Lainey Wilson and Dolly Parton bring out their best vocal harmonies for a new rendition of “Mama He’s Crazy,” part of a new, all-star covers album called A Tribute to the Judds.
Wilson takes lead on the first verse of The Judds‘ mid-’80s classic, with Parton joining in for some ethereal harmonies in the chorus.
Next up, it’s Parton’s time in the spotlight, with both singers delivering compelling, plaintive spins on the song’s original subject matter: Young love so intoxicating that it’ll make you throw caution to the wind.
Like many artists of her generation, Wilson counts Parton as an inspiration and a legend. She even recorded a song called “WWDD” (that stands for “What Would Dolly Do?”) as part of her 2021 Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ album.
The younger star didn’t officially meet Parton in person until the 2023 ACM Awards, when Parton presented Wilson with the Female Artist of the Year trophy onstage at the show. Despite that, they’d separately recorded their vocals for “Mama He’s Crazy” already by that point.
Parton and Wilson’s rendition of “Mama He’s Crazy” is just one of the megawatt pairings on the track list of A Tribute to the Judds. Also feting the legendary mother-daughter duo are acts like Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Gabby Barrett and many more.
Jelly will give fans a chance to see the live version of his contribution to the tribute at the 2023 CMA Awards, when he takes the stage with R&B star K. Michelle; the pair will perform the version of “Love Can Build a Bridge” that they recorded for the tribute project.
Wynonna Judd, who founded the Judds with her late mother Naomi, previously shared her love of all the new interpretations of the songs.
“To have all of these artists, most of which are my friends, come together and lend their voices and artistry to reimagine these songs, is so special,” she said in a statement. “These songs are so timeless and I am excited for them to live on for generations to come.”
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Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker