Country’s Greatest Gather To Honor One Of Its Legends
In March 2017, some of country music’s greatest artists gathered together to honor one of their own. The Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard concert took place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and featured artists such as Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, and Loretta Lynn.
Another major artist scheduled to perform at the concert was the then-reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year, Miranda Lambert.
Sing Me Back Home with the Music of @merlehaggard! @kennychesney @mirandalambert @jamey_johnson and more! pic.twitter.com/uInWyBGufB
— Sony Music Publishing | Nashville (@SonyMusicPubNV) March 6, 2017
It only seems fitting that Lambert was present at the concert, she became the first-ever recipient of the Merle Haggard Spirit Award. The ACM issues the award, which is awarded to “uncompromising artists in the spirit of Merle Haggard, while acknowledging a man who has figured prominently in ACM history.”
Haggard Had A Strong Influence
During the ceremony, Lambert spoke highly of Haggard and how much of an influence he had on her and her music.”Merle was one of my heroes,” she said “He’s the reason I write songs, he changed my life so much.”
Lambert also performed Haggard’s 1980 hit “Misery and Gin” before she accepted her award. Her performance was highly praised, which is perhaps why she decided to revisit the tune for the Sing Me Back Home concert.
A Performance To Make Merle Proud
Once again, Lambert ended up delivering a compelling cover of “Misery and Gin.”
“Misery and Gin” is certainly an emotional song, and Lambert was perfectly capable of capturing all of those emotions in her voice.
It’s clear that the crowd loved Lambert’s performance, because they started cheering like crazy as soon as she finished. With a big smile on her face, Lambert blew a quick kiss out to the crowd before she made her way off of the stage.
If Haggard were here, we’re sure he would have loved Lambert’s performance as well. She sings his song beautifully, which you’ll be able to hear once you watch her performance below.