Keith Urban and Trisha Yearwood just gave fans a moment to remember at the Grand Ole Opry. During a Don Williams tribute concert, the country singers teamed up to cover “If I Needed You,” a song the late legend performed with Emmylou Harris in 1981.
The incredible moment came during the final song of Yearwood’s set, after she performed her own hit, “She’s In Love With The Boy,” and Williams’ 1984 song, “Maggie’s Dream.”
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“I’m gonna be Emmylou and you’re going to be Don,” Yearwood told Urban after welcoming him onto the stage. “It’s going to be cool.”
Cool it was, as the current country stars delivered an epic rendition from the legendary pair.
After the duet concluded, Urban stayed on stage to close out the show. Speaking about his presence at the tribute concert, Urban said, “I heard the name Don Williams and I said yes. I wasn’t sure what I was saying yes to, but that’s the effect Don has on me.”
With that, Urban performed 1984’s “Love Me Over Again,” and the “brutally true” 1982 song “I Can’t Get to You from Here.” He finished his time on stage by performing “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend,” which Williams released in 1977.
Prior to Yearwood and Urban’s time on stage, American Idol alum John Foster performed, as did Rodney Crowell, Brandy Clark, The Isaacs, and Jamey Johnson.
What to Know About Don Williams
The tribute concert came following the release of Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes, Williams’ posthumous LP. The 12-song album, which features never-before-heard tracks that the legend recorded between 1979-1984, came to fruition after an unlikely discovery.
In a conversation with American Songwriter, Williams’ son, Tim Williams, revealed that his family uncovered the tapes in a storm cellar on their property, where they’ve been stored for decades.
Against all odds, Williams’ vocals were in near-perfect condition. With that in mind, the younger Williams tapped his dad’s longtime producer, Garth Fundis, to help him produce an album.
“More than anything wanted it to sound like, ‘What do you know? Daddy actually did a another record back in 1980 that nobody’s heard,’” Williams’ son said. “We just wanted it to sound like that, so it was real important that people understood what what it was supposed to sound like.”
As for how the late Williams would feel about the final product, his son said, “I think he would be proud of it… He felt like he owed the listener, the fans, the very best that he could give them.”
Photo by Jason Kempin/ACM2015/Getty Images for dcp