Morgan Wallen Makes Surprise Appearance at Darius Rucker's Ryman Show to Perform ‘20 Cigarettes’ and ‘More Than My Hometown’

Morgan Wallen and Luke Bryan served as the two surprise guests during Darius Rucker's Darius & Friends concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium last night (Monday, June 2nd).

The star-studded show, which was benefiting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, also featured momentous performances from Rucker himself, alongside country prodigies, Tyler Braden, Kashus Culpepper, Lanie Gardner and Austin Williams.

St Jude has enjoyed a strong relationship with the country music community for a number of years, with artists often leading fundraising events and patient visits for the pioneering charity, which carries out critical research geared towards helping children that are struggling with cancer and other life-changing diseases.

After sauntering onto the stage to the loudest chorus of cheers of the evening, Morgan Wallen serenaded the attentive crowd with one of the many stand-outs from his new album, I'm the Problem, ‘20 Cigarettes’. Those fortunate enough to attend the ‘Last Night’ chart-topper's special London show last week were able to hear the live debut of the sultry earworm, with the fact that Wallen has now performed it for a second time suggesting it might become a staple of his 2025 tour setlist.

In addition, ever the crowd-pleaser, the Sneedville native delivered a beautifully stripped-back rendition of his Dangerous hit, ‘More Than My Hometown’, which remains a fan-favourite.

It's always a treat getting to hear Morgan Wallen's stellar, charismatic drawl in this acoustic, intimate setting, with the country titan lacing an extra dose of emotion into every line.

Morgan Wallen and Darius Rucker have been good buddies for a while now, with the ‘Wagon Wheel’ hitmaker joining Wallen for the blockbuster second night of his Neyland Stadium double-header in Knoxville, Tennessee back in September 2024.

Last night's array of stunning performances were the perfect way to kick off CMA Fest week in Music City. Now they know Morgan Wallen is in town, fans are inevitably wondering if he has any other surprise appearances in store over the coming days...

You can find more information on St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital here.

For more on Morgan Wallen, see below: