George Jones, hailed as the greatest country singer ever, passed away on April 26. 2013. About a week later, on May 2, some of the biggest names in country music gave the Possum a fitting send-off during his memorial service at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Many artists took the stage to share stories about Jones and to perform. Many chose to cover Jones’ biggest hits. Vince Gill and Patty Loveless, on the other hand, decided to sing “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”
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“Go Rest High on That Mountain” is a cornerstone song for many funerals. However, it has likely never evoked as much emotion as it did on the Opry stage a little over 11 years ago. The audience was in tears, Loveless was in tears, and Gill was so emotional that he couldn’t sing most of the song. Watch their stirring delivery of the song below.
Vince Gill and Patty Loveless Perform for George Jones
After sharing some memories about George Jones, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, and the band launched into the somber song. Gill played acoustic guitar and sang the first verse. Loveless came in on the chorus. She had to carry much of the chorus because Gill was overtaken by emotion. The tears remained in his voice—and his eyes—throughout the rest of the song.
As Gill’s voice broke in the second chorus, the audience came to their feet. Then, the legendary guitarist kept time, strumming his guitar as the fiddle player took a break. Loveless laid her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
His emotions may have momentarily taken his voice. However, the tears couldn’t steal Gill’s ability to play guitar. He picked up a solo after the fiddle player finished his. At one point, he takes a moment to wipe away a tear but doesn’t miss a note.
Years later, Gill reflected on the memorial. “I sang at George’s memorial, and I fell apart singing ‘Go Rest High on That Mountain’ with Patty Loveless,” he recalled. “It was kind of neat to see the rook take a deep breath and fall apart, too. That room was stoic until I fell apart and gave the room a chance to do that,” he added.
Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Nancy Jones
