Trisha Yearwood Honors Legend Who Is 'THE Reason I Became A Singer'

Trisha Yearwood paid tribute to a legendary artist whom she credits as “THE reason I became a singer.”

Yearwood recruited a star-studded lineup to take the stage at a sold-out event in the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The show, which took place on Tuesday evening (July 22), honored genre-transcending singer Linda Ronstadt with performances by Yearwood, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Bernie Leadon, Patti Scialfa and James Taylor.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that Linda Ronstadt is THE reason I became a singer,” Yearwood said in a statement. “Celebrating Linda and her fellow L.A.-based musicians alongside some of my biggest musical heroes is a lifelong dream come true for me.

“From meeting for the first time in 1996 to having the privilege of singing for her when she received her Kennedy Center Honor, it is truly a beautiful thing to call Linda Ronstadt a friend and inspiration. Linda, I love you, and I can't wait to celebrate your music,” Yearwood wrote in a caption on Instagram as she announced the Country Music Hall of Fame show earlier this month, shortly before she released her newest studio album, The Mirror.

The setlist included, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:

• "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" – Trisha Yearwood
• "Long Long Time" – Trisha Yearwood
• "To Know Him Is to Love Him" – Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris and Patti Scialfa
• "Valerie" – Emmylou Harris and Patti Scialfa
• "Birds" – Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris and Patti Scialfa  
• "You're No Good" – Trisha Yearwood
• "Louise" – Trisha Yearwood
• "Desperado" – Trisha Yearwood with Bernie Leadon on guitar
• "Blue Bayou" – Trisha Yearwood         
• "Love Has No Pride" – Trisha Yearwood
• "Try Me Again" – Trisha Yearwood
• "It's So Easy – "Trisha Yearwood
• "What Kind of Love" – Rodney Crowell
• "I Can't Help It If I’m Still in Love with You" – Trisha Yearwood and Rodney Crowell
• "When Will I Be Loved" – Trisha Yearwood
• "Hey Mister, That’s Me Up on the Jukebox" – James Taylor
• "I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine" – James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood
• "The Water Is Wide" – Trisha Yearwood, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Patti Scialfa and James Taylor

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum noted in a press release following the event that the lineup spotlighted Ronstadt and “the Los Angeles country-rock scene of the 1960s through the ’80s. …in connection with the museum’s major exhibition Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock, presented by Citi National Bank.” The exhibit “explores the L.A.-based communities of visionary singers, songwriters and musicians — including Ronstadt — who created and shaped the musical fusion ‘country-rock’ and made a lasting impact on popular music.” It made its debut nearly three years ago, and will close on September 16. See photos from the event below.