NASHVILLE, Ga. — Georgia-raised country singer Kane Brown honored his longtime drummer who was killed in a car crash last weekemd while accepting an award at the CMT Artists of the Year Ceremony Wednesday night.
Kenny Dixon, from Dalton, Georgia, was killed in a single-car accident Saturday in Tennessee, just one month before he was set to marry his fiancee and mother of his child. He was 27.
Choking back tears, Brown accepted the award and dedicated it to Dixon.
"I want to dedicate this to my drummer Kenny," Brown said. "He was with me the whole time. He was so supportive of me. I love you, man. I miss you. The band misses you."
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Brown said Dixon started playing with him after they connected through a Facebook post in Chattanooga and had been playing together ever since.
The emotional tributes didn't stop there. Georgia's Thomas Rhett also asked the audience if he could lead them in prayer.
"Kane's speech man, I just want to lift up Kane and his family, and I want to lift up his drummer and their family," Rhett said. "I don't know if this is very conventional, but can I just pray?"
County legend Reba McIntyre praised Rhett for his prayer later in the show as she accepted her award.
Nashville artist Chris Young also performed his song "Drowning" in Dixon's honor after presenting Brown with his award.
"Understandably, a lot of us can't even imagine what he's going through, but right now he felt it was really important to be here tonight,'' Young said.
Dixon was set to wed Sarah Hedrick in Dalton on Nov. 30. They were parents to a son, Levi.
"I'm at a loss of words. I don't even know how to write this or ever thought I would have to. Kenny passed away last night in a car accident. I know I have to be strong for Levi and God is gonna pull us through this. We have a forever guardian angel watching above us now. Please keep Levi, my family, and Kenny's family in your prayers," she wrote.