Country music superstar Lainey Wilson gave audiences a performance filled with emotion, paying tribute to a young fan whose story had deeply touched her and countless others.

Over the weekend, the Louisiana native returned to one of Nashville’s most historic music venues as she prepares to host the 60th Annual CMA Awards in just over a week. Wilson joined a star-studded lineup at the iconic Grand Ole Opry, which also featured country legend Vince Gill, Paul Franklin, and Switchfoot, who made their Opry debut.

To mark Wilson’s return, RFD-TV revisited one of her most touching performances at the venue: a tribute to Will Roberts, a young fan who became an internet sensation while sharing his battle with cancer. Before singing, Wilson spoke to the audience about the heartbreaking news she had received, revealing, “I was sitting on the couch today, and I just got married a couple of months ago, by the way; your girl got hitched.”

She went on to explain how her husband had shared the news with her, saying, “It’s weird to call him my husband now, but my husband walks in the house, and he had tears in his eyes, and he said, ‘Lainey, you know that little boy that we’ve been watching those videos of? His name’s Will Roberts. He had a long battle with cancer, and he lost that battle today.”

Will, a 15-year-old from Alabama, passed away earlier this summer after battling stage-four bone cancer. His mother, Brittney, shared the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post.

Clearly moved by the young boy’s story, Wilson spoke about the impression he had made on those who followed his journey. “Just watching the videos of this little boy, watching his heart, the way that he would pour it out, you could just see the pureness; you could see the love of Jesus Christ in his heart.” She added, “You could just feel it, even through the screen.”

Wanting to honor Will’s memory and the joy he had brought to so many people, including Wilson and her husband, the singer chose the beloved hymn “I’ll Fly Away.” Before beginning, she invited anyone in the audience who had experienced loss or was thinking of someone special to join her, explaining, “If you’ve ever lost anybody, this is one of my favorite songs that I used to sing in church, so y’all gonna know this one.”

Wilson gave the traditional hymn an upbeat honky-tonk feel, and the audience soon joined in, singing along with her. The song has also been famously recorded by Alan Jackson for his 2006 gospel album Precious Memories.