Last night was a huge night for Lainey Wilson. First and foremost, she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. However, before Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks welcomed her to the family, Wilson took the stage to perform with both Terri Clark and Wynonna Judd.
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Before being inducted into the Opry, Wilson performed several songs solo and with her fellow country stars. In short, she proved to the gathered crowd time and again that she earned the honor of standing in the Circle. If there were any doubts seeing her stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Judd while performing Tom Petty’s “Refugee” likely erased them. Wilson proved her prowess by holding her own with one of the most powerful voices in the genre.
Lainey Wilson and Wynonna Judd Cover Tom Petty
Wynonna Judd and Lainey Wilson teamed up to cover “Refugee” for the upcoming Tom Petty tribute album. Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty drops on June 21. The album will feature covers of some of Petty’s biggest hits covered by some of the brightest stars in country music. The “Refugee” cover is already a highlight of the collection.
Earlier this year, Wilson sat down with American Songwriter to talk about her whirlwind year. During the conversation, she reflected on recording the song with Judd.
When asked about recording “Refugee” with Judd, Wilson said, “That was one of the coolest experiences of my life. My gosh, every time I tried to use that growl in my voice, I was trying to channel my inner Wynonna. Everybody wants an inner Wynonna.”
[RELATED: Watch Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks Induct Lainey Wilson into the Grand Ole Opry]
They recorded the song in Judd’s home studio. “Getting to have that experience with her, in her studio, in her house, with her husband Cactus, it was wild,” Wilson said. “We went in to cut the vocals at the exact same time. We were just separated by a thin wall and we just got to riff off of each other. It was pure magic,” she recalled.
Featured Image by Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo
