Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award winner Kris Kristofferson may not have been on hand at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena for the 2019 CMA Awards on Wednesday night (Nov. 13), but Dierks Bentley, Sheryl Crow, Chris Janson, Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh and John Osborne from Brothers Osborne did him proud. The five performed Kristofferson's classic hit, "Me and Bobby McGee."

Bentley and Crow provided the vocals for the performance, while Janson played the harmonica and Osborne and Walsh provided rhythm and lead guitar lines. Their new interpretation of Kristofferson's track provided a soulful rock vibe. The group put on a jam session that made the audience get up onto their feet to sing along to the classic lyrics that everybody knows.

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Unfortunately, Kristofferson was not able to receive the honor in person, as he was performing a previously announced concert in Iowa. This past weekend, while on tour, the singer fufilled a cover band's request to come up and sing a song with the living legend at a local bar. Kristofferson will be touring through February of 2020.

Kristofferson won his first CMA Award in 1970 for Song of the Year for "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down." He was most recently nominated at the 2012 CMA Awards for Musical Event of the Year for "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die," which he performed alongside Snoop Dogg, Jamey Johnson and Nelson during the show.

The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to artists who have achieved legendary status in country music. The first winner was Nelson himself, who was honored in 2012; other previous winners include Kenny Rogers in 2013, Johnny Cash in 2015 and, most recently, Dolly Parton in 2016.

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