Country Star Jason Aldean Pays Tribute To Vegas Victims, Tom Petty On 'SNL'

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

NEW YORK (CBSMiami/AP) — Country musician Jason Aldean took the stage on "Saturday Night Live," paying tribute to the victims of the Las Vegas massacre and to the late rocker Tom Petty.

Jason Aldean performs 'I Won't Back Down' in Studio 8H on October 7, 2017 (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Aldean performed Petty's "I Won't Back Down" during the live opening Saturday night and then introduced the show.

"This week we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history," he said. "So many people are hurting. You can be sure that we are going to walk through these tough times together every step of the way."

Pictured: (l-r) Jason Aldean, Gal Gadot, Sam Smith during 'Goodnights & Credits' in Studio 8H on October 7, 2017 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Aldean was performing at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas last Sunday night when a gunman sprayed bullets into the crowd from a high-rise hotel, killing 58 people and injuring nearly 500.

Petty died Monday in Los Angeles at age 66 after suffering cardiac arrest.

(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)