On July 30, 2019, Billy Ray Cyrus performed Lil Nas X’s viral-track-turned-chart-topping-hit “Old Town Road” with Mason Ramsey on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Yes, that kid who went viral in 2018 after yodeling to Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues” at a Walmart. Their performance came in just after the controversial track (because, as some said, it wasn’t country enough) breached the all-time record for most weeks at Number 1.
“I’m gonna ride ‘til I can’t no more.”
“Old Town Road” was rapper Lil Nas X’s debut mainstream single. He then recorded a remix with Billy Ray Cyrus, which was released a week after the original. The second official remix was a rework of the remix version featuring Diplo. The third was the same as the second, with Ramsey featuring alongside Young Thug. The fourth was with BTS’ leader, RM, known as “Seoul Town Road.”
RELATED: Lil Nas X Collaborated With Billy Ray Cyrus For The Most Unique’ Old Town Road’ Remix
A few days after that last remix drop, Cyrus and Ramsey rocked the Grand Ole Opry stage with a performance of the song.
Cyrus, who was wearing a plaid polo shirt, jeans, cowboy boots, and, of course, a white cowboy hat, stood at the “special circle of wood” and hit the start of the performance with a sweet speech on how honored he was to be back on the Ole Opry stage. He continued that there was no other stage like it and that there were better fans than country music fans.
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After that, he briefly introduced the song and struck his guitar, cueing the band to join. Three minutes into the song, Cyrus invited everyone to stand up, saying maybe they could get Mason Ramsey to sing on stage.
He then went on another round of chorus before Ramsey finally entered clad in a full cowboy ensemble – a black cowboy hat paired with black button-down long sleeves with a red, sparkly design, a buckle belt, denim jeans, and cowboy boots – with undeniable swag and confidence.
Before singing his part and as Cyrus continued with the instrumental, Ramsey hyped the crowd up. His hands swung upward repeatedly, asking the audience to go louder. Then, when he finally began, he completely owned that stage. By the time the chorus hit, Cyrus joined in.
Ramsey was like a seasoned performer, shouting, “Come on, everybody, let me hear you scream,” as the instrumentals played in the background. At one point, he even directed his mic to the audience like he was at his own concert.
Catch Billy Ray Cyrus and Mason Ramsey’s performance of “Old Town Road” in the video below.
