When one country artist invites another to make a surprise appearance at a concert and perform a song or two, is there an appearance fee involved?
That’s the question I wanted to answer, so I went straight to a trusted source: record label owner and Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus.
DeMarcus, who also owns Red Street Records, says it often comes down to personal relationships.
“If you have a relationship, they just do it out of the kindness of their heart,” he explains.
He points to a time Taylor Swift invited Rascal Flatts to appear on The Red Tour when it stopped in their area.
“She asked us to come out on The Red Tour when she was here a few years back, I think [2013], and we just did it because we love her,” DeMarcus recalls. “We showed up and did ‘What Hurts the Most’ with her and hugged her neck.”
“When you have a personal relationship, you do favors,” DeMarcus adds.
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I even asked whether the inviting artist at least covers transportation costs for the guest performer. DeMarcus quickly answered, “No,” underscoring the sense of friendship and camaraderie that runs deep among country artists in Nashville.
Rascal Flatts did just that during CMA Fest in 2025, when they brought out Carly Pearce to join them on their hit song “My Wish.”
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According to DeMarcus, that’s not typically the case outside of country music.
“I’ve heard some of those stories before — there’s usually a price tag attached to it in the pop world,” he says.
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