Earlier this year, Sturgill Simpson unveiled Passage Du Desir, his debut under the alias Johnny Blue Skies, which made our list of the Best Albums Of 2024. On Dec. 8, the country polymath sang at the 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, and his performance is online now and will air on CBS on Sunday (Dec. 22).
At the ceremony, Simpson covered the Grateful Dead's "Ripple" with a band that included Don Was, Goose’s Rick Mitarotonda, and the late Phil Lesh’s son Grahame. Footage of Jerry Garcia singing the song appeared at the beginning, and the three surviving members of the Grateful Dead — Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann — were in the audience. The Grateful Dead were one of the honorees of the evening, along with Bonnie Raitt, Francis Ford Coppola, Arturo Sandoval, and the Apollo Theater. Watch Simpson's performance — and performance videos featuring Dave Matthews, Leon Bridges, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, and Maggie Rogers — below.
