Blake Shelton gave an emotional tribute to his close friend Troy Gentry at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Wednesday night (Jan. 9), performing a stripped-down acoustic rendition of his song "Over You."

Shelton was on hand at the Opry to co-host a charity event in honor of the late Montgomery Gentry singer, who died in a helicopter crash in September of 2017. Recounting a friendship that lasted 16 or 17 years until the singer's death, he remembered Gentry as someone who was "literally like a family member to me."

Although he hadn't planned to perform at the event, Shelton ultimately decided to honor Gentry's memory with "Over You," a song he co-wrote with his now ex-wife, Miranda Lambert, and gave to her to record in 2012. Lambert's recording of "Over You" reached No. 1, and it went on to win Song of the Year honors at both the ACM and CMA Awards.

Click on the video above to watch Shelton's riveting rendition of "Over You" for Troy Gentry, which held the audience spellbound.

Country Singers Remember Troy Gentry

The song was inspired by the death of Shelton's older brother, Richie, who was killed in a car accident in 1990 when Shelton was just 14 years old. Shelton recounted the first time he played the song for Gentry.

"Troy didn't know that the song was about my brother, and at the time he had lost his brother, and it really hit him hard," Shelton says in a fan-shot video from the event. "He wasn't crying or anything, but he was just beside himself a little bit."

Rascal FlattsDierks BentleyChris JansonDustin Lynch, Jon Pardi, Jimmie Allen, Gentry's former partner Eddie Montgomery and more were also on hand for Wednesday's event, which served as the launch of the Troy Gentry Foundation. Started by Gentry's wife, Angie, and some of his friends, the Foundation is set to carry on in the tradition of Gentry's giving spirit. Proceeds from Wednesday night's performance will benefit a variety of charities.

Shelton previously turned to Instagram to pay his respects to Gentry after the singer's death, posting a picture of them onstage together in their younger days.

"Found this picture of me and my old friend Troy a few days ago.. I am heart broken," Shelton wrote to accompany the photo.

See More Highlights From the Launch of the Troy Gentry Foundation

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