There’s nothing quite as honorable and emotional as the Kennedy Center Honors.

This annual honor program seeks to award people in the performing arts for their efforts and contributions to American culture. Artists from all over, from all avenues, are invited and inducted to celebrate their inspirational offerings. The ceremony is always star-studded and the vibe is always very high.

And in today’s video, the celebration is to commemorate Neil Diamond for a lifetime of achievements. Who is paying tribute? Jennifer Nettles, of course!

She is the sultry, smooth voice from the country duo, Sugarland. And Neil Diamond is the rugged baritone that has graced us with an undeniably prolific music career. With thirty-eight top ten songs, and more than one hundred million records sold globally, it’s safe to say that he’s made his mark in the lives of many.

In 2011, Jennifer Nettles was invited to help pay tribute to Neil Diamond at the prestigious awards ceremony.

It was here that she performed one of Diamond’s most emotional ballads, entitled “Hello Again”.

The star-studded event reached a high peak as soon as Nettles stepped out onto the stage.

Nettles began singing when she was quite young. She got her start performing at school assemblies and at her church in her small home-town of Douglas, Georgia. With a voice like that, it didn’t take long for her to rise to worldwide fame and success. When she teamed up with Kristin Hall and Kristian Bush to form country band Sugarland, the rest was etched into history.

Sugarland, founded in 2002, has successfully released multiple albums with fifteen singles placing on Billboard’s Hot Country charts.

What better a voice to celebrate Neil Diamond’s lifetime?

Diamond, an international superstar, is one of the best-selling musicians of all time.

In 1980 Diamond made his acting debut in the film “The Jazz Singer”, an adaptation of the play by the same name. Not only did Diamond act, he sang. The film included several of his songs.

One of those songs was “Hello Again”. And this was just the song Nettles performed when she strolled out onto the stage in 2011.

It appears in one of the most heartfelt moments of the movie and is accompanied by Diamond’s singing. The song became an instant hit and reached number six on the Billboard Top 100. It also reached number three on the Adult Contemporary Hits chart.

In a truly emotional rendition, Nettles sings it straight from her heart. This video proves all.

And with Neil Diamond sitting patiently in the audience, she makes every effort to sing right to him.

She laces her magical voice right into the song, and you can feel, hear, and see just how personal she makes it.

As the camera pans over the audience, you can see how completely taken Diamond is with the stunning performance. With glassy eyes, holding back emotional tears, Diamond absorbs this ultimate homage.

“Hello, again, hello
Just called to say hello
I couldn’t sleep at all tonight
And I know it’s late
I couldn’t wait”

The splendor of the songs stems from how well it resonates with everyone. The lyrics are heartfelt and are easily applied and the message is both timeless and universal.

Check out this chillingly beautiful performance for yourself in the video linked below!

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Sources: YouTube/reelflight, See It Live