Former president Jimmy Carter died aged 100. He had spent the last 19 months of his life in hospice care. On his funeral, country singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, long-time friends on the Carters, paid their tribute with a performance of John Lennon’s Imagine.
This was a rare appearance of Brooks and Yearwood, who first met the Carters on a Habitat for Humanity building project, since Brooks was accused by a former employee of sexual assault.
The singer denied the allegations and told People in October, 2024, “I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.”
The couple attended president Carter’s 100th birthday in St. Paul, Minnesota for the 2024 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Week Project.
While some found the tribute lovely, many took to social media to criticize the country musicians because of their choice of song.
The memorial being held inside an Episcopal cathedral and the lyrics of the song, including: ‘Imagine there’s no heaven / It’s easy if you try / No hell below us / Above us, only sky,’ led to backlash.
“Of all the songs to play at a funeral; being held in a church! Horrible,” someone commented.
“What a bad choice of song at a devout Christian’s funeral. This is actually a terrible song if you listen to the words,” another added.
“He really wanted everyone to imagine ‘there’s no heaven’… in a church. At a funeral. Whoever made that call… sheesh,” a third person wrote.
Even with the criticism, there were plenty of people who stood up for Brooks and Yearwood. According to them, Imagine conveys a profound message of peace, unity, and bridging divides, making it an ideal tribute to Carter’s international humanitarian efforts.
In the past, president Carter had mentioned during interviews that Imagine was his favorite song. He once referred to it as a powerful anthem for our shared humanity.
Following the funeral, Brooks and Yearwood shared their heartfelt tributes to President Carter. Brooks posted, “President Carter, the legacy you and Rosalynn have left us is as beautiful as the life you lived.”
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He emphasized the joy, warmth, and unwavering determination that Carter infused into every cause he supported. Yearwood shared similar thoughts: “Rest easy, Mr. President. Your legacy of love, along with Mrs. Rosalynn’s, will endure for all time.”
The couple didn’t comment the controversy surrounding their performance at the funeral.
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