Shelly Fairchild joins her good friend, Ashley McBryde, on “Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain,” from A Tribute to the Judds, out now. The collaboration was a dream come true for Fairchild, who has a lot of admiration and respect for both McBryde and The Judds.
“It was such a shock actually, to get a phone call about being a part of the project,” Fairchild tells Everything Nash. “I’ve been a Judds fan — ‘Young Love’ was my go-to when I sang at the Jackson Mississippi Zoo when I was little, with my speakers out of the back of my car. And then, my first time to ever sing in a talent show, I sang ‘Love Can Build a Bridge,’ with my friend. And I really loved The Judds. So getting a call for this was enormous.”
“And to sing with Ashley McBryde, who is literally the best female voice in country music right now, was really something,” she adds.
Fairchild and McBryde’s friendship goes back several years, which also led to an iconic collaboration between the two powerhouse vocalists in February.
“I’ve actually been friends with McBryde since 2016. We met each other way back then. She said, ‘I used to sing Tiny Town’ in the bars,” Fairchild reveals, referring to one of her early hits. “We’ve been friends for a long time, and she called me actually when she performed Lindeville at the Ryman for just two nights. Brandy Clark couldn’t make it because she had a prior engagement with Shucks on Broadway. And so Ashley called me.”
It was a dream come true for Fairchild to perform with one of her friends and inspirations, while on stage at one of music’s most revered venues.
“My heart just stopped,” Fairchild remembers with a laugh. “My heart just fell out of my body, because I just love her. I love her writing, I love that project. I got to do those two nights, which just solidified our friendship even more, just being a part of it. [I’m] honored that she thought that I was cool and asked me to do it.”
McBryde just released The Devil I Know album, one that Fairchild ascertains seals McBryde’s place as one of country music’s leading artists.
“Every song is a freaking smash to me,” Fairchild boasts. “There’s not really, I feel like, a female that’s a better songwriter and artist out there, and I felt like that for a long time. So the fact that she threw my name in the hat to sing backgrounds, it’s an honor.”
A Tribute To The Judds also features Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Gabby Barrett, Jamey Johnson, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, and more. See a track list for the record below. Purchase the project here.
A Tribute To The Judds Track List:
1. Girls Night Out – Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce, Jennifer Nettles, Gabby Barrett
2. Mama He’s Crazy – Lainey Wilson and Dolly Parton
3. Why Not Me – Megan Moroney
4. Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days) [feat. Sonya Isaacs] – Cody Johnson
5. Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain – Ashley McBryde and Shelly Fairchild
6. Young Love (Strong Love) – Ella Langley and Jamey Johnson
7. Have Mercy – LeAnn Rimes
8. Love Is Alive – Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton
9. Had A Dream (For The Heart) – Wendy Moten and O.N.E The Duo
10. I Know Where I’m Going – Barnett, Lynne & West
11. Let Me Tell You About Love – Carl Perkins and Raul Malo
12. John Deere Tractor – Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley and Molly Tuttle
13. Cry Myself To Sleep – Wynonna Judd and Trisha Yearwood
14. Love Can Build A Bridge – Jelly Roll, K. Michelle, and The Fisk Jubilee Singers