Morgan Wallen Teams Up with Eric Church for Jaw-Dropping Performance of 'Man Made a Bar' at 2023 CMA Awards

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Morgan Wallen was the man of the hour at the 2023 CMA Awards, especially after he surprised fans and brought Eric Church out on stage with him.

On Wednesday, November 8, the duo joined forces for the global debut of their chart-topping 2023 single titled "Man Made a Bar" on television. Throughout the performance, both Wallen, 30, and Church, 46, showcased their guitar skills.

With its captivating and tranquil yet impactful rendition, the song mesmerized viewers, leaving them captivated and eagerly engaged until the very last note.

Wallen is a prominent figure at this year's Nashville awards show, mainly due to the fact that he will be performing on stage not once, but twice. The CMA Awards have already revealed that the talented "Wasted on You" singer will be joining forces with HARDY and Post Malone for a captivating country classics medley.

In addition, he has hinted at a surprise performance with a "special guest" just before his mysterious collaborator takes the stage on Wednesday. Wallen has been nominated for two awards at the event, including Album of the Year for One Thing at a Time and Male Vocalist of the Year.

Eric Church, Morgan Wallen. Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Wallen's return to the CMA Awards comes after a tumultuous few years. In February 2021, a video of him using a racial slur resurfaced, causing controversy. In a statement at the time, he expressed his embarrassment, apologized, and acknowledged the inexcusable nature of his words. He vowed to improve in the future.

Following the scandal, Wallen faced temporary blacklisting from the industry despite issuing an apology. He was excluded from the 2021 ACM Awards, the 2021 CMA Awards, and the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, and was also removed from country radio.

In the subsequent year, Wallen silently worked towards rebuilding his career and successfully regained recognition. He secured nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Song of the Year for his track "Sand in My Boots" at the 2022 CMA Awards.

In May, Wallen faced another setback as he was forced to cancel six weeks of shows due to health issues. In an Instagram video, he revealed that he had visited the doctors and received the news that he had reinjured his vocal cords, resulting in vocal fold trauma. As a result, he was advised to go on vocal rest for six weeks. Additionally, Wallen disclosed that he had also torn his lat muscle while in Australia. Despite keeping it quiet, he expressed gratitude for the time off, as it would allow him to recover and heal the muscle properly.

After being given the green light to resume performing in early June, the musician wasted no time in returning to the stage. Shortly thereafter, he embarked on his tour once again. In September, Wallen delighted his fans by announcing the extension of his One Night at a Time Tour, revealing that new dates had been added for 2024.

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