me, and to all the other female artists that stand on their shoulders,” Carrie said from the Opry stage. “They are some of my heroes, and I’m so honored to stand alongside them as a fellow member of the Grand Ole Opry. It’s my pleasure to pay tribute to these legendary ladies, as we celebrate the Opry’s 95th anniversary.”
Carrie kicked off her performance by singing “Crazy” by Patsy Cline,” followed by Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” by Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton’s “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That,” Reba McEntire’s “Fancy,” and Martina McBride’s “Broken Wing.”
It’s fitting that Reba was in the list of women that Carrie honored, since Reba previously praised Carrie for her hard work in country music.
“I’m thrilled with the girls getting back in there,” Reba said (via The Country Daily). “The thing that we have to realize and remember, whether it’s a male or female, the song usually drives the situation—it drives the boat. So when anybody has such a great song that can keep them in front of the public for a while—because there’s so much competition—that’s the thing. And then them coming in with the hard work and the creativity to do different things year after year.
“Carrie has worked her tail off,” she continued. “I’ve watched her. I’ve watched her show. I’m very impressed with how much work she puts into her production and to her creativity, whether it’s the people who surround her [during] her concerts or her costuming—she puts a lot of thought into it. She sings her butt off, so I’m very, very proud of Carrie coming in and working so hard and representing country music.”
Carrie was nominated for Female Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.