It was an Achy Breaky kind of night when Billy Ray Cyrus took the stage for the NASH Icon Rhythm and Boots celebration on Tuesday night (Aug. 23) at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley.
As fans waited around the block before the doors opened, they were treated to donuts provided by Dunkin’ Donuts. But that wasn’t the only treat. Once guests got inside, Billy Ray made his entrance and kicked off the show with some old favorites from his 1992 album, Some Gave All, including “Wher’m I Going to Live When I Get Home” and “Could’ve Been Me.”
Dressed in a flannel shirt, American flag scarf and his signature cowboy hat, Billy Ray had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand as he performed a few cuts from his upcoming album,Thin Line—which drops on Sept. 9—including “Tulsa Time, “Hey Elvis” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” with special guest Kenley Shea Holm, who is also featured on BRC’s new album.
The highlight of the night came when the singer launched into the most successful song of his career, “Achy Breaky Heart.” As the crowd erupted with applause and rose from their seats, Billy Ray took us back to 1992, before closing out the show with “Ready Set Don’t Go” and a medley of Elvis songs.
The Rhythm and Boots event—organized by Nash Icon and sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts, Yee Haw Beer and Four Roses Bourbon—was created to bring fans up close and personal with new music as well as new talent. The series kicked off earlier this summer with Trace Adkins, followed by Mickey Guyton and Brett Young. Part of the proceeds from the series benefit Musicians On Call, an organization that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.
Watch Billy Ray give a rousing performance of “Achy Breaky Heart.”
