AN UNEXPECTED FAREWELL: No one saw it coming. In the middle of the 2025 Emmys’ glamour, the entire theater fell into a profound, reverent hush as Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill took the stage for an unannounced tribute.

The entertainment industry lost some of its most beloved members this year from singers, actors, directors and more. During the 2025 Emmy Awards, country stars Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill took the stage and they performed his song “Go Rest High on That Mountain” during one of the ceremony’s most emotional segments.

Actress Phylicia Rashad introduced the segment and said, “He was a beloved teenager in an iconic television series who the world watched grow into manhood, and like all our friends and colleagues who transitioned this past year, Malcolm-Jamal Warner remains in our hearts.”

She added that even those honored during the In Memoriam segment were “no longer with us, their light remained.”

Several people from across the industry were honored during the tribute, including performers like Terence Stamp, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Loni Anderson, Danielle Spencer, and others. The segment also paid respect to creative forces behind the scenes, such as director-producers, sound editors, writers and cinematographers who shaped the medium in profound ways.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Among those recognized by the Television Academy were Mark Volman (composer and vocalist), Steve Hayden (advertising executive and writer), Jerry Adler (performer and stage manager), Walter “Bud” Nolan (sound editor), John Bartley (cinematographer), and even Judge Frank Caprio, remembered for the warmth he brought to reality programming.

The In Memoriam tribute has often elicited strong emotions from fans. During the 2024 Emmy Awards, viewers were divided over Jelly Roll’s decision to perform his song “I Am Not Okay.” While some people praised the heartfelt delivery, others admitted they were confused by the song selection. This year’s tribute featured Wilson and Gill performing “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” and fans quickly shared their reactions online.

“‘Go Rest High On That Mountain’ never fails to make me tear up. Lainey Wilson sounds so good singing this with Vince Gill,” one person wrote via X.

Another person added, “Would never have guessed I’d see Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson singing ‘Go Rest High on that Mountain’ at the Emmy’s. But I am glad that I have.”

A third chimed in and said, “The in memoriam segment of an awards show will never not make me cry.”

No one anticipated the moment. At the 2025 Emmy Awards, an evening dedicated to glamour, triumph, and the celebration of artistic achievement suddenly shifted into one of profound reverence. The lights softened into a golden glow, the orchestra fell silent, and the massive screen began to honor the faces of those who had left the world too soon.

Then, two figures emerged from the shadows: Vince Gill, guitar in hand, and Lainey Wilson, poised with quiet strength. Together, they stepped into the spotlight, carrying not just a performance, but a nation’s grief.

Vince’s fingers met the strings, releasing the first somber notes of “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” Lainey pressed her hand to her chest, then lifted the microphone. When their voices intertwined, the harmony was trembling yet resolute — a sound that seemed to reach beyond entertainment, offering solace where words could not.

While the In Memoriam segment honored many, this particular moment bore an unspoken significance. It became an intimate tribute to Charlie Kirk, the young conservative voice whose sudden passing at only 31 years old had left the nation stunned. Vince’s seasoned voice wavered with emotion, every lyric laden with the ache of farewell. Lainey’s soulful tones rose like a prayer, transforming grief into something achingly beautiful.

The audience — a sea of Hollywood’s finest, draped in gowns and tuxedos — bowed their heads. Tears traced faces more accustomed to smiling for cameras. Hands intertwined, eyes closed; the theater was no longer a stage, but a sanctuary. Across the country, families at home drew closer to their screens, feeling the weight and grace of the moment.

When the final note faded into silence, there was no applause. No cheers. Only a heavy stillness that spoke louder than sound. It was a silence filled with reverence, grief, and collective remembrance.

In that silence, Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill offered more than music. They gave the Emmys, and America, a farewell worthy of the moment — a reminder that so