Miranda Lambert and Lukas Nelson pay emotional tribute to Kris Kristofferson with duet of ‘Silver Wings’

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: In a heartfelt tribute to the late Kris Kristofferson, Miranda Lambert, and Lukas Nelson performed 'Silver Wings', a song originally sung by Kristofferson’s friend, Merle Haggard. This tribute comes just days after Kristofferson's death at the age of 88 at his home in Maui, Hawaii. 

During the show on October 5, Miranda hosted her first Music for Mutts benefit concert, raising funds for her MuttNation Foundation, which she co-founded with her mother, Bev, in 2009. Having already donated over $100,000 to Hurricane Helene relief through the foundation, this concert is set to significantly boost that total.

Miranda Lambert and Lukas Nelson perform 'Silver Wings' in tribute to Kris Kristofferson

The star-studded show also featured surprise guests like Riley Green. Miranda Lambert performed with her opening acts, including Jake Worthington, who just signed with her label Big Loud Texas, and Lukas Nelson, who joined her for a special song, as per Whiskey Riff.

'Silver Wings' is on Merle’s 1969 album 'A Portrait of Merle Haggard'. The song expresses the sadness of watching a loved one leave on a plane. Although it was never released as a single, it remains a beloved classic after 55 years.

The two talented artists honored their friend Kris Kristofferson’s significant contributions to country music with their captivating performance.

Miranda had sung this song with Kris several times before. However, she had to get Nelson away from the cute MuttNation puppies first. “Y’all, we literally had to kick him out of the dressing room a while ago because was holding a puppy for like five hours. Him and the puppy were both asleep, I was like dude, we gotta go rock soon, you gotta get up.’” 

Miranda called singing with Kris one of the highlights of her life. “Well, one of our dear, dear friends and heroes just passed away, Mr. Kris Kristofferson. And I got to sing this next song with him a couple of times and it was one of the biggest highlights of my career."

Miranda explained that she chose to sing this particular song for Kris Kristofferson because he loved his friend Merle, who originally sang 'Silver Wings'. “So Lukas and I decided we would do a Merle song, because we know Kris loved Merle, right? We’re gonna do y’all a little Hag tonight.”

Who was Kris Kristofferson?

'A Star is Born' star, Kris Kristofferson's life was a remarkable journey filled with talent, resilience, and a deep love for music and storytelling. Kristofferson was born on June 22, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas, as per People.

His parents were Mary Ann and Lars Henry Kristofferson, a first-generation Swedish immigrant and an officer in the US Army Air Corps who later became an Air Force general. His passion for country music began early. In a 2013 NPR interview, he shared that he wrote his first song, 'I Hate Your Ugly Face', when he was just 11 years old.

As a military brat, he moved often until his family settled in San Mateo, California, during his teenage years. By the age of 18, he had two short stories, 'Gone Are the Days' and 'The Rock', published in Atlantic Monthly. In 1954, he attended Pomona College in California.

There, he excelled in football, became a Golden Gloves boxer, and served as the sports editor for the college newspaper. His achievements led to him being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd issue during his senior year in 1958.