Billy Ray Cyrus Makes Surprise CMA Fest Appearance During Dierks Bentley’s Set

Dierks Bentley fans got a surprise at his CMA Fest concert on Sunday. Billy Ray Cyrus joined Bentley to perform “Achy Breaky Heart” at Nissan Stadium. Cyrus‘ appearance was a complete surprise since he did not have his own set scheduled for the festival.

Bentley opened the show with three of his own hits, singing “What Was I Thinkin,’” “Burning Man,” and “Drunk on a Plane.” He then brought Cyrus up on stage to perform Cyrus’ signature song. Elle King, who had her own short set at the CMA Fest on Sunday, later joined Bentley to sing her hit “Worth a Shot” and the Charlie Daniels classic “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

Cyrus shared photos from his CMA Fest appearance on Instagram, noting how it meant more to him than any other past appearance at festivals. “Can’t thank everyone enough! [Bentley], you, your band, and crew are stellar! Honored to share the stage with you,” Cyrus wrote. He then told King she “raise[s] the bar on talent” and her “spirit is a blessing.” Cyrus added, “To the fans, you brought the harmony you are the foundation to this gift we call music.”

“[CMA Fest] y’all know how to have a good time,” Bentley wrote on Instagram. “Thank you [Cyrus] and [King] for being my special guests last night. What a night…country music fans, you guys are the best!” Cyrus and King both thanked Bentley for inviting them to join him. “Love you so much Dierks you’re a legend and true angel,” King wrote.

This is a special year for Cyrus, as he celebrates the 30th anniversary of “Achy Breaky Heart.” The song and his first album, Some Gave All, dominated the Billboard country charts in 1992. Don Van Tress wrote the song, which was controversial on Music Row at the time of its release. Cyrus did win the support of Johnny Cash and Bruce Springsteen though, and that inspired him to support Lil Nas X by contributing to the “Old Town Road” remix. Both “Achy Breaky Heart” and “Old Town Road” share a lyrical simplicity that helped made them popular.

“Everybody can sing it, everybody can play it,” Cyrus recently told Billboard. “It was a little bit of rock, a little bit of country, a little bit of bluegrass, a little bit of soul, and a whole lot of hip-hop and urban music combined in this great thing that everybody could sing.” Cyrus’ most recent single is “Roll That Rock,” featuring his cousins Bobby and Teddi Cyrus.