Sheryl Crow got the tribute treatment in Nashville Monday night, and the BMI Troubadour Award ceremony came with a surprise nobody saw coming. Olivia Rodrigo walked out and covered“Strong Enough,”the track from Crow’s 1993 debut album, then told the room that Crow’s heart, kindness, and generosity are what inspire her most. Jason Isbell, Melissa Etheridge, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, and Lauren Daigle also took the stage to perform Crow’s hits throughout the night.
The timing lines up with a big fall for Crow. Her thirteenth studio album,“Pick You Up,”arrives October 9 on her own label, led by the single“Freedom Bus”featuring Jesse Welles. Crow said the song came out of a field trip to Arlington National Cemetery and that she couldn’t shake the feeling, so it had to be on the record. It’s the kind of politically charged ballad she’s never been shy about writing.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo keeps stacking wins of her own. She recently wrapped her all-women Daisy Chain Fields festival with guests like Stevie Nicks and Alanis Morissette, and now she’s out here honoring the artists who paved the way for her. Which generation of women in music do you think is having the bigger year right now?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.