Thousands of fans in attendance at last week’s 2014 CMA Music Festival Kick-off Concert in Nashville, Tennessee were in for a special treat during The Marshall Tucker Band’s (MTB) hour-long Riverfront set. The legendary Southern Rock group performed on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage, awing fans as they ripped through many of their hit songs before introducing their surprise guest, former CMA Entertainer of the Year, Ricky Skaggs.
The worlds of Southern Rock and Bluegrass collided head-on when Skaggs, a 14X GRAMMY® Award winner, met MTB lead singer and founding member Doug Gray at center stage. With mandolin in hand, Skaggs joined the MTB on the sunny banks of Nashville’s Cumberland River, effortlessly shredding through two of the group’s biggest hit songs, “Fire On The Mountain,” and “Can’t You See.” Though Skaggs had only planned to sit-in and pick with the band, Gray couldn’t resist handing over the mic.
“Hearing Ricky’s trademark tenor voice pierce through the air on ‘Can’t You See’ gave me goosebumps,” says Gray. “Even though our styles are a little different, Ricky fit right in with us. There was a natural chemistry up there on-stage and the whole thing seems almost surreal. Big thanks to the CMA for allowing us to be part of this magic movement. It was a great day and the highlight of our year.”
On performing with the MTB, Skaggs notes,
“It was a great honor to play with The Marshall Tucker Band. I remember many years ago while listening to their first LP, I looked at the cover and asked someone, ‘Which one is Marshall Tucker?’ It was great to get to play some of those same songs with the band.”
Veteran 650 AM WSM radio host Bill Cody introduced the band before they hit the stage. Following the show, Cody remarked:
“It was truly a ‘remember when’ moment! Two iconic figures in music, exuding respect for each other, while their masterful performance reminded us fans why we still love them so much!”
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