“‘THEY ONLY SHARED THE STAGE FOR A FEW MINUTES… BUT FANS SAY IT WAS THE MOMENT THAT DEFINED THE ENTIRE NIGHT.’ Lainey Wilson and Tim McGraw joined forces for a breathtaking duet during the CMA Fest TV special, filling the stage with the kind of heartfelt country storytelling that had the audience hanging on every lyric and erupting into applause. What looked like just another all-star collaboration quickly became one of the most talked-about performances of the show, with fans saying the chemistry between the two country stars turned a familiar song into a must-watch live moment that continues to win over viewers long after the final note.

Lainey Wilson had a full-circle moment when she teamed up with soon-to-be Country Music Hall of Famer Tim McGraw onstage at CMA Fest in early June.

Celebrity Photos Updated Daily: Tim McGraw, Lainey Wilson and More

During McGraw’s set, he welcomed his fellow Louisiana native to join him in singing his 1995 hit “I Like It, I Love It.” Wilson, who had performed her own set at the stadium earlier in the evening, added an extra jolt of energy to McGraw’s classic hit.

It also fulfilled a childhood dream for Wilson, who, as a young girl, wrote a McGraw a letter telling him of her own country-music dreams. “Singing, writing and performing are the most important things in my life. All I need is the opportunity, I can do the rest,” she wrote in that letter.

Lainey Wilson and Tim McGraw Surprised the CMA Fest Crowd with a Duet of '90s Hit

But at CMA Fest, Wilson joined McGraw not as simply a fan, but as a fellow CMA entertainer of the year-winning artist, country radio hitmaker and concert headliner.

Their performance is one of the top standouts that will be highlighted Thursday night (June 25) when CMA Fest Presented By SoFI airs at 7 p.m. CT on ABC and the following day on Hulu.

Hosted by Riley Green and Lara Spencer, the three-hour primetime special puts a number of surprise collabs and top-flight performances from this year’s CMA Fest in Nashville in the spotlight.

In addition to McGraw and Wilson, this year’s stacked lineup of CMA Fest performers included Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Fetty Wap, Florida Georgia Line, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Michael McDonald, Molly Tuttle, The Red Clay Strays, Ricky Skaggs, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Shay Morgan, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top.

Watch a clip of McGraw and Wilson teaming up during CMA Fest below:

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