The Country Music Awards have always been a star-studded affair. It's a night where country legends such as Willie Nelson, Carrie Underwood, and George Strait are celebrated and live performances are streamed for the world to see. It's a magical night for country music lovers and artists alike.

This year's awards were made even more memorable by the show's opener. The opening number featured all-female country artists singing their own songs and the songs of their peers. It included songs from Loretta Lynn's era all the way to today's country music icons.

To begin, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, and Dolly Parton dazzled the crowd with "Those Memories of You." It was a trio not soon forgotten, but the women that preceded them in the opening number kept the fire alive with Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, the leading ladies of Little Big Town, performing "You're Looking At Country". The High women, comprised of Marren Morris, Brandi Carlisle, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby along with Dolly Parton, delighted with the performance of "Your Good Girl's Gonna Do Bad."

Tanya Tucker even took the stage to sing her hit, "Delta Dawn". Gretchen Wilson along with other female country artists already on stage sang her hit, "Redneck Woman", and Crystal Gayle was truly timeless with her performance of "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue." Terri Clark sang "Better Things To Do", and Sara Evans enthralled the crowd with "Born to Fly".

For the final song of the opening number, Martina McBride, along with every female artist on stage belted out the most empowering performance of "Independence Day" to date. It was probably the best Country Music Awards Opener I have ever witnessed, but that is just one country music fan's opinion.