Hazzard Fans Head for Music City

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 24, 2006 -- On June 3 and 4, tens of thousands of "good ol' boys and girls" from all over America and the world will gather in Nashville, TN for CMT DukesFest 2006, the annual reunion for "Dukes of Hazzard" fans of all ages.

"It is by far the largest gathering of fans for any television show ever," says Ben Jones, the former Georgia congressman who played the sidekick mechanic "Cooter" on the show. "Last year we drew about 40,000 folks to Bristol Motor Speedway and we could possibly top that this year because our entire cast is coming for the first time ever."

Jones, who along with his wife Alma produce CMT DukesFest, says the event is geared for families. "Kids 10 and under are admitted free, and we'll have a special play area for the youngsters. They are our biggest fans. It's really cool because they think 'The Dukes' is a brand new show."

This year's event will feature a parade of more than 100 "General Lees" (the 1969 Dodge Charger which has become a cultural icon in the NASCAR world), a demolition derby, the "world's fastest lawnmower race," two days of bluegrass and country music on two stages, as well as appearances and autograph sessions by the entire cast. The stars appearing include: John Schneider (Bo), Tom Wopat (Luke), Catherine Bach (Daisy), James Best (Rosco P. Coltrane), Sonny Shroyer (Enos) and Rick Hurst (Cletus). In addition to appearances both days, the entire cast will perform on the main stage for a special show Saturday night.

The festivities will conclude Sunday afternoon with the Hazzard County Stunt Team recreating the very first jump of the General Lee, originally filmed in Covington, Georgia in October of 1978.

Advance tickets for the two-day event are $30, and one-day passes are $20. Weekend passes are $35 at the gate and $25 for the day. Children 10 and under are free, as well as military service men and women with proper ID.

The gates open at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available at the gate at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds and Music City Motorplex. Advance tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets and Cooter's Place in Nashville. For more information call Cooter's Place at (615) 872-8358, or visit http://www.cootersplace.com/.

ABOUT DUKESFEST

DukesFest was established by Ben "Cooter" Jones in 2001. Originally held in Sperryville, VA, unprecedented success forced the event to move to Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway in Bristol, TN in 2004. Since its inception, DukesFest has played host to more than 75,000 enthusiasts and has become the annual gathering for "Dukes of Hazzard" lovers.

ABOUT CMT

CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches more than 82.5 million households in the United States. Go to country music's biggest web site at http://www.cmt.com/.