Amber Riley, Billie Jean King, Ledisi & More Added to ‘CMT Smashing Glass’ Special

Ledisi, Billie Jean King, Amber Riley, Chris Janson, Fancy Hagood and Lucie Silvas have been added to CMT Smashing Glass, a salute to genre-defying women artists that premieres Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Clint Black, Mickey Guyton, Sheryl Crow and The War & Treaty were already announced for the special, which will celebrate Patti LaBelle and Tanya Tucker, who will both also perform on the show. Both of these veteran artists have already gotten at least some of their flowers. LaBelle received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. Tucker was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year, alongside Patty Loveless and songwriter Bob McDill.

The special will also pay posthumous tribute to three giants: Aretha Franklin (who died in 2018 at age 76), Tina Turner (who died in May at age 83) and Sinead O’Connor (who died in July at age 56).

CMT’s press statement suggests that they hope this special becomes a perennial: “CMT Smashing Glass is an all-new, genre-defying musical salute to the incomparable women who smashed stereotypes, broke records and defiantly blazed trails for future generations of female artists. The inaugural genre-blending music event will honor the exceptional careers of icons Patti LaBelle and Tanya Tucker and honor the late women of music with once-in-a-lifetime performances, surprise appearances and ‘Moments of Respect’ tributes to Aretha Franklin, Sinead O’Connor, Tina Turner and more.”

As previously reported, CMT Smashing Glass is helmed by an all-female production team.

Here’s how the special is taking shape.