Charles Kelley Performing With Carly Pearce at CMA Awards After Lee Brice Tests Positive for COVID-19

Lady A's Charles Kelley has been tapped to perform with Carly Pearce at the CMA Awards on [...]

By Hannah Barnes

Lady A's Charles Kelley has been tapped to perform with Carly Pearce at the CMA Awards on Wednesday night after Lee Brice tested positive for COVID-19, the Country Music Association shared on Monday morning. Pearce and Brice were scheduled to perform their duet, "I Hope You're Happy Now," which is nominated for multiple awards during the show.

In addition to performing with Pearce, Kelley will also join his Lady A bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood when they take the stage with CMA Awards co-host Darius Rucker to perform Rucker's new single "Beers and Sunshine."

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Previously announced performers at the CMA Awards include Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Ingrid Andress, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, Jenee Fleenor, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, Morgan Wallen, Gabby Barrett and Charlie Puth, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, McBryde, Maren Morris, Rascal Flatts and Thomas Rhett with Urban, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott and Chris Tomlin. It was announced on Monday that Chris Stapleton will be added to that lineup and will perform his new single "Starting Over."

Presenters include Lauren Akins, Lauren Alaina, Bobby Bones, Charles Esten, Sara Evans, Taylor Hill, Jake Owen, Patrick Schwarzenegger and CeCe Winans.

After she was announced as a performer, Pearce wrote on Instagram that "I truly have no words for this one. I have dreamt of singing one of my songs on the @cma awards since I was a little girl, and it's finally happening."

"I Hope You're Happy Now" is nominated for three awards including Song of the Year for Pearce and her co-writers Luke Combs, Randy Montana and Jonathan Singleton. The song was produced by the late producer busbee, who was a champion for Pearce early in her career.

"It's the little gift that keeps giving," the 30-year-old told her record label. "This song started from me asking Luke Combs at a radio show, 'Hey, will you write a song with me?' To then see Lee come and absolutely sing it into the rafters, to then all of this. Also, on a personal note, it is the last song that busbee, my producer, worked on before he got sick and passed away from brain cancer. And I could not think of a more special moment for the person that gave me so much."

The 2020 CMA Awards will air Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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