CMT to honor Black country music pioneer Linda Martell

Linda Martell, one of the pioneers for Black acts in country music and the first Black woman to perform solo at the Grand Ole Opry, will be honored at the 2021 CMT Music Awards

NEW YORK -- Linda Martell, one of the pioneers for Black acts in country music and the first Black woman to perform solo at the Grand Ole Opry, will be honored at the 2021 CMT Music Awards. The 86-year-old will receive the CMT Equal Play Award at Wednesday night's show. Mickey Guyton, who this year became the first solo Black woman nominated for a country Grammy Award, will present the honor to Martell, while Black artists including Darius Rucker, Rissi Palmer and Rhiannon Giddens will congratulate the legend in a video package highlighting her career. Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Nettles, last year's CMT Equal Play Award recipient, will also honor Martell. Martell released the album “Color Me Country" in 1970. The title track — a country cover of The Winstons’ R&B hit — became her biggest hit-to-date on the Billboard country music charts, reaching No. 22. She also had chart success with the singles “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and “Bad Case of the Blues."