Grammy-winning country artists Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill will take the stage of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this weekend to sing a touching tribute for the “In Memoriam” segment of the 77th Emmy Awards.
Wilson, 33, shared the news in a joint Instagram post on Thursday, expressing excitement about performing the duet at the upcoming ceremony, which will air live on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 14.
Gill, 68, released “Go Rest High on That Mountain” in August 1995.
The moving eulogic ballad is featured on his sixth studio album, “When Love Finds You.”
The Oklahoma native began writing the song in the late 1980s as a way to process his grief following the death of his friend and fellow country star Keith Whitley.
Whitley, whose many hit singles included “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “When You Say Nothing at All,” died in 1989 at the age of 34 from acute alcohol poisoning.
Gill shelved the song for several years, ultimately finishing it in 1993 after the loss of his older half-brother, Bob Coen, who succumbed to a heart attack.
Gill went on to win two Grammy Awards for “Go Rest High On That Mountain,” taking home “Best Country Song” and “Best Male Country Vocal Performance” in 1996. The Country Music Hall of Famer also garnered that year’s CMA Award for “Song of the Year.”
A portion of the song’s lyrics goes: “Go rest high on that mountain, son your work on earth is done. Go to heaven a-shoutin', love for the Father and the Son.”
On Friday, Gill released an extended version of his double-platinum single certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in celebration of the song’s 30th anniversary. The track features a new verse that the singer-songwriter has previously only performed live in concert.
The additional lyrics read: “You’re safely home in the arms of Jesus, eternal life my brother’s found. The day will come, I know I’ll see him. In that sacred place, on that holy ground.”
