If anyone could truly do justice to a song by the King, it’d be none other than legendary country vocalists Jamie Johnson and Lee Ann Womack.
In this now 17-year-old throwback, the two joined forces in honor of George Strait’s ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert. Highlighting the Texas legend and his career-defining hits, fittingly, Johnson took the reins on this 2006 track that he wrote alongside Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon.
What eventually became Strait’s 41st number one hit, a milestone that surpassed Conway Twitty’s record of 40 chart-toppers at the time, can all be thanks to Johnson’s personal inspiration from his divorce. Around this time, after releasing his debut single, “The Dollar,” Johnson went on tour in support of his first album. Soon after, however, he was dropped from his label, divorced by his wife, and spent the following year in isolation, focusing solely on songwriting.
Sure enough, Johnson’s career turned around in 2008 with the release of his album, The Lonesome Song, which featured both “In Color” and “The High Cost of Living.” In May the following year, Johnson paid homage to both this redefining turning point in his career as well as shouted out the night’s honoree, by singing this divorcee anthem alongside Womack.
Before their performance, Johnson jokingly told Strait, who sat on his throne side stage, “Every time we’ve talked its been brief, and you run away, I’m not even sure you like me very much.” With the crowd eruptions of laughter overtaking the auditorium, he continued, “But I can tell you when your hero cuts your song and runs it up the charts like you did and gave me a second chance at a career I thought was dead and gone, I respect you so much.”
As expected, Johnson’s deep, resonant vocals paired with the “I Hope You Dance” singer’s sweet country twang create the perfect duet for this now two-sided heartbreak story. Grinning ear to ear, Strait, alongside audience members and fellow performers throughout the night, including Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Sugarland, reciprocated their approving nods at this masterpiece.
In case you want to take a trip down memory lane of this night of performances commemorating the hit maker, luckily, there’s a whole playlist showcasing every star who took the stage, including Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Dierks Bentley, Martina McBride, and, oddly enough, even Jamie Foxx.