Jason Aldean and Travis Tritt joined forces for an impressive collaborative rendition of “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive” at CMA Fest in Nashville in celebration of the song’s 25th anniversary.
At first, it seemed Aldean was paying tribute to the ‘90s country icon as he opened with the first verse and chorus. Then, to the crowd’s surprise, Aldean brought Tritt on stage to deliver the second verse and remain onstage with him for the remainder of the song. As the performance continued, the pair of hitmakers traded verses and joined forces on the feel-good chorus.
“I got rice cooking in the microwave/ Got a three-day beard I don’t plan to shave/ And it’s a goofy thing but I just gotta say, hey/ I’ma doing alright/ Yeah, I think I’ll make me some home-made soup/ I’m feeling pretty good and that’s the truth/ It’s neither drink nor drug induced, no/ I’m just doing alright… And it’s a great day to be alive/ I know the sun’s still shining/ When I close my eyes/ There’s some hard times in the neighborhood/ But why can’t every day be just this good,” Aldean sang as he strummed his acoustic guitar, joined by his full touring band.
“Make some noise for Mr. Travis Tritt,” Aldean shouted as Tritt made his way onto the stage with his guitar in hand.
Ahead of their performance, Travis Tritt spoke to The Tennessean to reflect on his 20+ year friendship with Jason Aldean. “Great guy,” Tritt told the outlet of Aldean. “I’ve loved that guy from the very beginning. We just established a great relationship from the very first time I ever met him.”
Tritt also detailed that the first time the two met, Aldean revealed that he once won a talent show with a performance of one of Tritt’s songs. “The first time I ever met Jason, he was telling me about the first time he won a talent contest,” Tritt recalled. “He sang my song, ‘I’m Gonna Be Somebody,’ I think. And it was like, first of all, it’s heartwarming to know that your music has gone out and affected other artists, other people that have come along. I think that was one of the things that sparked our relationship in the first place.”
Aldean previously praised Tritt while speaking with Music Mayhem and other media outlets in 2022, sharing, “I remember going to see Travis Tritt at the Omni in Atlanta when I was a teenager, and he was one of those guys that did the country Southern rock thing, and I just thought that was so cool.”
2025 CMA Fest
Dubbed “The Music Event of Summer,” CMA Fest Presented by SoFi featured 30+ performances from some of Country music’s hottest stars, including Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Jordan Davis, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Ashley McBryde, Rascal Flatts, The Red Clay Strays, Dylan Scott, Zach Top, Keith Urban and more.
The three-hour broadcast also included unforgettable collaborations from the 2025 CMA Fest. Brooks & Dunn teamed up with Lainey Wilson for “Play Something Country” and with Marcus King for “Rock My World [Little Country Girl],” Dierks Bentley joined forces with Zach Top on “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and a “Mountain Music” medley, Cody Johnson and Carín León performed “She Hurts Like Tequila,” Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll delivered a powerful performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” Jason Aldean and Travis Tritt united for “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins teamed up for “Hillbilly Bone,” and Bailey Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug showcased their new duet “All The Way” and more.
CMA Fest presented by SoFi was filmed at Nissan Stadium during Music City’s four-day country music festival, which took place Thursday, June 5, through Sunday, June 8. 2025 marked the 19th consecutive year that CMA has produced a summer concert TV special. The show is a production of the Country Music Association, executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Alan Carter. The 2025 airing marks the 22nd consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.
The CMA Fest special aired on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC and is available to watch on-demand on Friday, June 27 via Hulu.
