Lainey Wilson joined The Black Crowes on stage last night (4 April), joining the rockers on the first night of their Happiness Bastards tour at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.
In video footage posted to YouTube, Wilson joined the band for their collaborative track, Wilted Rose. “We are thrilled, and we are honoured tonight to invite someone to sing with me,” The Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson told the audience. “Miss Lainey Wilson!”
The band and Wilson then launched into the country-inspired song, with Chris offering up his raspy rock and roll vocals as his brother, Rich, played a bluesy riff on an acoustic guitar. Wilson joined in during the chorus and brought incredibly soulful energy to the bridge as Rich switched from acoustic to electric guitar, playing an epic solo.
You can watch The Black Crowes perform with Lainey Wilson below.
Taking to Instagram after the performance took place, Wilson shared photos of herself rehearsing and chatting with the band and wrote in the caption, “Do a song with the Black Crowes ✅ Play the @opry with the Black Crowes ✅”.
The Crowes saw the magic of Wilson, having credited her as the only feature artist on Happiness Bastards—their first album in 15 years.
The resulting collaboration, Wilted Rose, is the fifth track on the album and represents an exciting union of legacy artists, old and new.
Wilson told Rolling Stone magazine about the team-up, “I’m so excited to be a part of the new The Black Crowes record.
“I’m a huge fan of their music, and their legacy has truly withstood the test of time. I can’t wait for people to hear our song, Wilted Rose. It’s a little country, a little rock ‘n’ roll and a whole lot of soul.”
On working with Wilson, Chris Robinson told The Music’s Samuel J Fell in a recent interview that she was a “sweetheart, and her voice is so authentic and amazing”.
Since recording her vocals for Wilted Rose, Wilson won Best Country Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards for her fourth record, Bell Bottom Country.
She recently won the iHeartRadio award for Country Song of the Year (Heart Like A Truck) and has received three nominations for this year’s CMT Awards.
The fan-voted CMT Awards will be held on Sunday, 7 April, at the Moody Centre in Austin, Texas. The ceremony will air live on CBS and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.