NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The women in country music shined on Night 2 of CMA Fest at Nissan stadium.
“It’s so really, really nice to be here. Of course, I think I was here when it first started,” Tanya Tucker said to the Nissan Stadium crowd during Night 2 of CMA Fest.
Tucker had the honor of kicking off Night 2’s concerts at Nissan Stadium and has graced the genre for decades.
Like a country queen with a career that spans longer than the festival itself, Tucker is no stranger to the longest country music festival in the world.
Later, Tucker was joined by Lainey Wilson and Elle King on stage.
Performing the CMA Fest was a childhood dream of Wilson’s. As a young teen, she sat in the stadium seats to which she now sings.
This year, the reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year kicked off the CMA’s 50th year on the Riverfront to a max capacity crowd. On Friday, holding true to the heart of the festival and the fans, Wilson hosted her first fan club party “Bell Bottom Barn Dance.”
“Man, I tell you what, this is unreal. This is like my first official fan party, so I’m so glad y’all are here,” she told the crowd earlier in the day at the invite only event at the Bell Tower.
Friday was also a full circle moment for multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jelly Roll, who performed on the main stage 10 years after his first unofficial CMA appearance of photobombing our News 2 live shot covering the festival in the streets of downtown.
“I went to every single stage downtown and I thought if I could just play the Hard Rock stage or the Bridgestone Stage. I didn’t even think about Nissan back then, you know, I didn’t even think I’d play Riverfront, so it’s just so crazy to be here with you now, talking, actually getting an interview instead of standing behind you like this,” Jelly Roll told News 2’s Stephanie Langston, gesturing with his arms up.
Jelly Roll surprised the stadium on a pop up stage with the fans going wild as the Antioch native sang “Son of a Sinner”.
Earlier in the night, Reba McEntire surprised the packed stadium when she joined Cody Johnson on the main stage.
Avril Lavigne joined Miranda Lambert for “Sk8er Boi”.
Keith Urban followed Jelly Roll, with Hardy closing out the night.
