During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, artists found new ways to share their music with friends, family, and fans. Many singers, such as Brad Paisley, hosted livestream concerts to keep their fans entertained.
In Paisley’s case, he enlisted the help of a few friends for some virtual duets. Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Young all called in to his livestream concert to sing a song with him.
Paisley also found a way to sing with other artists in person. He happens to have some musically talented neighbors, and they joined him for a miniature acoustic concert from the safety of their own yards.
A video posted to Paisley’s Instagram shows him standing on the opposite side of the fence from his neighbors Michael Bub, Guthrie Trapp, Jimmy Stewart, and Jon Randall (who co-wrote “Whiskey Lullaby,” which Paisley and Alison Krauss recorded). The group opted to perform a little bluegrass tune, choosing Ricky Skaggs‘ 1983 single “Highway 40 Blues.”
The song was a number one hit for Skaggs in both the U.S. and Canada.
“This is how we quarantine in the country,” Paisley captioned the video of his neighbors performing “Highway 40 Blues” with him. He also gave their band a quarantine-themed name, dubbing them “The Lonesome Distancers.”
“Highway 40 Blues” wasn’t the only song Paisley and his neighbors performed.
Paisley’s wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, shared another video of their backyard concert. This video shows the group singing the bluegrass staple “Freeborn Man,” which was famously recorded by Jimmy Martin.
Williams-Paisley said watching her husband’s “spontaneous backyard jam concert” made her “heart full.” We have to agree…there’s something so wholesome about watching Paisley sing old bluegrass songs with his neighbors in the great outdoors.
Watch the group jam to “Freeborn Man” in the clip below.