Far and away, the best performance of the night was turned in by an artist entirely outside of the country music fold when Jennifer Hudson took the stage to sing Willie Nelson’s “Night Life,” leading into “You Are My Sunshine,” with assistance from Chris Stapleton on guitar.
Ensconcing a statue of Dolly Parton in the Tennessee state Capitol to replace the bust of Confederate General and Klu Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest is being proposed in the state’s legislature after receiving large grassroots support.
In every sense, “Gentle On My Mind” has become an American standard by sharing the sentiment of a generational mood ever present in the human experience. And its 2015 Grammy is just more validation for the song’s timeless impact, and the timeless impact of the song’s writer, John Hartford.