Yet it was Underwood’s rendition of “Go Rest High on That Mountain” that truly struck a chord with Gill, leaving him visibly moved. Dressed in a serene blue gown, Underwood graced the stage as a solitary beam of light shone upon her, serenading the audience with themes of loss, faith, and ultimate redemption.

Underwood’s performance was an intense and stirring one that honored the song’s original style, which Gill had penned almost three decades earlier. “Go Rest High On That Mountain,” Gill’s 1995 smash hit, bagged two Grammy Awards, including the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year in 1996. Over the years, the song has offered solace and comfort to countless listeners.

Gill wrote it after his brother Bob passed away from a heart attack in 1993. Despite initially being against recording the track, producer Tony Brown convinced him to do it, and it went on to become a massive hit. Gill once remarked, “When people are in the depths of despair and hurting the most, they’re reaching out to that song. And that means way more to me than where it charted.”

Underwood’s performance featured the fresh final verse Gill introduced in 2019, creating a powerfully cathartic climax that had Gill reaching to wipe tears from his face. Underwood’s music career kicked off after she won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), is the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history. She snagged three Grammy Awards for the album, including Best New Artist. Underwood has gone on to churn out one successful album after another, winning several Grammy Awards in the process.

In 2020, Underwood released “My Gift”, her first Christmas project, which earned widespread critical acclaim. She followed it up in 2021 with her debut gospel collection, My Savior. Her 2022 studio album, “Denim & Rhinestones”, marked her triumphant return to her country-pop roots.