H.E.R. (real name, Gabriella Wilson) packs her slow-jam tune with the chilled grooves of summer, her voice like a top-tier R&B singer, swerved with rockstar energy and imbued with immense soulful flairs. Sporting shades, a band shirt, and black PVC leggings, viewers will be blown away by H.E.R.’s very first verse, meandering her vocal runs like Beyonce and mastering guitar like a less anarchistic Hendrix.
But the real magic starts when H.E.R’s dad, Kenny Wilson, takes the reins of his first child’s second verse, performing like a pro himself — in fact, he is one, having founded the classic blues, R&B, and neo-soul covers band The Urban Bushmen in the 90s and performing with them ever since.
A vibrant chemistry is shared between their smiles. All the while, guitar legend John Mayer takes a step back from the spotlight, placing all eyes on H.E.R. until their joint guitar solo stuns the audience, especially once Kenny joins in for a three-legged jam. It’s truly amazing to watch the good vibes run freely on this stage, the backing singers being taken aback by Mayer’s instrumental ability before the music calms to a chill wave and Kenny takes on a solo of his own.
Kenny poignantly revealed the roller-coaster of introducing his daughter to rock legends as a child, only for her to grow up rocking with those musicians on stage. On H.E.R.’s performance at the 2022 Grammy’s alongside Lenny Kravitz and Travis Barker, Kenny told EBONY, “It was kind of surreal for me to see her on stage with Lenny Kravitz because I used to have her watch his concerts. [I’d tell her,] ‘Hey check out, Lenny. He sounds cool. He’s hip; he’s different. He’s Black, but he’s also rock, and he’s blues, and he’s totally funk.’ You want to be in that lane because people forget that we invented rock & roll so let’s remind them.”
H.E.R. fans away her tears as the song closes to Kenny’s short speech, “Thank you Crossroads for having my daughter,” himself rambling to the point of tears and taking a step back from the mic to hug H.E.R. and dry his eyes.
It’s almost no wonder H.E.R. found a legendary spot on the bill of Crossroads 2023. The guitar festival was founded by Eric Clapton, at one point named the second greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone. H.E.R.’s unprecedented success in music and film following the release of her 2016 debut eponymous EP and 2021 debut studio album “Back Of My Mind,” (on which “Hold On” features) has seen the 27-year-old collect an incredible five Grammy Award wins amongst 25 nominations, with Rihanna counted amongst her most famous fans.
H.E.R. has taken this song to the stage with another famed musician once before; the year of its release, playing the hit alongside country legend Chris Stapleton at the CMT Music Awards. Watch the moment unfold in the second video above!
H.E.R.’s unforgettable performance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, accompanied by her father and John Mayer, truly showcases her unique blend of soulful R&B and rockstar energy. As her viral moment continues to captivate audiences, this rising star’s talent deserves center stage. To delve deeper into this momentous occasion and discover more about H.E.R. and her musical journey, explore the links provided below.