Alison Krauss is one of those rare artists with a voice that is unique enough to be instantly recognizable but can blend with other voices across every style and genre. With a background deeply rooted in bluegrass music, Krauss has become one of the most sought after duet partners and background singers in the industry.
Over the course of her 30-year career, Krauss has partnered with numerous country artists including Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris and more. But, it was her collaboration with super group Shenandoah in 1994 that can be credited for bringing her into the country music spotlight. Krauss and the band’s lead singer, Marty Raybon, took “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart” all the way to the Grammy Awards where they were awarded the trophy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
Krauss’s pure, angelic voice quickly endeared her to country music fans. Without compromising her style, Krauss has earned accolades in various genres, including gospel, Americana, bluegrass, gospel, and pop. The strategy has worked well for the singer who holds the honor of being the most awarded singer and the most awarded female artist in Grammy history.
Alison Krauss is quite possibly the only one who can hypnotize an arena filled with 12,000 people using only her voice. During Loretta Lynn‘s star-studded 87th birthday celebration in Nashville, Krauss took the stage at Bridgestone Arena where she sang the Christian hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” Video from the event shows Krauss on stage, sans her signature fiddle. Accompanied only by a piano, she delivered the well-known lyrics to a crowd that was obviously entranced by her performance. Some sang along, and others cheered as her voice soared.
“It Is Well” was written nearly 150 years ago by hymnist Horatio Spafford following a series of traumatic events, including the loss of his 2-year-old son in the Great Chicago Fire, the death of his four daughters in a shipwreck, and the loss of a second son to scarlet fever when he was only 4-years-old.
It is unclear why Krauss chose to perform that song, but there’s no doubt that it resonated with Loretta Lynn who has endured trials of her own in recent years. In 2017, the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” suffered a debilitating stroke. Less than a year later she suffered a fall that left her with a broken hip. But, if Lynn’s smile during her birthday party was any indication, she is recovering well.
Hear Alison Krauss sing “It Is Well With My Soul” for Loretta Lynn in the video below.