Country stars Miranda Lambert and Lukas Nelson (Willie Nelson's son) paid tribute to the late singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson with a live cover of Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings" at the Music For Mutts benefit concert in Nashville. Lambert introduced the performance by explaining that she and Nelson chose a Haggard song specifically because they knew how much Kristofferson admired him, framing it as a heartfelt tribute to a friend and hero shortly after his death.

Haggard originally released "Silver Wings" in 1969, and Kristofferson was known to perform it regularly at his own shows; Lambert herself had previously sung it alongside Kristofferson, including at the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony celebrating Haggard. Following Kristofferson's death in 2024, Lambert also shared a tribute on Instagram thanking him and calling him "forever a hero." The article notes Lambert is currently preparing to release her new album, Crisco, on 2 October, which draws on 1970s and 1980s country influences.