Jason Aldean and Travis Tritt bring 'It's A Great Day To Be Alive' to CMA Fest 2025 ABC special
For the past year, Georgia-native country hitmaker Jason Aldean has chased cementing his status as a 30-time chart-topping performer.
He arrived at CMA Fest to celebrate his latest hit "Whiskey Drink," achieving that success. As well, he metaphorically tipped his ever-present cowboy hat to one of his childhood musical heroes, the Grand Ole Opry member and "Class of '89" favorite Travis Tritt.
The two country singers performed a rendition of "It's A Great Day To Be Alive" at CMA Fest 2025 in Nashville on June 5, the festival's opening night. The performance will be part of the ABC CMA Fest TV special on June 26.
'This next song's not one of mine, but it's by one of my musical heroes growing up in Georgia,' Aldean said before the performance. 'This guy was from Georgia, and 25 years ago, he had a hit song… so we're going to play this one for you.'
CMA Fest 2025 on ABC: How to watch, stream special hosted by Ashley McBryde and Cody Johnson
Aldean began singing Tritt's 2000 hit, belting out: "I got rice cooking in the microwave / Got a three day beard I don't plan to shave / And it's a goofy thing but I just gotta say, hey / I'ma doing alright."
Mid-way through the song, Aldean invited Tritt to join him onstage. As the duo strummed guitars, they sang the tune's feel-good chorus alongside lively fiddle.
"And it's a great day to be alive / I know the sun's still shining / When I close my eyes."
The song originally appeared on Darrell Scott's record "Aloha from Nashville" in 1997, which Scott wrote after recovering from a back injury.
When Scott was finally able to care for himself again after being bedridden for a week, the tune of gratitude poured out of him.
Tritt released his version of the track on his album "Down the Road I Go," with the single reaching number two on Billboard's Hot Country Chart.
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.
Marcus K. Dowling is The Tennessean's Nashville Country Music Reporter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Fest 2025: Jason Aldean brings out Travis Tritt to cover 2000 hit
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