January 13, 2026

Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill stepped onto the stage thinking they were guiding a tribute. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” demands that kind of caution. You don’t touch it lightly. At first, everything stayed respectful. Balanced. Controlled. Then Vince eased back. Just half a step. And Carrie stood there alone. She didn’t push her voice. She softened it. Let it carry weight instead of volume. She wasn’t trying to sound like George Jones. She sounded like she remembered him. Around them, hands fell still. Eyes locked forward. When the final note faded, no one moved. For a moment, it didn’t feel like a performance at all. It felt like someone had come back.

Watch the video at the end of this article. Introduction Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill...