Lainey Wilson & Vince Gill Deliver Emotional “Go Rest High on That Mountain” at 2025 Emmy Awards
On Sunday (Sept. 14), the 77th Emmy Awards paused its glitz and glamour for a moment of reverence, as Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill joined forces for a powerful tribute during the annual In Memoriam segment.
Standing center stage, the two country powerhouses delivered a heartfelt duet of Gill’s timeless ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” Trading verses and joining in soaring harmony on the chorus, their voices brought stillness to an otherwise electric night.
A Tribute That Hit Home
As Wilson and Gill sang, screens behind them honored the lives lost in the television world this past year. Among the names and faces remembered were Ozzy Osbourne, Maggie Smith, David Lynch, Valerie Mahaffey, Julian McMahon, John Amos, Loni Anderson, Michelle Trachtenberg, George Wendt, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
The performance became one of the evening’s most poignant moments — a musical prayer for artists whose work shaped generations of television.
The Song’s New Chapter
Originally released in 1995, “Go Rest High on That Mountain” earned Gill two GRAMMY Awards and has since become a cornerstone at memorial services and tributes worldwide. He began writing the song after the death of close friend Keith Whitley in 1989, and later completed it following the passing of his brother, Bob Gill, in 1993.
But at the Emmys, the song carried an added layer of depth. Gill included a rarely performed third verse — first debuted live in 2019 and officially released only this week:
“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.”
A Rare Country Moment at the Emmys
Country performances at the Emmys are few and far between, making this duet even more striking. With Wilson’s signature warmth and Gill’s personal history with the song, the performance resonated well beyond the country audience, offering a moment of shared comfort for millions watching on CBS and Paramount+.
Hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, the 2025 Emmy Awards may have been filled with big laughs and star-studded wins — but for many, the night will be remembered for the quiet power of a song that reminded us all of faith, loss, and legacy.