Max McNown Joins Plain White T’s Frontman Tom Higgenson for “Hey There Delilah” Duet After Calling the Song One of His “Primary Inspirations” (Exclusive)

Max McNown has long been a fan of “Hey There Delilah.” That’s why having Plain White T’s frontman Tom Higgenson come out to perform the track with him at Red Bull Jukebox Nashville was such a big deal.

“If there was a top 10 songs of my entire life, that’s not below five. That is up there,” McNown told American Songwriter ahead of the big moment. “It means a ton to me. It could truly be traced back to one of the primary inspirations for me wanting to be a singer.”

Having Higgenson join him to duet the song, McNown said, was “a really big full circle moment.”

“I can’t guarantee that I won’t shed some tears,” he admitted. “It’s gonna be kind of crazy.”

Max McNown Lives Out “Greatest Full Circle Moment” of His Career

Fans got a sense of how much of a full circle moment it was for McNown when he introduced the song at The Pinnacle in Nashville.

Before he began speaking, a video played on the venue’s screens. The clip showed a much younger McNown performing the song, highlighting just how long the 2005 track has been part of his life.

“Tonight, this next song will be the greatest full circle moment of my entire career,” the country singer said. “It is with my incredible, incredible honor that I welcome Mr. Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T’s to the stage.”

The men shared a hug, before beginning the performance. With Higgenson on guitar, McNown sang the first verse and chorus. Higgenson took over in the second verse as McNown watched on in awe.

McNown began hyping up the crowd by raising his arms and shaking his head in awe, before he took a knee to take in the performance for himself.

The song continued until it neared its end, with Higgenson changing the lyrics to be, “Hey there Nashville, here’s to you / This one’s for you.”

Both the crowd and McNown cheered in celebration, with the singer exclaiming, “What?!”

For the final chorus, Higgenson instructed the audience to sing along, and they showed up in full force to do just that.

“I would not be standing here right now if not for this man,” McNown told the crowd as the final notes of the song rang out. “Make some noise for Tom Higgenson!”

Photo by Amy E. Price/FilmMagic

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