Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson Deliver Heartfelt Performance of “Go Rest High on That Mountain” During 2025 Emmys In Memoriam
The 2025 Emmy Awards dazzled with glamour, star-studded appearances, and the celebration of television’s brightest achievements. Yet, the night’s most unforgettable moment did not come from speeches or golden trophies, but from a stage cloaked in reverence and stillness.
As the ceremony turned to the In Memoriam tribute, the lights dimmed inside the Dolby Theatre. A hush swept across the audience as two of country music’s most cherished voices, Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson, stepped into the spotlight. There were no elaborate stage sets or dazzling visuals—only Vince’s acoustic guitar, a single microphone, and a silence waiting to be filled.
The first gentle strum of strings set the tone. Vince Gill, the song’s writer and original performer, began singing with a voice that carried both history and grief. Written nearly three decades ago after the loss of his brother and fellow artist Keith Whitley, “Go Rest High on That Mountain” has long stood as an anthem of farewell, sung at funerals, vigils, and national moments of mourning. On this Emmy night, it became a bridge between television’s past and present, honoring the stars who had passed away.
When Lainey Wilson joined him on the second verse, her voice—warm, smoky, and unshakably tender—wrapped around Vince’s tenor like a quiet prayer. Her harmonies gave the timeless ballad both freshness and depth, adding fire to a song already etched into American memory. Together, their voices transformed into something greater than music: a shared plea, a comfort, a reminder that while grief is universal, so too is love.
Behind them, the screen filled with faces of beloved actors, directors, writers, and creators who had left the world too soon. Inside the theatre, the emotion was palpable. Some stars clasped hands, others bowed their heads, while many simply closed their eyes. At home, families leaned closer to their screens, moved by a song that has long guided Americans through moments of loss and remembrance.
By the final chorus, the Dolby Theatre was utterly still. Lainey’s soaring voice blended with Vince’s steady guitar, and the words—“Go rest high on that mountain, son your work on earth is done”—felt less like performance and more like prayer. When the last note faded, there was no immediate applause. Only silence—sacred and heavy—as if everyone present understood that some moments are too profound for noise.
For Vince Gill, the moment marked a return to a song that has defined his legacy of tributes across the years. For Lainey Wilson, it was a powerful step into that same legacy—carrying forward the country tradition of giving voice to life, loss, and the spaces in between.
For all who watched, the performance proved that even in the midst of celebration, the Emmys’ most powerful moment was not scripted, nor wrapped in glamour, but deeply human: two voices, one guitar, and a song that continues to lift hearts higher, even in the face of grief.