Alli Walker with Shania Twain; Photos via Instagram
Rising country star, Alli Walker experienced “THE most memorable” day of her career this weekend while opening for global music icon, Shania Twain, at the Churchill Park Music Festival in Canada.
In a new Instagram post, Walker reveals the moment she was invited to join Twain back on stage following her opening set to play the electric bagpipe. With its star-studded lineup and lively crowd atmosphere, this festival was the perfect setting for the CCMA Female Artist of the Year nominee to showcase a whole new set of skills on top of her already impressive vocals and performance ability.
The unforgettable moment came when Walker made an unexpected appearance during Twain’s headlining set. In the clip, the “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” singer can be heard calling her bagpipe skills “impressive” before announcing to the audience that they would be performing the classic “Any Man Of Mine” in a brand-new way that night. At one point, Walker also got the chance to put the bagpipes in Twain’s hands and give her a brief lesson on the craft.
After delighting the crowd with her mastery of the instrument on the 1995 release, another guest joined Twain and Walker on stage – Lindsay Ell, who is currently on tour with Shania Twain as her guitarist. The multi-talented singer/songwriter first taught Twain the catchy lyrics of her viral hit “The Whiskey’s Gone,” and then Ell was tapped to play guitar and sing on the harmonies.
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The trio of Canadian female artists stole the show with this impromptu rendition of the song that has been gaining traction through social media. Fans cheered as their unique blend of musical talent lit up the stage and gave the tune a whole new sound.
While reflecting on this milestone moment, Walker shared, “Yesterday was THE most memorable day of my career 🥹Opening for Canadian country queen @shaniatwain at @churchillparkmusicfestival was ALREADY a massive moment, but then getting to go ON STAGE with her, play her song Any Man Of Mine on the electric bagpipes, teaching her the bagpipes, THEN singing my song THE WHISKEY’S GONE with her, @lindsayell and @paulmichaelmusicswas BEYONDDDD!!!! 🤯😭😭😭 I have no words.”
She went on to thank the headliner for allowing her the chance to put her talent on display in front of her many loyal fans that came out to the festival. Plus, Walker hinted at a possible collaboration opportunity with Twain.
“Thank you Shania and your whole team for such an incredible unforgettable evening! 🙏 Who thinks Shania needs a bagpipe song now? 😜 Or maybe a re-release of The Whiskey’s Gone with her on it!!!?? 🤔🤭”
In another post, Walker revealed she was “still trying to pinch myself” from all the events that occurred on Sunday and continued to praise Twain’s incredible generosity and willingness to take the time out of her set to share the stage with an emerging artist.
“They say ‘don’t meet your heroes’, but when they are as genuine, down to earth, generous and sweet as Shania, I’d have to strongly disagree with that statement,” she wrote. “Getting to have chats with her all night and pick her brain for hours, is an experience I’ll cherish forever. I was so inspired and impressed on how her team ran, how she treated others, and how passionate and hardworking she is! It was truly mind blowing. I will take so many tidbits with me for years to come! 🫶🏻”
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Alli Walker continues to gain recognition with hits like “Nashville,” “I Like Big Trucks” and “Creek.” This week she will continue her run in Canada with a performance at Mega Worlds Fan Festival 2024 on August 23 before returning to Nashville on August 28 for a show at the Exit/In.
