Lainey Wilson struggled to hold back the emotion as she dedicated a moving performance of “I’ll Fly Away” to a young fan whose battle with cancer had touched thousands of people online.

Over the weekend, Wilson returned to the Grand Ole Opry, joining a star-studded lineup that included country legend Vince Gill, Paul Franklin and Switchfoot, who were making their Opry debut. The Louisiana native is also preparing to host the 60th Annual CMA Awards in just over a week.

But as RFD-TV revisited one of Wilson’s most heartfelt performances, it was a tribute to a 15-year-old boy named Will Roberts that stood out.

The Story Behind The Song

Before singing, Wilson told the audience that she had recently received heartbreaking news about the young fan.

“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 then explained that her husband had walked into the house with tears in his eyes after learning that Will had died.

“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, an Alabama native, was just 15 when he passed away earlier that summer after battling stage-four bone cancer. His mother, Brittney, shared the devastating news in a Facebook post.

Wilson spoke about how deeply Will’s videos had affected her and her husband, particularly the kindness and faith the teenager showed throughout his illness.

“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.”

A Hymn Dedicated To Will’s Memory

Wanting to honor Will and the joy he had brought to people who followed his story, Wilson chose to perform “I’ll Fly Away,” a beloved gospel hymn she remembered singing in church.

She also extended the dedication to anyone in the audience who had experienced loss or was thinking of someone they missed.

“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 then gave the classic hymn an upbeat, honky-tonk feel, with the audience joining in. Despite the song’s lively arrangement, the reason behind the performance made the moment especially poignant.

A Country Favorite With A Gospel Legacy

“I’ll Fly Away” has been recorded by countless artists over the years, including Alan Jackson, whose version appeared on his 2006 gospel album Precious Memories.

For Wilson, however, the performance was about more than revisiting a familiar hymn. It was a way to remember a young boy whose faith and spirit had reached people far beyond his hometown — including the singer herself.