Craig Morgan had quite the lineup of surprises in store for his recent show at the Ryman Auditorium.
This past Saturday, Nov. 7, the “International Harvester” singer headlined the historic Nashville venue for a special concert, celebrating the Friday release of his brand new 11-song album, My Country. Along with highlighting songs from the project and, of course, some of his fan-favorite hits like “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” the Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer also treated the crowd to a few epic guest appearances that took fans back in time.
And one of those appearances in particular is currently going massively viral online. At 80 years old, country music icon John Conlee proved he’s still got it, delivering a standout performance during Morgan’s show.
The Kentucky-born classic country staple popped in for a stellar rendition of his iconic hit “Rose Colored Glasses,” delivering vocals that sounded like they were stripped straight from the 1978 hit, and, of course, sporting his very own red-lensed sunglasses. Fun fact: The title track from Conlee’s debut album isn’t just an inspiration to Craig; it also happens to be one of Ella Langley’s all-time favorite songs, proving just how much the country classic continues to influence today’s rising stars.
Racking up nearly half a million views on TikTok, the video has summoned a number of country music fans who feel the same way, all commenting about their personal connections to the song and Conlee’s apparently ageless voice:
Conlee’s nostalgic performance this past weekend has, of course, only added fuel to the fire surrounding the CMA Awards’ controversial decision to reportedly exclude country legends like Sammy Kershaw and Mark Chesnutt from walking the red carpet, with fans continuing to call on the industry to show more respect for its classic stars. While the CMA Awards have yet to publicly address the backlash, this year’s ceremony is set to pay special tribute to ’90s country music, so only time will tell what they have in store.
As for Morgan’s unexpectedly viral showcase at the Ryman, Conlee wasn’t the only country legend who helped take fans on a trip down memory lane. Morgan also welcomed Mark Wills to the stage for a nostalgic performance of his early 2000s hit, “19 Somethin’.” Check out both performances below: