New Artist of the Year, Jelly Roll, had the exciting task of kicking off the 57th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday night (Nov 8). On the red carpet before the show, he teased that he had a “special guest” who would join him on stage for the opening performance.
One verse into Jelly Roll’s performance of “Need A Favor,” the crowd went wild when none other than Wynonna Judd joined him on stage!
Jelly Roll released “Need A Favor” in December 2022 as the first single off of his album Whitsitt Chapel. The song reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and also crossed over to claim the #1 spot on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Wynonna Judd didn’t seem like herself while performing on the CMA stage.
Although the surprise duet between Jelly Roll and Wynonna Judd generated much excitement, fans couldn’t help but notice that Wynonna seemed a little “off” during her performance. She moved slowly across the stage and when she reached Jelly Roll, she grabbed his jacket sleeve and appeared to grasp it tightly to support herself. Some viewers credited it to vertigo issues she says she has dealt with in the past.
Wynonna made a statement on social media addressing the situation.
A couple of hours after the ceremony, Wynonna posted a video to social media addressing the speculations, saying:
“They say, ‘Don’t read the comments.’ I’ve read the comments… I’m just gonna come clean with y’all. I was so freaking nervous. I got out there and I looked at Jelly Roll. I wanted it to be so good for him. I could cry right now, but I’m not going to because I’m such a fan of his and he asked me to sing and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ I got out there and was so nervous that I just held on for dear life. And that’s the bottom line … All is well.”
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We are glad to hear that Wynonna is doing alright!
Watch Jelly Roll and Wynonna Judd duet to “Need A Favor” at the 2023 CMA Awards in the video below!