Eric Church‘s headlining show at Madison Square Garden was made even more impressionable with the presence of Ashley McBryde.
When Eric’s backup singer, Joanna Cotten, tested positive for COVID and announced she was unable to perform during the final night of The Gather Again Tour, the Chief knew just who to call to fill in. Ashley held her own inside the massive arena, where she sang backup for Eric in front of a crowd of more than 17,000 people. Videos captured by fans show her harmonizing on his chart-topping hits “Springsteen” and “Hell of a View,” along with a cover of Bruce Springsteen‘s “Thunder Road.”
“When the Chief @ericchurchmusic calls from @thegarden, you answer,” Ashley wrote in the Instagram caption accompanying photos from the special night. “Thanks for answering,” the headliner replied, adding in a statement, “when Joanna had to sit this one out, we immediately knew who to ask. Ashley is meant for arena stages, and she'll be headlining her own show at MSG soon.”
This is one of many times the two have collaborated. Eric invited Ashley onstage to sing “Bible and a .44” with him in Chicago in 2017 during his Holdin’ My Own Tour. They also performed “The Snake” at the 2019 ACM Awards, and Ashley joined Eric during his medley of hits at the 2022 ACM Awards.
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