Introduction:
Jason Aldean Honors Travis Tritt With a Surprise Duet of “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” at CMA Fest 2025
For over a year, Georgia native and country powerhouse Jason Aldean has been chasing a milestone — cementing his legacy as a 30-time chart-topping artist. When he took the stage at CMA Fest 2025 in Nashville on June 5, the opening night of the four-day festival, he had plenty to celebrate. His latest single, “Whiskey Drink,” had just earned him that landmark 30th No. 1 hit.
But Aldean didn’t spend the evening simply basking in his own success. Instead, he paid tribute to one of his earliest musical heroes — fellow Georgian and country icon Travis Tritt.
Before launching into one of the most feel-good songs in country history, Aldean told the packed Nissan Stadium crowd,
“This next song’s not one of mine, but it’s by one of my musical heroes growing up in Georgia. This guy was from Georgia, and 25 years ago, he had a hit song… so we’re going to play this one for you.”
With his signature swagger and that unmistakable Southern drawl, Aldean kicked off Tritt’s 2000 classic “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” singing,
“I got rice cooking in the microwave / Got a three-day beard I don’t plan to shave…”
Midway through the song, cheers erupted as Travis Tritt himself walked out on stage, guitar in hand. The two Georgia boys — representing different eras of country greatness — traded verses and grins as they harmonized on the chorus:
“And it’s a great day to be alive / I know the sun’s still shining when I close my eyes.”
The performance was a powerful full-circle moment — Aldean celebrating not just his own milestone, but also the timeless music that inspired him to chase it in the first place.
Fans who missed the surprise duet can catch it when the CMA Fest 2025 TV special airs on ABC, June 26.