{"id":4107,"date":"2025-08-25T08:29:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T08:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=4107"},"modified":"2025-08-25T08:29:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T08:29:34","slug":"hardy-had-no-idea-he-was-living-every-country-fans-dream-while-performing-eric-churchs-hit-homeboy-at-the-acm-honors-the-rising-star-poured-his-heart-into-the-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=4107","title":{"rendered":"Hardy had no idea he was living every country fan\u2019s dream. While performing Eric Church\u2019s hit \u201cHomeboy\u201d at the ACM Honors, the rising star poured his heart into the song \u2014 completely unaware that Church himself was sitting right in front of him. When Hardy finally realized, his reaction said it all: \u201cI would\u2019ve passed out,\u201d he admitted afterward, still stunned by the surreal moment. The crowd went wild, Eric smiled, and the clip instantly became one of the night\u2019s most talked-about highlights… Watch below \ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last night, the ACM Honors Ceremony took place in Nashville, Tennessee, where\u00a0Eric Church<\/strong>was presented with the ACM Icon Award, an award that\u2019s presented to an artist who has \u201cadvanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u201cPresented to a Country Music artist, duo\/group or industry leader who, throughout their career, has advanced the popularity of the genre through their contributions in multiple facets of the industry, such as songwriting, recording, production, touring, film, television, literary works, philanthropic contributions, and other goodwill efforts.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Of course, Eric has done a ton of philanthropic work for his home state of North Carolina since last October when Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina, so it\u2019s great to see him being recognized for all he has done in this way, in addition to his obvious musical contributions to country music:<\/p>\n

\"Eric<\/p>\n

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\u201cEric Church will be honored with the ACM Icon Award.\u00a0Eric, who has received seven ACM Awards, has continually pushed the boundaries of the genre, blending elements of blues, rock, and outlaw country while continuing to explore new, unique sounds and inviting the genre to follow. As a prolific songwriter, Church has racked up numerous hits. His fearless approach to both his music and his career path has made him a lasting influence and a true icon of Country Music.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

And not only did Eric accept the very well-deserved award, but\u00a0HARDY<\/strong>\u00a0was also there to honor him with a performance of \u201cHomeboy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the song was co-written by Eric with Casey Beathard about his son and artist, Tucker Beathard. It was released in February of 2011 as the 9th single of his career, and the first from his legendary 2011 album\u00a0Chief<\/em>. The song reached the Top 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with a peak at number 13.<\/p>\n

While it wasn\u2019t necessarily a huge radio success, \u201cHomeboy\u201d quickly became a fan-favorite and beloved tune in Eric\u2019s expansive catalog, and so it was a fitting tune for this night and one of Hardy\u2019s favorites too, and you can watch here:<\/p>\n