Why Tanya Tucker Calls Collaboration With Late Country Icon ‘A God Thing’

Published: June 26, 2026

By India McCarty

Country icon Tanya Tucker and actor and singer Dennis Quaid recently opened up about what it was like to work with the legendary Kris Kristofferson shortly before his death.

“He was having a hard time and I could see that, but you never know. I always don’t want to think about it,” Tucker told Woman’s World. “The whole goal for me was to have it out when he could be here. That’s the only God thing that didn’t happen.”

Kristofferson would pass away soon after adding his voice to “On My Way to Heaven” in 2024. It is the last recording we have from the country icon.

“On My Way to Heaven” was penned by Quaid, inspired by his mother, as well as his own faith journey that took place shortly after exiting rehab. After hearing the track, Tucker called Quaid to ask if she could record it for a project.

“It was great!” Quaid told Woman’s World. “It was like walking on air and then she calls back 10 minutes later and says, ‘Kris Kristofferson wants to do it as well.’ Now she’s blowing my mind and I said, ‘Well whatever you want. Go ahead!’”

The trio headed to the recording studio to create their version of “On My Way to Heaven,” which Quaid said was “amazing,” calling Kristofferson “my hero since I was 17 years old.”

“I will just say this is a God thing and it was meant to be,” Tucker said of their collaboration. “You couldn’t have scheduled it or written it out and done it. It’s totally His direction and it started with a great song.”

In a statement about the song, Tucker said, “Everybody needs to hear it, because it’s for everyone. Because hopefully, we’re all on our way to heaven. When we started working on the project, I had an opportunity to work with Kris Kristofferson. This is one of the last projects he worked on before he went to Heaven. And I’m so grateful we had that opportunity…It was a once in a lifetime moment to make a piece of art with a group of artists and creatives. That will never happen again. It’s a beautiful moment frozen in time.”

“Recording ‘On My Way to Heaven’ with Kris Kristofferson and Tanya Tucker was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career,” the PARENT TRAP actor added in his own statement. “I wrote this song as a reflection on redemption, sobriety, faith, and the journey of finding peace after life’s struggles.”

He continued, “Having Kris lend his voice to it during what became his final recording session was an extraordinary honor and something I’ll always treasure. Kris brought a depth, wisdom, and authenticity that only he could. Sharing this moment with both Kris and Tanya made the song even more special, and I’m deeply grateful to have been part of creating this lasting musical memory.”

“On My Way to Heaven” is a fitting song for Kristofferson’s last project before his death — a collaboration with friends and a reflection on life and faith.

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