Tyler Childers brings his papaw’s 97-year-old Army buddy on stage to sing ‘Old Country Church’

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WTVQ) — Tyler Childers’ papaw bought him his first guitar when he was 5 years old.

Papaw met his “buddy,” Clyde, in the Army and the two were stationed together before the Korean War. Every summer, the pair would “swap” homes — with papaw going to live with Clyde and Clyde coming to live with papaw.

It was around this time that Childers was taught how to play that guitar and first heard the song Old Country Church — thanks to Clyde.

The two kept in contact until Childers’ papaw passed.

At his concert in Johnson City, Tennessee, Childers told the audience he was working outside one day when Clyde came to his mind. He wondered what, and how, he was doing.

So the Kentucky native called his nana to ask for Clyde’s number — and then went to see him.

Clyde met Childers’ son and they played music together — just like Childers and Clyde did when he was young.

Clyde asked Childers if he’d ever played “down in Freedom Hall [in Johnson City, Tennesse].”

Childers said no. Clyde told him he “ought to try it.”

And on May 10, he did. But not completely alone.

After describing his relationship with his papaw and with Clyde, Childers, to a resounding applause from the crowd, welcomed Clyde to the Freedom Hall stage with him.

The 97-year-old stood proud as he played guitar and sang Old Country Church with Childers.

Childers remade the song for his Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? album.

You can watch the pair sing here:

Video courtesy: Beth Boylan