“He's Got Such a Heart of Gold”: Lainey Wilson, Vince Gill and More Pay Tribute to Post Malone in New Opry Video

The Opry have shared new footage of Post Malone's emotional debut last August, when the ‘I Had Some Help’ hitmaker was joined by an A-list cast of genre heavyweights as he celebrated the impending release of his debut country album, F-1Trillion.

In the endearing video, which has been made available via the Opry's official YouTube page, Post Malone expresses how touched he was to be invited to perform at the hallowed Nashville institution by his good friend and collaborator, Brad Paisley.

In addition, a host of the New York native's F-1Trillion co-writers and fellow Opry performers have sat down to pay tribute to Post Malone, with Lainey Wilson, Vince Gill, The War and Treaty and John Michael Montgomery all tipping their caps to Post.

In an interview recorded prior to his performance, the ever-modest Post Malone underlined how he still can't quite believe that he was asked to play at the Grand Ole Opry, donning it the highest of privileges, “Stepping in the circle today for the first time is very much like the Super Bowl. It's terrifying, but it's so exciting, and I'm ready to rock. So amazing to be able to stand on the same wood as so many amazing artists and talented people. To be completely 100% fair, I don't feel like I belong. You know, it's so legendary, and I'm just so honoured and so grateful that they considered me talented enough to come play the Opry”.

Post Malone confessed how struck he was by the warm reception he's received from Music City, “It's scary, especially when we've made all our music in LA - recording in a new place and writing in a new space. But as soon as we touched down here, everybody has been so kind to me, and it's the most amazing thing ever”.

Lainey Wilson, who performed her F-1Trillion collaboration with Post Malone, ‘Nosedive’, during his Opry debut, had nothing but positive things to say about the bearded crooner. Wilson recalled, “I got the opportunity to go write with him for like 15 hours, through the night - had the time of my life. We got songs that ended up getting recorded, and I get to be a part of one of his songs that's on his record”.

Post Malone highlighted how much joy and good feeling he laced into F-1Trillion. This radiates throughout the stellar project, with the album also being permeated by a sense of camaraderie, courtesy of the lengthy guest-list that includes Jelly Roll, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Hank Williams, Jr., ERNEST, Dolly Parton, Sierra Ferrell and more, “We put a lot of love into it, and a lot of the stuff on the record, like all the stuff that I like, like the Texas Swing and a lot of steel and a lot of instruments, and I'm so proud of the way it turned out, and everyone who worked on it. We have so many amazing features on the record...I'm having the time of my life, I had so much fun and I hope people have fun listening to it”.

During Post Malone's blockbuster Grand Ole Opry debut last summer, The War and Treaty's Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter linked up with Post on the prestigious stage for ‘California Sober’, which was originally cut as a duet with Chris Stapleton.

Michael gushed, “I first saw Post on the CMAs, and from there, just constantly sharing bills. I remember coming to be part of an event that we were part of, it's kind of hard to talk about it, but it was [Leslie Jordan's Reportin’ for Duty 2024 tribute concert at the Ryman], and you know Leslie's no longer with us. But Leslie kind of brought us all together, and Post and I, we've been text-buddies ever since”.

He went on, “The song that he chose for us to do with him was a song he recorded with our hero, Chris Stapleton. Slightly jealous that we aren't on that recording...but when the world hears it, holy smokes! The next Post country album, we'll be on there”.

Lainey Wilson also stressed how amiable Post Malone is, recollecting one particular instance in the studio of Post being kind that still stands out to her, “We just knew immediately that were were gonna be buddies, and he's got such a heart of gold. I could talk about him all day. I noticed even when we were writing that he treated everybody the same, there was even a man who came in to change the trash, and he was treating him just like he treated the guy who owned the studio, and that says a lot about who he is as a person. So I'm cheering him on, 190%”.

Country legend Vince Gill, who kicked off Post Malone's Opry debut with ‘One More Last Chance’, tantalisingly hinted that they've penned a song together, which is yet to be released, “I found out he was doing one of my old songs, ‘One More Last Chance’, he was playing that live, and we went to write a song together and just had a great time. He's a really gracious, kind soul. I really enjoyed the time I've got to spend with him, it's minimal, but I really love his heart. He's got a good one”.

The ‘When I Call Your Name’ crooner expanded, “It's fun to see somebody love this music that's not necessarily a big part of it. I think Post has shown how much he loves it, and he knows an awful lot about it. I got to see him on the ACMs, it was one of the most authentic things I saw on the show. I told him that when I first met him, and I just said, ‘I love that you love our music, and you'll always be welcome”.

Another country veteran that Post Malone has covered in the past, and that was also present for his Grand Ole Opry debut, John Michael Montgomery, echoed Vince Gill's sentiments, “My daughter's a big fan of Post. I didn't know this until she sent me a video of Post singing ‘Be My Baby Tonight’, and I said, ‘Who's this guy?’ and she said, ‘Oh, Dad, he's one of my favourite artists. I love his music. His name's Post Malone’, and I said, ‘This guy must be a country music fan, you know?’”

It ‘goes without saying’ - as Post and Brad sing on F-1Trillion - that Post Malone's foray into country music has been a resounding success, with his 2024 album drawing a slew of plaudits from critics and fans alike. Now, we're keeping our fingers crossed that the genre-blending maverick is here to stay, and that Post has plans to follow-up F-1Trillion with another top-tier country album in the near future.

Watch Post Malone's full Opry Debut recap video below:

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