Blake Shelton and his longtime friend Trace Adkins reunited for a performance of their 2009 collaboration during New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash on Sunday evening (Dec. 31). Live from Monday Night Brewing in Downtown Nashville, the country superstars performed “Hillbilly Bone.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve, dammit, act like it!” Shelton declared as he entered the stage. Shelton and Adkins went on to deliver an energy-filled performance of the fan-favorite country hit. The pair of hitmakers traded verses before joining forces for the chorus of the rowdy track.
“We all got a hillbilly bone down deep inside/ No matter where you from you just can’t hide it/ And when the band starts banging and the fiddle saws/ You can’t help but a hollerin’, Yee Haw!/ When you see them pretty little country queens/ Man you got to admit that’s in them genes/ Aren’t nothing wrong, just gettin’ on your/ Hillbilly bone-ba-bone-ba-bone-bone,” Shelton and Adkins sang in sync on the tune’s chorus.
As their performance came to a close, Shelton said, “I always wanted to sing a bone song with Trace Adkins in Nashville, Tennessee on New Year’s Eve.”
Watch Shelton and Adkins Perform “Hillbilly Bone” On New Year’s Eve In Nashville
“Hillbilly Bone” is a tune co-written by Luke Laird and Craig Wiseman, recorded by Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins as a duet for Shelton’s first EP of the same name. The track won the 2010 Academy of Country Music award for Vocal Event of the Year, marking Shelton’s first-ever win at the ACM Awards. Adkins incorporated the song into the deluxe edition of his album, Cowboy’s Back in Town, released on August 17, 2010.
How To Watch New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville Big Bash
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash also featured performances from Grace Bowers, Kane Brown, Jackson Dean, Old Dominion, HARDY, Elle King, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Trombone Shorty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.
In addition to solo performances, several of the artists joined forces for one-of-a-kind collaborations throughout the night. Lainey Wilson teamed up with Grace Bowers and Jackson Dean, while Brothers Osborne performed alongside Trombone Shorty. Tennessee Titans’ wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, and comedian, Rob Schneider, who is Elle King’s dad, also made an appearance during the special.
The five-hour broadcast was filmed throughout Music City from a variety of locations, including Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park along with numerous honky-tonks, bars, and clubs on the city’s infamous Lower Broadway. The show featured over 50 impressive performances across multiple time zones, all live from Nashville. Nashville synchronized its countdown with the East Coast at midnight and continued its festivities until midnight Central Time, which concluded with the city’s iconic Music Note Drop at the Bicentennial Mall stage.
Directed by Sandra Restrepo, the New Year’s Eve celebration was co-hosted by Elle King and Entertainment Tonight‘s Rachel Smith alongside TV and radio host Cody Alan, CBS anchor Lonnie Quinn and Dustin Lynch, who corresponded from New York City’s iconic Times Square.
Nashville’s Big Bash aired LIVE on Sunday, December 31 (7:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT, 10:30 PM-1:05 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streamed via Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).
