The 2017 CMA Award show opened with Eric Church performing an acoustic rendition of “Amazing Grace” paying tribute to the tragic events of the deadly Las Vegas shooting at the Country Music festival in October and the more recent church massacre in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Eric Church was at the Las Vegas festival and deeply troubled and impacted by the tragic event.
Next up was Darius Rucker leading a sing-a-long of the 1994 Hootie & the Blowfish tune “Hold My Hand,” with country star Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum providing a helping hand. The country friends on stage grew bigger as Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks & Dunn, and members of Little Big Town joined in.
Couldn't ask for a better way to open the 51st #CMAawards! Watch NOW on @ABCNetwork! pic.twitter.com/CnDKjpCdx6
— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) November 9, 2017
Another impressive opening delivered by the CMA Awards!
