Ashley McBryde is currently one night into her three-night headlining stand at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and on Thursday night, she kicked those shows off with a bang, inviting none other than Eric Church to join her onstage.

To a country audience, the Heart & Soul hitmaker needs no introduction, and Ashley simply introduced him to her sold-out crowd as “Eric f***ing Church.” The two performers then jammed out on a rendition of the Allman Brothers’ 1971 classic, “Midnight Rider.”

Longtime followers of Ashley’s career will recognize that the special surprise appearance was a full-circle moment. Back in 2017, when Ashley was just starting to gain traction in the music business, Eric invited her onstage for a performance of her “Bible and a .44.”

“Midnight Rider” wasn’t the only cover song on Ashley’s set list, nor was it the only duet on her agenda. She also brought opening act Lainey Wilson back out onstage during her set, and the pair sang “When Will I Be Loved,” an Everly Brothers classic that’s also been a hit for Linda Ronstadt, and Vince Gillhas covered it, too.

Ashley’s three nights at the Ryman are part of her This Town Talks Tour, which is slated to run through January 2022.

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