Mel Tillis on the red carpet on November 6, 2006, for "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" in Nashville.
Photo courtesy of the Country Music Association
May 8, 2008 — Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis is the first artist to sign up for the Country Music Association’s Fiesta Celebrity Grilling Challenge, a country version of the "Iron Chef" being introduced during the CMA Music Festival in June.
Six celebrities will be teamed with professional chefs during the competition, with each of the participants receiving a Fiesta Blue Ember Grill. Each team is required to create an appetizer, a main course and a dessert using a "mystery box" of ingredients.
Given his history in a kitchen, Mel might already be setting the bar high for his competitors.
"I love to grill, I love to cook, I love to bake," Mel says. "My daddy had a little bakery in Pahokee, Fla. I grew up [there]. When I went into the Air Force, they made me a cook. I cooked for awhile, then I transported to another mess hall, and they put me to baking. So I’m experienced in all that stuff, and I thought it’d be a lot of fun, too."
Other competitors will be announced at a later date. The CMA Music Festival will also feature a BBQ Championship. The festival takes place in Nashville June 5-8.
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