Man do I love me some Patty Loveless.
The Kentucky native was actually my first concert when I was about 3 years old. Obviously I don’t remember it, but I was a BIG Patty Loveless fan as a kid, and according to my parents I stood on my seat and sang along to every word while she was on stage – and then promptly fell asleep when the headliner came on.
I’ve always thought that Patty Loveless doesn’t get the recognition she deserves for her contributions to country music, infusing her bluegrass sound into her five #1 hits and 44 singles that she’s landed on the country charts. She was finally selected for the Country Music Hall of Fame this year, an honor that she can add to her impressive resumé alongside her two Grammy Awards, five CMA awards, and two ACM awards.
And recently at the Grand Ole Opry, two of country music’s most talented artists took the stage together to perform one of Patty Loveless’ many incredible songs.
“Handful of Dust” was first recorded by Loveless for her 2009 album Mountain Soul II – her last album released to date before going into semi-retirement.
And Charlie Worsham included his own version of the song on his new EP, Compadres, which was released yesterday.
If you’re not familiar with Charlie yet, you’ve no doubt heard some of the music he’s played on as a session musician, and one of the most all-around talented and in-demand musicians in Nashville.
Charlie released his debut album Rubberband way back in 2013, and had some success with singles like “Want Me Too” and “Could It Be.” And he’s released his own music here and there throughout the years. But he’s also one of the most in-demand musicians in Nashville, having played on records for artists like Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Kacey Musgraves, and many more.
So when he released his duets album, it’s no wonder that so many of country’s biggest artists were ready to join Charlie on his own album – including Lainey Wilson.
Lainey teamed up with Charlie for his version of “Handful of Dust” on the album, and during a recent appearance at the Grand Ole Opry they treated the crowd to a live performance of the Patty Loveless hit.
Any time Patty Loveless gets some of the love she deserves, especially from two of the best artists in the game on the most historic stage in country music, the result is going to be a special moment.
