This past Saturday night (December 5), Chris Stapleton took the stage along with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson to perform a Beatles cover in honor the late John Lennon at a concert held to celebrate what would have been the singer/songwriter's 75th birthday.
After being introduced by Kevin Bacon, who emceed the evening, the country trio performed "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" off of The Beatles' 1965 album Help!, with Stapleton taking on lead vocals. Nelson and Kristofferson, who stood patiently awaiting their part, sang on the harmonies, while harmonica player Mickey Raphael assisted with background instrumentals.
The event, dubbed Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert, saw performances from Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Steven Tyler and individual sets from Kristofferson, Nelson and Stapleton at one of America's biggest venues, New York City's Madison Square Garden.
Stapleton performed at last month's Country Music Awards alongside Justin Timberlake, laying down twangy renditions of each others' songs, further allowing him to gain a larger place in the public eye. Not only did he perform with the aforementioned country stars, but he also performed a soulful version of "Don't Let Me Down" alongside Sheryl Crow and Brandon Flowers of The Killers.
According to Rolling Stone, one of Saturday night's highlights was a performance by Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who performed "Power to the People." Being that Flowers and Morello, as well as alternative rock outfit Spoon, were all present for the show, there's plenty physical proof that Lennon's legacy lives on even in the present-day music scene.
While the crowd seemed to enjoy it, we'd also like to believe that Lennon himself would have been impressed with Stapleton, Nelson and Kristofferson's heartfelt reinterpretation of his band's classic song, which was certainly another of the evening's highlights.
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