Garth Brooks And Trisha Yearwood Honor Longtime Friend And Former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter, With Heartfelt Performance

Garth Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood honored the late U.S. president and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jimmy Carter, with a beautiful performance at his funeral in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (Jan. 9).

The Carter Center shared an official statement announcing Carter’s death on Sunday, December 29, 2024, noting that he passed away peacefully surrounded by family at his home in Plains, GA. He had been in hospice care for nearly two years before his death. Carter turned 100 years old in 2024, making him the longest-lived president in U.S. history.

His life and legacy were remembered during an official state funeral in Washington’s National Cathedral, where the pair of country music icons appeared to perform one of his favorite songs, “Imagine” by John Lennon. Brooks and Yearwood had come together nearly a year prior, in November of 2023, to deliver a reprised version of the same tune at the funeral of Carter’s wife, former first lady, Rosalynn Carter.

The performance took place near the end of the service and before the congregation recited the Lord’s Prayer. Brooks tenderly strummed his guitar and with a softness in his voice, began delivering the lyrics that act as a plea for peace in the world. Trisha soon joined in, creating a string of stunning harmonies alongside the funeral’s choir that visibly moved many of the attendees.

This performance was one of the first public appearances Brooks and Yearwood have made together since news broke in October that a lawsuit was being filed against the “Friends In Low Places” singer by a former employee accusing him of sexual assault and rape.

The couple was asked to appear due to the close nature of their friendship with the Carters that was formed over the years as a result of their work with Habitat for Humanity. They had come together with the late former president and his wife on many occasions to help build homes and even did so during Carter’s 100th birthday celebration in St. Paul, Minnesota last year. The occasion was marked by the 2024 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Week Project, which found the singer/songwriters getting their hands dirty while helping build the first 30 of a 1,200 home community.

“They’ve inspired us in a lot of ways, in the ways you expect: humanity, humbleness, work ethic. But they’ve also inspired us by their example as husband and wife,” Brooks told PEOPLE in 2023.

Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood; Photo via YouTube, PBS
Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood; Photo via YouTube, PBS

Remembering Carter With Heartfelt Messages

Prior to the funeral, Brooks and Yearwood both paid respects to their longtime friend with heartfelt social media messages paired alongside photos that captured the hands-on work the Carters did with habitat for Humanity.

“President Carter, the legacy you and Rosalynn have left us is as beautiful as the life you lived. Thank you for your lifetime of service to our country and the world. You inspired us not just by what you said, but by what you built. We love you,” Brooks wrote.

In her own post, Yearwood said “Rest easy, Mr. President. I’m sad for us, and happy for you. Your and Mrs. Rosalynn’s legacy of love will live forever.

This country music couple was not the only notable guests to attend Carter’s funeral. His service also marked the first time that all five living presidents—Biden, Trump, Obama, Clinton and Bush—have gathered together under one roof since George H. W. Bush’s funeral in Dec. 2018.  

The post Garth Brooks And Trisha Yearwood Honor Longtime Friend And Former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter, With Heartfelt Performance appeared first on Country Now.

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