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During a 2011 appearance at the White House, one of contemporary country music's strongest links to its past, Dierks Bentley, teamed with one of the genre's top duet singers, Lauren Alaina, for a rendition of "Always on My Mind."
Together, they honored the pop and jazz majesty of a crossover hit, recorded in the '70s by the likes of Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley before it became a Grammy Award-winner and two-time CMA Song of the Year (1982 and 1983) for Willie Nelson.
Bentley and Alaina joined Kris Kristofferson, James Taylor, Darius Rucker, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett and The Band Perry in Nov. 2011 for Country Music: In Performance at the White House.
The event was filmed and aired by PBS and attended by then-president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
"Over the past five years, I've had the extraordinary opportunity to travel all across America," Barack Obama said at the time, as quoted by ABC News. "I've hopped on planes to big cities. I've ridden buses through small towns. And along the way, I've gained an appreciation for just how much country music means to so many Americans."
Alaina, a Georgia native and former American Idol runner-up, used this invaluable platform to honor thy music with a cover of Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter." Bentley performed a solo number, as well: his current single at the time, "Home."
Both took part in an ensemble performance of Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee."'
Looping back to Alaina's duet chops, she's become a go-to collaborator for Keith Urban, Jon Pardi, Trisha Yearwood, former Idol opposition Scotty McCreery and hometown friend Kane Brown.
For more from country music's big night out, check out The Band Perry's performance of "I Will Always Love You."
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