Every now and then, a country artist releases a song that goes on to become something greater than they ever imagined. For Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss, that song was their 2004 single, “Whiskey Lullaby.”
In 1998, “Whiskey Lullaby” was co-written by country legend Bill Anderson and country singer-songwriter Jon Randall.
In an interview with GAC, Randall explained that the inspiration for the song came from his own troubled life. He said that his manager looked at him one day and told him, “Every now and then, you’ve got to put a bottle to your head and pull the trigger.” That saying inspired the first line in the chorus of “Whiskey Lullaby,” and the rest of the song came together after that.
Paisley picked up the song as he started work on his 2003 album Mud on the Tires. He approached Anderson after he came across the song, saying that he wanted to sing it as a duet with either Dolly Parton or Krauss. Anderson approved the inclusion of either artist, and the part ultimately went to Krauss.
Two years later, Paisley got the chance to duet with Parton on another emotional tune called “When I Get Where I’m Going.”
“Whiskey Lullaby” captivated the nation after its release, and ended up peaking at the second spot on the Billboard country chart. It has since been certified Double Platinum by the RIAA.
Because Paisley and Krauss’ recording has earned such an iconic status, few artists have dared to try their own hand at the song. But two Transylvania University students decided to offer up their rendition in 2015, and the result was remarkable.
Friends Timothy Baker and Nicole Craigmile got together to film a duet that has since been viewed over 300,000 times. Craigmile studied Vocal Applied Music during her time in school, and graduated in 2016. As for Baker, he graduated in 2018. The then-20-year-old Kentucky singer-songwriter released his debut album in 2014, titled Let Me Drive.
You’ll find yourself in absolute awe once you hear these two talented friends sing in the video below. With only the sound of Baker’s guitar to back them up, the two delivered a tearjerking cover of “Whiskey Lullaby.”
Both got the chance to showcase their individual talents during their separate solo parts. But the parts we loved the most were when they sang together. Their harmonies were perfectly haunting, which is what made Paisley and Krauss’ rendition so powerful.
Baker and Craigmile poured their hearts into this cover, and it shows. You can watch it in the video below.
While Craigmile doesn’t have a social media page for her music, Baker does. If you’d like to keep up with his latest news and videos, you can follow him on Facebook by clicking here.