Eric Church delivered a heartfelt keynote address and special performance during UNC-Chapel Hill’s Spring Commencement ceremony on Saturday.
The devoted Tar Heel fan and North Carolina native took the stage at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, where he used the six strings of his guitar as a powerful metaphor to reflect on faith, family, perseverance, resilience, and community. Throughout the speech, Church shared personal wisdom and encouragement with graduates before ending the memorable moment with a performance of “Carolina.”
Upon taking the stage, Church admitted he spent a great deal of time trying to write the perfect commencement speech, only to scrap several versions along the way. Eventually, he decided to lean into what comes naturally to him, telling a story through music.
In true Eric Church fashion, he built his speech around the six strings of a guitar, using each one to symbolize an important pillar of life…