Lainey Wilson Brings Out Jelly Roll During Spellbinding Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Half-Time Show

Lainey Wilson has kicked off The Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle fundraising campaign with a captivating medley, during which the Louisiana native treated the packed-out AT&T Stadium crowd to a surprise duet with her BBR label-mate, Jelly Roll.

Lainey began her performance with an intricate, stripped-back rendition of her Bell Bottom Country hit, ‘Heart Like a Truck’, as she strode purposefully towards the centre-field stage.

Once she made it to the 50-yard-line, a sea of gloriously twangy electric guitars entered the fray, as Lainey Wilson launched into her caffeinated, uptempo anthem, ‘Hang Tight Honey’, one of the many highlights from her 2024 album, Whirlwind.

As the ‘Country's Cool Again’ trailblazer was finishing up her romantic, slow-burning ode, ‘4X4XU’, Lainey Wilson casually lobbed her guitar to her tech-guy with a forward-pass Cooper Rush would've been proud of. Then, viewers noticed a familiar, baseball-cap-donning figure emerging in the backdrop, before Jelly Roll stepped out of the shadows to deliver the start of their soulful, aching ballad, ’Save Me’.

The unexpected cameo injected an additional sense of gravitas into the show-stopping half-time performance, with the rasp of Jelly Roll's vocals complementing Lainey Wilson's sinuous, serpentine delivery seamlessly as they serenaded the audience.

The 2024 ACM Entertainer of the year closed out the medley with an energising performance of her stormy Country Radio No. 1, ‘Wildflowers and Wild Horses’, with Lainey nimbly weaving an array of different textures and moods into her six-minute set.

From the intimacy of ’Heart Like a Truck’ to the fire of ‘Hang Tight Honey’, then the sweet, rose-tinted ambience of ‘4X4XU’ and the dark vulnerability of ‘Save Me‘, before ending on the defiant, rousing battle-cry of ‘Wildflowers and Wild Horses’, Lainey Wilson judged her spellbinding Thanksgiving Half-Time Show setlist to perfection.

The fireworks of Lainey Wilson's histrionic performance no doubt provided an added boost to the Dallas Cowboys, as they went on to triumph 27-20 against the New York Giants.

Prior to Lainey Wilson's set, country legend Dolly Parton - who performed at the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving game last year - sent an endearing video message to Lainey wishing her luck.

The performance arrived as part of the official Red Kettle Kick-Off, which begins The Salvation Army's fundraising drive over the holiday season. The campaign is geared towards aiding those who are struggling during this period by providing key supplies for the homeless, toys for children in need, food for those in poverty and more. Donations can be made to The Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign here.

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