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Lee Brice Cancels CMA Awards Performance After Testing Positive for COVID-19

Country music singer Lee Brice has had to cancel his Wednesday CMA Awards performance because he contracted the coronavirus.

Brice had been planning to sing “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Carly Pearce, CMT News reports. Brice and Pearce both got CMA Award nominations for that song, a No. 1 single. The nominations are for Music Video of the Year and Musical Event of the Year.

CMA Awards With Social Distancing

At the awards show, country music stars will coalesce in Nashville, Tennessee. CMA will have social distancing measures in place. Brice got tested in preparation for the show. 

A representative for Brice told the Associated Press that Brice is “in good spirits and not experiencing any symptoms.”

The representative said in a statement that Brice is isolating at home. He will stay there until a doctor clears him to return to normal activities. 

“Lee would like to thank the CMAs and all of his incredible fans for his nominations and is wishing his fellow nominees an incredible evening celebrating the best of country music,” the statement read.

Country Musicians Together In One Place

CMA CEO Sarah Trahern had decided to gather the country musicians together in one room for the show, albeit socially distanced. A spokesperson for CMA told the AP that Brice got tested and got his results back before he showed up onsite for any show rehearsals.

The show had to relocate from the Bridgestone Arena to Music City Center because of COVID-19 precautions. The musicians will perform without an audience present.

Brice would have been performing a song that was his sixth No. 1 single. He said in a recent interview that he was sold on the demo of “I Hope You’re Happy Now” before he heard the first chorus.

“It was a cool thing to have a song go up the charts like that, between records for me,” Brice told American Songwriter this summer.