Miranda Lambert and Lukas Nelson Honor Kris Kristofferson with Heartfelt Duet of ‘Silver Wings’
On October 5, Miranda held her inaugural Music for Mutts benefit concert to support her MuttNation Foundation, which she co-founded with her mother, Bev, in 2009. With over $100,000 already donated to Hurricane Helene relief, this concert promises to add a substantial contribution to that total.
The star-studded event featured surprise appearances, including Riley Green. Miranda Lambert shared the stage with her opening acts, such as Jake Worthington—recently signed to her label, Big Loud Texas—and Lukas Nelson, who joined her for a memorable duet, according to Whiskey Riff.
‘Silver Wings,’ from Merle Haggard’s 1969 album *A Portrait of Merle Haggard*, captures the sorrow of watching a loved one depart on a plane. Though never released as a single, the song has remained a cherished classic for over 55 years.
Like many in the country music world, Miranda Lambert and Lukas Nelson were heartbroken by the news of Kris Kristofferson’s passing on September 28. The iconic singer, songwriter, and actor was 88 years old.
As the son of Willie Nelson, one of Kris’s closest friends, Lukas had known Kris his entire life. After Kris’s passing, Lukas shared that, aside from his own father, no musician had inspired him more than Kris.
“Other than my father, he was my greatest inspiration,” Lukas said on social media alongside a photo of him and Kris when they met for the first time. He continued, “He embodied humility and kindness and carried his grace into his words and music with unique eloquence. He was a great among greats. One of the coolest men in music.“
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Miranda Lambert was another one of Kris’ friends in the country music industry. The two Texas natives had a mutual respect for each other.
“@kristofferson, thank you for everything,” Miranda shared in a tribute to Kris on social media after his passing. “Forever a hero. Your songs will live forever. I’m so thankful I got to share the stage with you. Rest easy.“
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Together, Miranda and Lukas, paid tribute to their friend Kris Kristofferson, celebrating his lasting influence on country music with a moving performance.
Miranda had sung this song with Kris many times before, but first, she had to pull Lukas Nelson away from the adorable MuttNation puppies. “Y’all, we literally had to kick him out of the dressing room earlier because he’d been holding a puppy for about five hours. He and the puppy were both asleep! I was like, ‘Dude, we gotta rock soon—you gotta get up.’”
Singing with Kris was one of Miranda’s career highlights. “One of our dear friends and heroes, Mr. Kris Kristofferson, recently passed away. I had the privilege of singing this next song with him a few times, and it was truly one of the biggest highlights of my life.”
She explained that she chose this song to honor Kris’s love for his friend, Merle Haggard, who originally sang *Silver Wings*. “So Lukas and I decided we’d sing a Merle song because we know Kris loved him. We’re gonna give y’all a little bit of Hag tonight.”
You’ll want to watch this one, as it’s one of the most thoughtful tributes to Kris we’ve seen so far.
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John Simmon
Am a Public health specialists,trained professionals who’s focus is on developing conditions where people can be healthy. I work to make my community as healthy as possible.
