Jason Aldean covered Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” once again Wednesday night to pay victim to the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting.
The performance ended the 2017 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony, which was also dedicated to the victims.
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Aldean had previously covered the song on Saturday Night Live, but this performance was extra special. He was joined by peers Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and Little Big Town for the display of unity.
#WeWontBackDown @Jason_Aldean @ChrisStapleton @littlebigtown @KeithUrban #CMTAOTY #TomPetty pic.twitter.com/P86NMIXEZR
— The Country Note (@thecountrynote) October 19, 2017
The song was introduced by Luke Bryan, who expressed his admiration for Aldean’s courage after the shooting, as well as his musical success.
Up Next: Jason Aldean Addresses Las Vegas Shooting During CMT Artists of the Year Ceremony
“It could have been any of us up on that stage,” Bryan said. “It’s a nightmare that nobody should have had to face….The examples he sets as an artist are an inspiration.”
He also noted that Aldean kept going back to “a song from one of his heroes” for the night’s final message.
Aldean also began the ceremony with an address to the country community.
“We’ve been tested beyond our worst nightmares this past few months,” Aldean said. “Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to explain how some of us feel. But we have proved time and again in this country that we have the power to overcome anything that threatens our way of life or our freedom.”
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
