By Lindsay Eckert
WWKI

Ashlie Kolb may have her roots firmly planted on the Galveston, Ind. farm she shares with her husband, but Kolb’s travels take her to red carpets all over the country. On Wednesday, Kolb will take to the red carpet – dressed in a gown by Badgley Mischka – with a stack of notecards as country’s biggest voices and personalities stroll the carpet colored red for the stars.

Kolb is part of “The Better Show”, a Hallmark channel show that airs daily at 12 p.m. ET, but on country’s biggest night, Kolb is part of something much bigger: the Country Music Awards.

Kolb said prepping for the evening is both physically and mentally laborious, but the glamour and the encounters with the people – who develop personalities you adore through your radio waves – gives the day a perfect balance.

“I start my day pretty early, get up about 5:30 a.m., then go to the gym and take a little break for breakfast. Then, it’s my glam session – I’ll work with my makeup artist and hairstylist for a couple hours; then take a car to the red carpet by 3 p.m.,” Kolb said of her day’s events.

As people begin walking the red carpet, Kolb pulls out her notecards; an experience she said is reminiscent of school days.
“It’s almost like studying for a test,” Kolb said. “I have all these notecards of questions for specific stars and I’m studying them and memorizing them to prepare for the red-carpet interviews.”
Kolb will also be backstage at the Country Music Awards for the fourth time to interview stars as they walk off with an award in their hands and victorious smiles on their faces.

While Kolb has interviewed all the newest acts and the classic ones, she said her favorite interview will always be with country’s most established artist.
“Willie Nelson was my favorite; anytime you get to interview the legends like that – it’s pretty cool,” Kolb said. “I asked him who he was wearing: He laughed and said he didn’t know.’”

And her funniest interview?
“I interviewed Luke Bryan the day after the CMT awards [where he won],” Kolb said. “He kept apologizing for keeping his sunglasses on because he had had a little too much fun the night before; he [won big] so he deserved it.”

According to Kolb’s prediction Bryan’s shades may need to reappear the day after the Country Music Awards.

“My gut is saying Luke Bryan will win Entertainer of the Year; I’m pulling for him,” Kolb said.

Check out Ashlie Kolb on “The Better Show” on the Hallmark Channel and Wednesday mornings at 8 right here at WWKI. 

Provided Photo by Justin Wysong