Amidst a night of stellar performances full of meaning, Chris Stapleton who brought home three gramophones this year teamed with thirteen-time winner Emmylou Harris to perform during the “In Memoriam” part. This was to pay moving “Wildflowers” tribute to one of the great voices the music industry lost this year, Tom Petty. The two country great artists joined forces for a take on the classic title track to Petty’s 1994 solo album, a tender thought on not being scared to let go of the thing you love the most.
A Recall on Petty’s Life
Thomas Earl Petty was the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker. Before that, he also led the band ‘Mudcrutch’ and a co-founder of the late 1980s great group ‘Travelling Wilburys’. Petty earned a name as the best-selling music artists of all time for having recorded a number of hit singles with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. Also, he sold more than 80 million records worldwide. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Last year, Petty had a cardiac arrest after medications overdose and succumbed to death on Oct. 2. He was just 66 years old that time.
Petty, Stapleton, and Harris Are Good Friends
Stapleton opened a few of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ shows just months before Petty’s death in October. Harris, on the other hand, also is no stranger to Petty’s work. In the 1980s, she joined the country band Southern Pacific for their rendition of his song “A Thing About You”. After Petty’s death, she headed an all-star lineup including Patty Griffin, Steve Earle and Dave Matthews in his song “Refugee” during one of her performances for “Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees.” As their voices mix, the two sang while strumming acoustic guitars,
“You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-YVaCMdnUA
Harris’ high, pure tone with Stapleton’s low rumble made the tribute special. Pictures of flowers filled the monitors behind them. The pair brought a lonely resonance to the original, which features the catchy refrain “you belong somewhere you feel free“.
Watch more stunning tributes to artists on our website https://www.countrythangdaily.com/.
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