No one expected Trace Adkins to pull this off at 62, and Blake Shelton was only supposed to pop in for a quick cameo—but the second they hit the stage, everything changed. A song most people hadn’t heard live in years suddenly came roaring back to life at CMA Fest, and for a moment it felt like the clock had turned back to 2005. Trace walked out with a confidence that hit the crowd like a shockwave, but the real explosion came when Blake strolled out behind him. The arena erupted. People were screaming, laughing, crying—every emotion spilling out at once.

  • byJasmin
  • November 25, 2025
  • 2 minute read
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“He is a brother to me,” Shelton says of his longtime friend, Trace Adkins.

Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton; Photo Courtesy CMA

Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins thrilled the CMA Fest crowd with a performance of their fan-favorite hit, “Hillbilly Bone,” and they sounded just as good singing it as they did over 15 years ago when it was first released.

Shelton welcomed Adkins to the stage amid his performance to sing “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and together, they brought the house down with “Hillbilly Bone,” a comedic song all about embracing your inner hillbilly.

Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins; Photo by John Shearer/Getty for CMA
Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins; Photo by John Shearer/Getty for CMA

“We all got a hillbilly bone down deep inside/ No matter where you from, you just can’t hide it/ When the band starts bangin’ and the fiddle sobs/ You can’t help but hollerin’ “yee-haw!”/ When you see them pretty little country queens/ Man, you gotta admit that it’s in them jeans/ Ain’t nothin’ wrong, just gettin’ on/ Your hillbilly bone-ba-bone-ba-bone-bone,” they sang as the crowd joined in unison.

One of the highlights of CMA Fest is the unforgettable collaborations, and this duet definitely added to the excitement.

Before stepping on to the Nissan Stadium stage, Shelton opened up about having “one of my best friends in the world” join him on stage.

“I’m happy to be here and I’ve got new music that I haven’t gotten to perform in front of the Nissan Stadium crowd, but also I have a secret weapon tonight…Trace Adkins is going to come out and perform “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” which if I understand it right, it’s 20 year anniversary of that song becoming a hit or the release of it. And then once he’s out there, I’m keeping him on stage with me.”

Shelton and Adkins have quite the history together, and most recently they spent time on the road together during Shelton’s Friends and Heroes Tour.

Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton; Photo Courtesy CMA
Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton; Photo Courtesy CMA

“He is a brother to me. So anytime I get him on stage with me, I just want to keep him out there,” he said. “So I’m super excited. Been doing this a long time, but tonight’s going to be a special one for me.”

Shelton also performed his latest single, “Stay Country or Die Tryin,’” from his new album, For Recreational Use Only, on the CMA Fest Stage.

Blake Shelton; Photo Courtesy CMA
Blake Shelton; Photo Courtesy CMA

The three-hour CMA Fest special also included performances by Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, BigXthaPlug, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Jordan Davis, Riley Green, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Marcus King, Brandon Lake, Ella Langley, Carín León, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Scotty McCreery, Megan Moroney, Carly Pearce, Rascal Flatts, The Red Clay Strays, Darius Rucker, Dylan Scott, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Travis Tritt, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.

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