Jason Aldean Responds to Hank Jr.’s Abrupt Departure From CMT Artists of the Year Stage

When Hank Williams Jr. abruptly left the CMT 'Artists of the Year' stage in the middle of his duet with Jason Aldean, no one was more surprised than Jason. Still, no one forgave the country legend as quickly as Jason, either.

"When it comes to Hank, the only thing that you can predict is that he's unpredictable," the three-time Grammy nominee tells HITFIX. "I'm still a huge fan. He's one of my idols, one of the guys that I grew up listening to. I'm a huge fan and, you know, it was a little weird, but it's Hank Jr.! What are you going to say?"

Bocephus was supposed to collaborate on Jason's 'Tattoos on This Town' but left the stage after a few verses of the song. He later explained that he didn't feel his performance was up-to-par for the show, which honored Jason, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney and Lady Antebellum as 2011's 'Artists of the Year.'

"I've heard people mess up my songs and screw up Daddy's songs," Hank explained to Country Weekly. "I was here to honor Jason, a kid I really like. When I walked out there, it didn't feel right, it didn't sound right. I didn't want to disrespect him."

Jason went on to perform the song solo, which is what you'll see when the CMT special airs on Dec. 13 at 9:00 PM ET. The Georgia native's duet with Ludacris last night (Nov. 30) on the Grammy Nominations Live concert went off without a hitch, as the two received a standing ovation for their performance of 'Dirt Road Anthem.' Jason later heard his name called in three categories for the 2012 Grammy Awards -- his first-ever Grammy recognition in what has become a red-hot career.