Jason Aldean Surprises CMA Fest Fans With Unexpected Guest Singer

Jason Aldean hit the CMA Fest stage on Thursday, June 5th, fans expected to hear plenty of his greatest hits. However, the country music singer had a surprise in store: special guest (and fellow legend) Travis Tritt. In a video The Country Wire shared, the two Georgia-born singers joined forces on stage for “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” a Tritt song from 2000.

Fans who weren’t lucky enough to see the duet in person took to the video’s comments section to show their support. “Travis Tritt was one of the best concerts I have ever seen!” one fan wrote. “He is such [an] amazing guitar player.” Others commented on how great the two singers sounded together, while some fans let heart emojis do the talking.

The ‘Got What I Got’ Singer Called Tritt One of His Heroes

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When he introduced Tritt, Aldean took the opportunity to let fans know what the “Help me Hold On” singer meant to him. “This next song’s not one of mine, but it’s by one of my musical heroes growing up in Georgia,” Aldean said to the crowd, as American Songwriter shared. Aldean grew up in Macon, Georgia, while Tritt hails from Marietta.

Tritt had his own appreciative words for Aldean, which he shared in an Instagram post a few days after the show. “Huge thanks to Jason Aldean for inviting me to join him onstage for a special ‘Great Day’ performance,” Tritt wrote. “Truly grateful!”

Aldean Has Been a Part of CMA Fest for 20 Years

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This special performance was just one of many that CMA Fest attendees have seen from Aldean over the years. The singer has been a part of the annual event for two decades, and he spoke about his experiences in a backstage interview. “When I first moved to town, they were still doing it, I think, at the racetrack,” Aldean said when describing how much smaller and less organized CMA Fest once was.

“This thing’s gotten so big [now], you know. You go to downtown Nashville, people are everywhere, from all over the world.” The singer said the difference between his first CMA Fest in 2005 and this year is “night and day.” Speaking about the event’s impact on country, he said “It’s one of the reasons country music is kind of worldwide now.