With a concert in London, Ontario, the same night 3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold passed away, Hardy paid tribute in the best way possible by performing the band’s hit song, “Here Without You.”
Addressing the crowd at his Saturday night show on February 7, Hardy shared, “The rock and roll world got some sad news today. If we got any rock and roll fans in the house. We found out that a friend of mine, Brad Arnold, the lead singer of Three Doors Down, passed away today from cancer.”
Arnold’s passing was announced earlier that day in a statement by Universal Music Enterprises, which revealed that the 47-year-old, who had been diagnosed with stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma, died in his sleep. With iconic hits like “Kryptonite” and “When I’m Gone” and albums like their 7x platinum debut, The Better Life, both 3 Doors Down and frontman Brad Arnold remain staples of the rock community.
Given Hardy’s rock-country blend, there’s no doubt that, like the rest of the rock & roll community, this death left him with a heavy heart. He also shared a common background as fellow Mississippians: “Very sad to hear, he struggled with it for a while, he’s a really good guy, I’m from Mississippi, he’s a fellow Mississippian and I would just like to honor him tonight by just singing a chorus of a song.”
He then very honestly admitted on stage, “I don’t even know if I know the words, I’m hoping I can get the power right now, but if you know it, please sing it,” before leading into the main chorus of the 2002 track, “Here Without You.” Singing just a few lines, Hardy paid a touching tribute version of a snippet of the song, with fans audibly joining along in the background.
He closed with a very “Hardy” line of homage, telling the crowd, “Let’s pour one out for Brad tonight.” And honestly, if Hardy relearned all the words to this beloved hit, it would undoubtedly be a crowd-pleaser at the remaining stops of his Country! Country! Tour! which continues across North America through the end of August with support from Tucker Wetmore, Muscadine Bloodline, Jake Worthington, and more.
Check out the dates below:
February 11 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Center
February 12 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre
February 13 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
February 19 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
February 20 – Penticton, BC – South Okanagan Events Centre
February 21 – Abbottsford, BC – Abbottsford Centre
March 19 – Green Bay, WI. – Resch Center
March 20 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena at The MARK
March 21 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
March 26 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center
March 27 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
March 28 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center
April 9 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
April 10 – Tupelo, MS – Cadence Bank Arena
April 17 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theatre
April 18 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theatre
April 23 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
April 24 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
April 25 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center
May 21 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
May 22 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater
May 23 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
May 28 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
May 29 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheatre
May 30 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
June 4 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
June 5 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
June 6 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
June 11 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 12 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
June 13 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
June 25 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
June 26 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
June 27 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
August 20 – Lubbock, TX – Cooks Garage
August 21 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amphitheater
Watch the clip here: