Honoring a country singer and his close friend, Vince Gill struggled to keep his composure while singing “Go Rest High On That Mountain” at George Jones’ funeral.

“The Possum,” age 81, passed away April 26, 2013 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after being hospitalized for a high fever and irregular blood pressure. Shortly following the death of Jones, the biggest names in country music came together to honor the life of late singer. The three-hour affair included performances by Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, and Montgomery Gentry, however no performance quite captivated the audience like Gill’s.

Joined on stage by Patty Loveless, Gill choked up multiple times throughout his performance, often stopping momentarily to wipe tears from his eyes. During a solo on his acoustic guitar, Loveless comforts the clearly distraught country singer torn up by the loss of his friend.

“Brother George taught us all how to sing with a broken heart,” said Gill prior to taking the stage.

Gill’s delivery of “Go Rest High On That Mountain” was nothing shy of perfection, the emotion flowing through him audible through his voice. The country singer became completely overcome with emotion by the second chorus, Loveless taking over on lead vocals until he could gather himself.

You can watch the heartbreaking performance below.