Trevor Donovan Boards CMT's MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

Trevor Donovan ("JL Ranch," "Texas Rising") is set to join the cast of CMT's new scripted drama "Million Dollar Quartet" (working title) as Eddy Arnold, country music and pop phenomenon with 85 million records sold and 28 No. 1 hits during his 60 year career. The son of a sharecropper, Arnold's inimitable baritone voice brought country to the masses, and made him the most popular country artist of the 20th century with hits including "Make The World Go Away." Arnold and Elvis Presley shared much in common throughout their careers, including manager Colonel Tom Parker. Arnold has been cited as having profound influence on Elvis, who cut a number of his songs over the years. He also ranked among CMT's list of "The 40 Greatest Men of Country Music."

Donovan joins an all-star cast including Chad Michael Murray ("Agent Carter," "Outlaws and Angels" and "Texas Rising")as Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, and Billy Gardell ("Mike & Molly")as Presley and Arnold's impervious manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Other cast members include Drake Milligan (Elvis Presley), Kevin Fonteyne (Johnny Cash), Christian Lees (Jerry Lee Lewis), Jonah Lees (Jimmy Swaggart), Keir O'Donnell (Dewey Phillips),Jennifer Holland (Sam's wife Becky Phillips) and Margaret Anne Florence (Sam's assistant Marion Keisker).

A period drama inspired by the Tony award-winning musical, "Million Dollar Quartet" is timed to the historic 60th anniversary of the famous recording sessions featuring icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. Production began this week in Memphis, and the series is slated to premiere in November.

"Million Dollar Quartet" is a coming-of-age story set in Memphis during the tumultuous early days of the civil rights movement, and tells the untold true story of nothing less than the birth of rock 'n' roll. Guided by Sam Phillips, young musicians like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis combined the styles of hillbilly country with the 1950s R&B sound created by artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Fats Domino and Ike Turner, and changed the course of music forever. The series chronicles these young artists' often jarring and sudden meteoric rise to fame in the face of sweeping political change and social unrest.

The series marks one of two scripted projects coming to CMT this year. On June 12, CMT will premiere "Still The King," an ensemble comedy starring Billy Ray Cyrus, Joey Lauren Adams("Big Daddy," "Mall Rats"), Madison Iseman ("Laid in America" and Nickelodeon's "Henry Danger") Lacey Chabert ("Mean Girls" and "Party of Five"), Leslie David Baker ("The Office"),Kevin Farley ("Eight Crazy Nights" and "The Waterboy") and more.

"Million Dollar Quartet" is produced by Thinkfactory Media with Leslie Greif ("Hatfields & McCoys") as executive producer, Gil Grant ("24" and "NCIS: Los Angeles") as executive producer and showrunner, Barry Berg as co-executive producer and Herb Nanas and Colin Escott as producers. Oscar nominee Roland Joffé will direct, with Jayson Dinsmore and Julia Silverton as executive producers for CMT. The series is based on the book written by Floyd Mutrux and Escott, with original concept and direction by Mutrux. Casting done by Fern Champion and Sharon Lieblein.

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