Tom Petty was the heart of music when he was alive, influencing country, Americana and roots musicians throughout his long-running career. During the 60th annual Grammy awards in New York City, a heartfelt tribute was made to the fallen music star.
Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris teamed up together Sunday night to pay tribute to Petty’s legacy with their rendition of “Wildflowers.”
The two country stars performed the title track from Petty’s solo album released back in 1994. Performing while images of flowers filled the screens behind them and strummed their acoustic guitars, it was a fitting performance that segues into the evenings In Memoriam segment. Both brought their own to the cover, bringing a southern twang to the original song as they sang the heartfelt refrain; “You belong among the wildflowers/ You belong in a boat out a sea.”
Tom Petty passed away on October 2nd of last year at the age of 66 after suffering cardiac arrest. Recently, it came to light that his death was due to an accidental overdose of medications. It was a devastating loss to the music industry and the world.
Stapleton took home all three awards for which he was nominated at this year’s Grammys, including the best country album for From A Room: Volume 1. Harris is a 13-time Grammy winner, with her latest trophy for her in 2013 for Best Americana Album, for her collaboration with Rodney Crowell, Old Yellow Moon.