Bluegrass prodigy Billy String’s has earned his bolts this year. Between his six night run at the Cap recreating the Dead’s historic run 50 years earlier and sitting in with Billy Kruetzmann’s Billy and Kids birthday show run in Hawaii, Billy has cemented his place in the Grateful Dead extended family.

Last month, Billy Strings debuted a song with lyrics written by the late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter titled “Thunder Road.” Strings shared pro footage of the debut of the song from his stop in Louisville and noted the backstory on how the song came to be:

I was blown out of the atmosphere when Billy Kreutzmann said he wanted me to take a crack at writing the music to these lyrics by the late great Robert Hunter. I cried like a baby for like an hour after I hung up the phone. I can’t recall a time being so overcome with joyful emotion. This happened on a day when I was really doubting myself as well. Thank you Billy K for trusting me with this.. it is seriously such an honor. Hope we play it again at Red Rocks next month!! ❤️

Thanks to Billy Strings for the footage and to Billy Kreutzmann for entrusting Strings with Hunter’s lyrics.