“BRIDGESTONE ARENA EXPLODES INTO PANIC AS CHRIS STAPLETON’S CMA PERFORMANCE GOES BEYOND ANYTHING EVER SEEN — VINCE GILL LEAPS UP SCREAMING A LINE SO WILD AND RAW THE LIVE BROADCAST COULDN’T CENSOR IT!! Nobody was prepared for what happened when Chris Stapleton stepped into that lonely amber spotlight. No smoke, no spectacle — just a guitar, a firestorm of grit in his voice, and a song delivered with the kind of soul that makes the whole world stop breathing. From the first note of “Bad As I Used To Be,” the Bridgestone Arena was electrified. The air tightened. The audience rose. Even the band seemed to play like they were trying to hold onto a man possessed. But the moment that blew the roof off the CMA Awards came near the end — when Stapleton hit that impossible high note, the one that came from somewhere deep, rough, and holy. Suddenly, Vince Gill — the night’s most honored legend, the quiet giant of country music — exploded out of his seat, eyes wide, hand in the air, shouting at the top of his lungs: “THAT’S THE ONE! THAT’S THE DAMN SONG!” The arena erupted. People screamed. Some were crying. Others stood frozen, hands over their mouths, unable to believe what they’d just witnessed. This wasn’t a performance. This was a spiritual event — the kind that only happens once, and only when an artist gives every piece of himself to a single moment. WATCH THE JAW-DROPPING VIDEO BELOW 👇

Photo: Getty Images

Chris Stapleton delivered a powerful performance on the Bridgestone Arena stage during the 59th CMA Awards on Wednesday night (November 19) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stapleton (and his wife, Morgane Stapleton) took the stage with “Bad As I Used To Be,” an anthem that appeared on the F1 movie soundtrack. The Joseph Kosinski-directed motorsport action-drama follows “a Formula One driver (who) comes out of retirement to mentor and team with a younger driver,” per IMDb. Brad PittJavier BardemKerry CondonDamson IdrisTobias Menzies and others appear in the cast.

Chris Stapleton Delivers Soulful Performance At The CMA Awards With "Bad As  I Used To Be"

Other artists in the star-studded lineup throughout the evening included Kelsea BalleriniBrandi CarlileKenny ChesneyLuke CombsRiley GreenMiranda LambertPatty LovelessOld DominionThe Red Clay StraysBigXthaPlug, Ella LangleyMegan MoroneyShaboozeyZach TopTucker WetmoreLainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr.Keith Urban and Little Big Town. Presenters and special guests included Lady AAlison BrownJessica CapshawBilly Ray CyrusLauren DaigleJordan DavisElizabeth HurleyCody JohnsonBert KreischerBrandon LakeElla LangleySteve MartinLeanne MorganNe-YoChris O’DonnellKimberly PerryLeAnn RimesAlan RitchsonLara SpencerBilly Bob ThorntonGrace Van PattenGretchen Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.

Remember When Chris Stapleton Apologized to His Wife Morgane on the CMA  Awards Stage? - American Songwriter

The 59th CMA Awards is airing live on ABC. The show will be available to stream on Thursday (November 20) on Hulu. Check back with iHeartCountry throughout the evening for a live-updated list of winners, red carpet fashion, performance highlights, backstage moments you won’t see on TV, and other can’t-miss moments throughout the show.

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