This past weekend was essentially the ultimate country music crossover event of the century, with all of the genre’s biggest stars gathering in Nashville for one of the most iconic festival events of the year. Practically every major artist was in town for the 2025 CMA Fest, making for countless opportunities to collaborate, and there were certainly some standout performances.
On Saturday night, June 7, the third day of the festival, two country music powerhouses came together for a performance that perfectly captured the spirit of what country music is all about. Wynonna Judd, legendary 1980s icon and one-half of The Judds, brought out the bell-bottom queen herself, Lainey Wilson, on stage for a powerful performance of “Mama He’s Crazy.”
A recent clip posted by @countrymusichat on TikTok shows Wilson alongside Judd on guitar, singing the 1984 single off of The Judds’ debut album, Wynonna and Naomi. When Judd joins in on the chorus, her voice sounds as rich as it did four decades ago.
Their performance was a part of Judd’s CMA Fest show, Wynonna Judd’s Girls Night Out at Ascend Amphitheater. The night was lined with stars like Sara Evans, Noah Cyrus, The War and Treaty, Little Big Town, and, of course, CMA Entertainer of the Year, Lainey Wilson.
Chances are, the incredible Lainey addition to this track might sound a little familiar, given she was featured on a rendition of it off the 2023 A Tribute To The Judds album. The 14-song compilation album included a range of artists singing some of the Judd sisters’ greatest hits, including Lainey Wilson and Dolly Parton teaming up for you guessed it, “Mama He’s Crazy.”
This also isn’t the only time we’ve seen Judd and Wilson pair up. Just last May, the pair covered one of Tom Petty’s greatest hits, “Refugee,” for his own tribute album, Petty Country. If watching the CMA clip of the two female icons’ deep vocals blending beautifully also gave you chills, you need to listen to this outlaw rendition of Petty and The Heartbreakers’ 1979 song.
It’s easy to see that the admiration and respect these two have for one another are genuine. At the end of the performance, Judd proclaims to Wilson, “I love you,” and Wilson reciprocates the love while pulling the 61-year-old legend in for a squeeze before calling her her “red-headed sister.”
While the excitement of CMA Fest may be over, fortunately, this isn’t the end of big show appearances for Wilson this summer. In just a few months, she’ll be continuing out on her Whirlwind Tour, throughout the fall into November, as well as quite a few big festivals under her belt buckle. If her performance with Wynonna is any indication, this season promises even more unforgettable moments.
Check Out Lainey Wilson’s Upcoming Tour Dates:
- 8/14 Phoenix, AZ
- 8/15 Albuquerque, NM
- 8/16 Denver, CO
- 8/21 Bend, OR
- 8/22 Sacramento, CA
- 8/23 Los Angeles, CA
- 8/28 Calgary, AB
- 8/29 Edmonton, AB
- 8/30 Saskatoon, SK
- 9/11 Baton Rouge, LA
- 9/13 Bossier City, LA
- 9/18 Austin, TX
- 9/19 Fort Worth, TX
- 9/20 Houston, TX
- 9/25 Toronto, ON
- 9/26 Clarkston, MI
- 9/27 Grand Rapids, MI
- 10/2 Nashville, TN
- 10/3 Noblesville, IN
- 10/5 Cleveland, OH
- 10/9 Columbia, MD
- 10/10 New York, NY
- 10/11 Mansfield, MA
- 10/16 St. Louis, MO
- 10/17 Rosemont, IL
- 10/18 Saint Paul, MN
- 10/24 Knoxville, TN
- 10/25 Charlotte, NC
- 11/7 Tampa, FL
- 11/8 Orlando FL
Watch the Full Clip: