Tenille Townes Covering ‘At Last’ Is Pure Bliss [Watch]
Few things are as pure as Tenille Townes covering "At Last." The "Jersey on the Wall" singer patiently works through the love song with just an acoustic guitar, taking needed time to portray every nuance of the emotional Etta James classic.
Townes, whose song "Somebody's Daughter" made Taste of Country's list of the Top 10 Songs of 2019 (see below), performed "At Last" during a visit with Taste of Country Nights earlier this year. It's an important song for her, but then again, every song she sings resonates deep within her. "Somebody's Daughter" was a response to seeing a homeless woman asking for change at a Nashville intersection. "Jersey on the Wall" was inspired by a show at a small town Canadian high school where the year's valedictorian had recently been killed in a car accident. The music video for the song includes the young woman's basketball jersey, a jersey Townes saw hanging on the wall when she returned to the school one year later for commencement.
“Man, I just looked at it and thought, 'I have questions for God,'" she shares with ToC Nights.
In 2018 and 2019 Townes has been a popular touring partner, having opened shows for Dierks Bentley and most recently Miranda Lambert. “She is such a remarkable encourager," Townes shares of Lambert. "To see her standing at the side of the stage listening is such a crazy thing."
The gifted songwriter has patiently worked the steps that build a lasting career in music, always keeping her focus on songcraft and meaning and community. "Somebody's Daughter" didn't just humanize homelessness. The song came long after Townes started actively giving back to those in need. For years she raised money for a temporary homeless shelter for teens called Sunrise House in her hometown of Grande Prairie, Alb., Canada. The benefit is nearing $2 million raised in 10 years.
See the Top 10 Songs of 2019: