Jelly Roll made a surprise appearance during the second night of CMA Fest 2024 on Friday night (June 7), joining Cody Johnson on stage at Nissan Stadium in Nashville for a crowd-pleasing rendition of “Whiskey Bent.”
Jelly Roll’s appearance came three songs into Johnson’s set, which followed earlier performances from Gretchen Wilson, Parker McCollum, Jon Pardi, Kelsea Ballerini and a surprise appearance from Little Big Town.
Johnson performed “That’s Texas” and a cover of “Long-Haired Country Boy” before calling Jelly Roll to the stage to join him on “Whiskey Bent,” which appeared on Johnson’s Leather album.
Johnson’s set also included “The Painter,” “Dirt Cheap” and “People in the Back” before he wrapped up with his career-altering smash, “‘Til You Can’t.”
It was one of the highlights of a night that was already full of surprises; McCollum performed an unreleased song titled “Big Old Fancy House,” and Jon Pardi brought Clint Black to the stage to perform “Killin’ Time” with him during his set Friday night.
Luke Bryan took the stage last on Friday night, delivering a headlining set that kicked off with “That’s My Kind of Night” and concluded with “I Don’t Want This Night to End.”
Friday night’s shows followed a full roster of talent on Thursday that included Craig Morgan, Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde and Thomas Rhett.
Terri Clark, Old Dominion, Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, Jelly Roll and more are slated to take the stage at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night (June 8). CMA Fest runs through Sunday (June 9), and highlights from the festival will air on ABC on June 25.
Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.
