Watch Rosalynn And Jimmy Carter Sing “Amazing Grace” With Willie Nelson In Atlanta
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The Carters surprised the crowd by joining Nelson on stage back in 2012.
R. Diamond/WireImage/Getty Images
As the world looks back on former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s remarkable life, we find ourselves repeatedly amazed by the breadth of her influence, and by the number of people who called her a friend—from Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood to the one-and-only Willie Nelson.
The Carters maintained a close relationship with Nelson over the decades, and were even known to perform with him from time to time.
On June 15, 2012, the Carters surprised the crowd at Chastain Park Amphitheatre (now Cadence Bank Amphitheatre) in Atlanta when they joined Nelson on stage for a rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Though blurry, a video of the performance resurfaced by Wide Open Country shows the former first couple stroll confidently to Nelson’s microphone and lend their voices to the hymn.
At the time, the three of them had a combined age of 250.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Courtesy of Georgia State University
Rosalynn’s first performance with the Red Headed Stranger took place on the White House South Lawn in 1980. According to Politico, The New York Times reported that the First Lady’s “soft soprano” complemented Nelson’s “nasal baritone.”
Rosalynn and Jimmy famously performed “Amazing Grace” and “Georgia on My Mind” with Nelson during the December 2004 special CMT Homecoming: Jimmy Carter in Plains.
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Similar in age and background, friendship between Nelson and the Carters came easily.
“He and I grew up in cotton fields,” Jimmy said in the CMT special, per Rolling Stone. “When we were both teenagers, we did blacksmithing. We shoed horses and mules, and we picked cotton. We both came from a small town . . . Our beliefs are basically the same, although we have some differences. I’ve been a partisan Democrat, and Willie performs for everybody in the world — both Democrats and strange people like Republicans.”
Rosalynn died Sunday at the age of 96. Nelson, who celebrated his 90th birthday in April, is currently gearing up for a 2024 tour.
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