Chris Stapleton brought surprise guest Willie Nelson — the artist partly responsible for putting Austin City Limits on the map — during his headlining set Friday night at the ACL Festival.

The two singers first teamed up to perform “Whiskey River” – a reprise of their duet from Nelson’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2023 – before following Nelson’s cameo with a rendition of his “Bloody Mary Morning.” completed.

Stapleton and Nelson have shared the stage frequently over the past decade, including headlining the Outlaw Country Music Tour. Stapleton has also appeared at Nelson’s Fourth of July picnics in recent years.

Nelson’s ACL appearance comes less than a week before the country legend takes the stage at Austin’s Long Center for a special concert that marks the exact 50th anniversary of his appearance on the very first episode of Austin city limits on October 17, 1974.

“There would be no AAustin city limits without Willie Nelson – it’s as simple as that,” Terry Lickona, ACL’s longtime executive producer, said in a statement. “He brought ACL into the television universe in 1974 and helped keep us going for 50 years.”

The open-air concert at the Long Center in Austin was free to the public with registration. The show will also be livestreamed on October 17, with highlights from the 50th birthday celebration airing at Austin City Limits in early 2025.