Eric Church Throws Shade at Garth Brooks in Concert After Entertainer of the Year Win [Watch]
Eric Church used a Waylon Jennings cover to seemingly throw shade at Garth Brooks. The megastar won Entertainer of the Year at the 2019 CMA Awards last week, beating out Church and Carrie Underwood, among others.
During his sold out show at the Anthem in Washington, D.C. on Saturday (Nov. 16), the "Mr. Misunderstood" singer threw in a subtle jab to Brooks' win with a cover of Jennings' 1975 hit "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" that calls out the glamor and materialism of commercial country music, while honoring the legacy of Hank Williams Sr.
In the final verse of the song — "Singing my songs, and one of his now and then / But I don't think Hank done 'em this way, no / I don't think Hank done 'em this way" — Church changed the words to "And I know Garth didn't do it this way," eliciting some cheers from the crowd.
Keith Urban and Chris Stapleton were also nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards on Nov. 13. Leading up to the show, Church and Underwood had received a groundswell of support for the prize, with Church performing three-hour shows on his Double Down Tour where he was doing two-night stays in arenas, while Underwood was also filling arenas with her Cry Pretty Tour 360 in support of her acclaimed album Cry Pretty, in addition to running her lifestyle brand Calia and writing a fitness book.
Brooks took home the prize — his seventh win for Entertainer of the Year — making him the most winning artist in the elite category. The superstar wrapped up his Stadium Tour for 2019 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday (Nov. 16). The final shows of his Dive Bar Tour will take place on the same night when he takes the stage at Prospectors in Mt. Laurel, N.J., before heading to Six Strings in Foxborough, Mass. on Dec. 2.
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