Jo Dee Messina Marks Thirty Years Of "Heads Carolina, Tails California"
Written By: Big C
A coin toss takes a second but a chorus can keep traveling for thirty years. Jo Dee Messina makes the distance with Heads Carolina, Tails California (30th Anniversary - CMA Fest), recorded at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest 2026. The Curb Records release returns to the open-road possibility of her 1996 breakout through a performance shared with a capacity crowd. Fans sang the words back, and the response gave the anniversary its musical meaning. The live setting turns a familiar country hit into a conversation between its original performer and the audience which grew with it.
Mark D. Sanders and Tim Nichols wrote the song, with production credited to Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw in the release announcement. The anniversary also arrives in the year of Bridges, Messina’s first studio album in more than a decade, connecting a milestone recording with current songwriting. Her continuing Bridges Tour makes that relationship visible onstage, where a longstanding hit can sit beside newer material such as Message In A Bottle. Hear "Heads Carolina, Tails California (30th Anniversary - CMA Fest)" below and check the November 6 headline date at The Truth in Nashville. Find Jo Dee Messina on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
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