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Sam Hunt Rocks the Ryman

He Had A Few Tricks Up His Sleeve for the Intimate CRS Crowd

Sam Hunt had a big Tuesday night (Feb. 9). As part of the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, the Georgia native performed a special late night concert at the famous Ryman Auditorium for an intimate crowd of radio programmers and personalities.

Hunt opened the show with his hit "Raised on It" and then welcomed the crowd and thanked them for their support of his music this past year. To show his appreciation, Hunt had more than a few tricks of his sleeve.

After getting the crowd on their feet for a few more of his dance-party worthy songs, including "Ex to See" and Keith Urban's "Cop Car" (which Hunt co-wrote with Zach Crowell and Matt Jenkins), Hunt traded in the flashy light show for a stool and an acoustic guitar.

To the crowd's delight, Hunt invited former touring pal Charles Kelley (Hunt opened for Lady Antebellum on their recent Wheels Up Tour) to join him onstage in an medley of classics made famous by females. The pair put their spin on Reba's "Fancy" and Trisha Yearwood's "She's in Love With the Boy," before mixing it up with acoustic covers of Destiny's Child's unforgettable "Say My Name" and Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby."

But even dueting with Sam Hunt on stage at the Ryman couldn't stop Kelley from taking a few selfies:

Before Kelley said goodbye, they sang portions of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine," which had the whole crowd singing along.

What happened next, however, was a surprise to the crowd and Hunt. He was joined onstage by Universal Music Group Nashville chairman and CEO Mike Dungan, head of Hunt's label. Dungan presented him with a plaque, commemorating Hunt's album Montevallo's double platinum certification. Montevallo is the fastest country debut album to reach this milestone since Taylor Swift's 2006 debut.

Montevallo includes three No. 1 singles, "Leave the Night On," "House Party" and "Take Your Time," which went double platinum itself.

Hunt closed out the night with his current single, "Break Up in a Small Town" which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's country airplay chart last week.

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