Gary Clark Jr. Tributes Stevie Ray Vaughan With a Bluesy ‘The House Is Rockin” at the 2023 CMTs

Gary Clark, Jr. stepped onstage for a sizzling tribute to the late Texas native Stevie Ray Vaughan at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday night (April 2.)

Clark, Jr. performed a rollicking rendition of "The House is Rockin'," a career highlight or Vaughan off his 1989 In Step album. Though the blues-rock performance fell outside the musical style one might expect from a mainstream country music awards show, the powerhouse guitarist's performance had the all-star crowd captivated: Even hot newcomer Jelly Roll was grooving along to the performance from his seat in the crowd.

The live rendition of "The House is Rockin'" came early on in the awards show, as the show kicked off an action-packed evening of awards, performances and unforgettable moments. Clark, Jr. is one of several out-of-genre stars who took the stage during the 2023 CMT Music Awards -- Darius Rucker also collaborated with rock act the Black Crowes onstage later in the evening, and Gwen Stefani hit the stage with Carly Pearce.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards took place in Austin, Texas' Moody Center on Sunday evening, moving to the Texas venue for the first time in the awards show's history. Clark, Jr.'s performance was one of several hat-tips to hometown pride to take place during the awards show.

The awards show aired live on CBS and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini co-hosted the 2023 iteration of the show.