Miranda Lambert is "so glad" she was able to help her ex-husband Blake Shelton and his family heal by co-writing a song about the death of his older brother.
The former couple teamed up for the emotional ballad Over You back in 2011, and Miranda reveals the track still means a lot to her, despite her 2015 split from Blake, because it details the grief and pain he suffered after Richie Shelton was killed in a car accident in 1990, aged 24.
Opening up about the collaboration on Apple Music's Essentials Radio, she explained, "My ex-husband, Blake, had lost a brother and it's one of those moments where even if you're married to someone, sometimes you find something new about them.
"Dudes don't open up about things but he started telling me about the experience of it all. And I was like, 'Have you ever written about it?'"
Blake said no, and recalled a saying from his father about the tragedy, telling Miranda, "You don't get over it. You just get used to it."
"I was like, 'Well, could we write it? Do you want to try or is that invasive?'" she shared. "'I would never try to write your story because I didn't live it, but maybe I could help because I'm an outside perspective, but I feel your pain talking to me right now.'"
Over You, which Blake wanted Miranda to record for her Four the Record album, went on to win Song of the Year at both the Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards, and the star is grateful to have helped turn that raw emotion into a lasting tribute to Richie.
She said, "It was really a special moment and I'm so glad we shared that song and that it helped his family heal, to have that together."
Miranda and Blake's marriage ended after four years, but they have both since moved on - she recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary with New York police officer Brendan McLoughlin, while Shelton announced his engagement to Gwen Stefani in October.
