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CMT Launches the Dukes Farewell Tour
Say goodbye to the series that made short-shorts, fast cars and CB radios cool, as CMT bids farewell to Bo and Luke Duke with the launch of the CMT Dukes Farewell tour. Catch all 147 hours of the entire Dukes of Hazzard series when it begins its final run in a new summer timeslot, Monday through Thursday at 8 p.m. - 10 p.m., ET/PT. The final Dukes of Hazzard episode on CMT is slated to air later this summer when the series will sign off CMT for good.

"After a fantastic two-year run, it's time to give the Dukes a proper CMT farewell with a summer primetime block," says Mary Beth Cunin, vice president of programming strategy, CMT. "We want fans to be able to watch the series from the beginning and relive their favorite Dukes moments before the General Lee rides off into the sunset."

The CMT Dukes Farewell tour kicks off to coincide with CMT DukesFest, the annual gathering of Dukes of Hazzard fans on June 1 in Nashville. The event will feature a weekend of personal appearances by the stars of the beloved show, Hazzard-style music, car stunts by the original Dukes stunt drivers, plus the appearance of nearly 200 General Lees and many other family attractions. Tickets are on sale at www.CMT.com, www.cootersplace.com or via Ticketmaster.

Other Dukes programming slated to launch the week of May 28 include Dukes-themed episodes of Custom Built and Video Replay on CMT Loaded, along with another hilarious episode of its newest series, CMT Outsider, with a behind-the-scenes look at CMT DukesFest. CMT's Top Twenty Countdown will shoot a special episode from DukesFest, premiering June 7. In addition, CMT.com features a comprehensive Dukes of Hazzard site with video, photos, message boards, news, programming updates and more.

In 1979, the unmistakable voice of music legend Waylon Jennings introduced America, in both theme song and show narration, to cousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke, along with their Uncle Jesse, and a new pop culture phenomenon exploded onto TV sets across the nation. The Dukes of Hazzard became a mainstay in American homes and hearts for seven wildly successful seasons as the Duke family, modern day Robin Hoods, fought the corrupt political system in Hazzard County.

Buy Tickets to CMT DukesFest 2007

Advance tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets in the Nashville area. Customers can charge by phone by calling Ticketmaster at (615) 255-9600. Tickets are also available online at www.cootersplace.com, at Cooter's Place stores in Nashville and Gatlinburg, Tenn., at the Music City Motorplex or by calling Cooter's Place at (615) 872-8358. Or go online to Ticketmaster.

CMT DukesFest, the annual gathering of The Dukes of Hazzard fans, will return to Nashville in 2007 on the first weekend in June. CMT DukesFest 2007 will feature two days of personal appearances by the stars of the beloved show, two days of Hazzard-style music, plus car stunts by the original Dukes stunt drivers, the appearance of more than 100 General Lees (the 1969 Dodge Charger which also starred in the show) and many other family attractions. The event returns to the Music City Motorplex at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds.

Ben Jones, who played Cooter on the show, and his wife Alma created the show eight years ago in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. "It has grown enormously since we started it," says Jones. "Last year we drew more than 70,000 people to the Motorplex over two days. The city said it was the largest gathering of its kind ever in the city. That is simply a testament to the continued popularity of America's favorite family show."

"This is great news to kick off the new year and an even better way to kick off the summer travel season," states Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. With their success last year, we couldn't be happier to have this return engagement of CMT DukesFest. The event and the organizers are great, and we look forward to helping Cooter make this year bigger and better!"

"This year is going to be extra special because the proceeds from the gate will benefit the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Since our show has always been a favorite of young people and since all of us strongly support the work of Vanderbilt, it seems like a good way to have a good time for a good cause," adds Jones.

"The organizers of DukesFest are showing tremendous commitment to the children and families of Middle Tennessee by donating proceeds of their very successful event to the Children's Fund at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt," said Kevin Churchwell, M.D., interim CEO of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. "There is a tremendous need for support to ensure that we can continue to provide every child with the top level of care regardless of ability to pay. It is donations, like this one, that allow us to offer family-centered care to every single family that enters our doors."

"We are delighted that CMT is our title sponsor again this year," says Cooter. "They have done a super job bringing our franchise back into America's living rooms. Last year CMT DukesFest drew folks from every state in the union and from 15 foreign countries. They can't wait to get back to Music City and neither can we."

The event will begin with activities in the Music Valley area on Friday, June 1 and then move to the Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 2 and Sunday June 3. The gates open at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Advance sale tickets for the two-day event are $35, and one-day passes are $25. Children 10 and under are free, and military service men and women are free with proper ID. Weekend passes are $40 at the gate and $30 for the day.