Eric Church Gets Standing Ovation with ‘Heart On Fire’ Performance at 2021 CMA Awards
Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Eric Church brought the house down at the 2021 CMA Awards with a performance…
Eric Church; Photo Courtesy CMA
Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Eric Church brought the house down at the 2021 CMA Awards with a performance of his upbeat radio single, “Heart On Fire.”
Joined by his touring band and background singer Joanna Cotten, Church lit the stage on fire – literally – as he performed while surrounded by flames.
“Heart On Fire” is the third radio single from Church’s triple album, Heart & Soul. The song is a standout among the triple release and continues to climb the charts at country radio.
The track was written solely by the North Carolina native and finds him giving shout-outs to Elvis’ “All Shook Up” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City.”
We’re still feeling the heat! 🔥 RT if you can’t get enough of @ericchurch and the #CMAawards! @CountryMusic pic.twitter.com/gT8nQAtmn1
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) November 11, 2021
Church was a top nominee heading into this year’s CMA Awards, tying with Chris Stapleton with five nominations each.
The superstar is currently in the midst of his Gather Again Tour and has dates planned through mid 2022.
The 55th Annual CMA Awards also featured performances from Luke Combs, Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band.
Additionally, the show included star-studded collaborations by Chris Young and Kane Brown, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde, Mickey Guyton, Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, BRELAND and HARDY.
Country singers Trace Adkins, Ingrid Andress, Kelsea Ballerini, Deana Carter, Russell Dickerson, Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson, Lady A, Scotty McCreery, Darius Rucker, Lainey Wilson, and Trisha Yearwood were on hand to present during the ceremony.
Lauren Daigle, Faith Fennidy, Freddie Freeman, Amy Grant, Dulé Hill, Elle King, Zachary Levi, Hayley Orrantia, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Susan Sarandon, Saycon Sengbloh and Kurt Warner also made special appearances throughout the broadcast.
Hosted by Luke Bryan, the 2021 CMA Awards broadcasted live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8/7c on ABC.
Written by
Lauren Jo Black
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.