CMT edits out Shania's fall

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Cable channel CMT says a fall by Shania Twain was edited out of replays of its awards show to save her from embarrassment.

Twain slipped and fell on her way to the stage Wednesday night during a live telecast of the CMT Music Awards. The channel left that part out of a replay right after the telecast and during another replay Thursday.

"The last thing we want to do is embarrass anyone on our show, particularly someone as gracious as Shania Twain," John Hamlin, the show's executive producer, said in a statement Thursday.

Footage of the fall aired Thursday on cable news channels and was available on the Internet.

"Taking it out was the right thing to do for her or anyone else for that matter," Hamlin said.

http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2011/jun/09/bc-tn-shanias-fall/?entertainment&national-entertainment

Shania with Justin Bieber

Shania Twain, Taylor Swift reprise 'Thelma and Louise' for video shoot

Video for recent CMT awards draws crowd to Thompson's Station

Shania Twain and Taylor Swift surprised locals at a BP station in Thompson's Station while filming a segment for the recent CMT Music Awards. / Submitted

A week after the CMT Awards, country music fans in town may still be basking in their brush with fame during a surprise visit from Taylor Swift and Shania Twain.

“It was pretty exciting. Everybody said they were going to set their DVRs,” said April Willett, a ministry assistant at Thompson’s Station Church.

That’s where crews started showing up early June 6 to prepare for a shoot — a nod to the film Thelma and Louise — staring Swift and Twain.

The awards show opened with the pre-recorded clip that also included cameos from Glee’s Chord Overstreet, Donald Trump, Kenny Rogers, Ron White and Kid Rock, who hosted the show in Nashville.

Willett said locals planned to watch the video closely to see whether they recognize parts of the town used as a backdrop: the church, the BP on Columbia Pike, and the not-yet-open stretch of State Route 840. Independence High School can be seen just behind Rogers as he sings a few lines from the “The Gambler.”

Willett said CMT contacted the church about a week in advance and church leaders agreed not to leak the event because of the commotion it might create.

Also, a group of more than 300 students and counselors were leaving from their lot for camp that morning.

“We had five charter buses leaving that morning, so we had a lot going on anyway,” Willett said. “Some of them asked what was going on. We just said someone was shooting a video.”

Social media spread word

CMT crews parked their buses and RVs around the building to avoid curiosity, but it didn’t take long for social media to broadcast the event.

“People would pull up to the light, look over at what was happening and text about it,” Willett said. “It didn’t take any time before there was a good crowd.”

Production crews allowed more than 100 or so fans onto the BP parking lot but kept a clear perimeter for a portion of the shoot at the service station, said Doug Goetsch, town recorder.

“I just drove by and saw the crowd, so I stopped and snapped a few pictures before the entourage shooed me away,” Goetsch said.

Brinton Davis, a town alderman who works at the BP, said employees were told the owner was coming that Monday morning but weren’t told why.

“We thought it was for an inspection. We made that place spick-and-span over the weekend,” he said. “We knew something was going on when prop trucks showed up. Then we see them both in a Thunderbird.”

Davis snagged a chance to get his picture taken with Swift with his cell phone, along with scads of adoring fans.

“Taylor Swift was a class act, and we would love to have her back any time,” he said. “She stood out there in 100-degree weather and made sure everybody got a picture and got a hug."

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110615/WILLIAMSON12/306150034/Shania-Twain-Taylor-Swift-reprise-Thelma-Louise-video-shoot

Shania on the Red Carpet.