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On Oct. 30, CMT broadcast a special tribute for Loretta Lynn called Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn. For the special event, dozens of stars gathered to perform and celebrate the late country singer. At one point during the event, Lynn’s granddaughter Emmy Russell and Willie Nelson‘s son Lukas Nelson performed “Lay Me Down” together.
Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter and Willie Nelson’s son performed together
Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn featured performances by Russell and Lukas Nelson, Keith Urban, Wynonna Judd, and more. The event was held at the Grand Ole Opry.
According to Southern Living, Russell discussed how much the tribute meant to her, saying “She always stood in the corner and called me on stage. I’d sing a song—one original and one that everybody knew. It’s the first time that she’s not here to look at me with her proud eyes. It’s just special. Thank you for listening.”
The full performance with Russell and Lukas Nelson can be viewed below.
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“That was absolutely beautiful. Her voice so soft and Lukas sounding like his dad.Well done,” one fan commented on YouTube.
Another fan wrote on YouTube, “The torch has been passed on and is carried on in the instruments and voices of these two lovely people. I hear the sound of Country Music alive and well!!!”
“Wow, Lukas sounds exactly like Willie! She has a delicate, soft tone to her voice. They did a beautiful job with this song,” a YouTube user commented.
What is ‘Lay Me Down’ about?
The original version of “Lay Me Down” was released by Lynn and Willie Nelson in 2016, making Russell and Lukas Nelson’s performance of it even more special.
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Mark Marchetti, Lynn’s son-in-law, wrote “Lay Me Down.” The song was included on Lynn’s 2016 album Full Circle.
In “Lay Me Down,” Willie Nelson and Lynn sing a duet about coming to terms with mortality and finding peace with the future.
“When they lay me down someday/ My soul will rise and fly away/ This old world will turn around/ I’ll be at peace when they lay me down/ This life isn’t fair, it seems/ It’s filled with tears and broken dreams/ There are no tears where I am bound/ And I’ll be at peace when they lay me down,” the two artists sing in “Lay Me Down.”
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Loretta Lynn died in October
Like many artists in the industry, Willie Nelson was friends with Lynn until her death in October 2022. On Oct. 4, Lynn’s family announced that the famous country singer died at the age of 90.
“A statement from the family of Loretta Lynn. ‘Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,’” reads the statement on Twitter.
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