In 1992, Travis Tritt took the stage to perform at the 27th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, and he was joined by none other than legendary actor Joe Pesci for a memorable duet. Some may be puzzled by the thought of Pesci singing at the ACM Awards, but he was on hand to join the country star on his song, "Bible Belt," which was featured in the Pesci-led movie, My Cousin Vinny.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Tritt originally wrote and recorded "Bible Belt" (featuring Little Feat) for his second studio album, It's All About To Change. In the original version of the fast-singing, ultra-country song, Tritt tells the story of a scandalous affair carried on by a married church preacher and the choir leader. When Tritt was made aware that the song would be featured in the 1992 movie, the Nashville singer-songwriter re-wrote the lyrics to match the story of Pesci's character, Vinny Gambini, an aloof New York lawyer who travels to Alabama to defend his jailed cousin and his friend. The song focuses on the romance between Gambini and his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei).
Read More: Where Was 'My Cousin Vinny' Filmed? A Tour of the Georgia Filming Locations
About one month after the release of the movie, Tritt and Pesci collaborated on the song on the ACM Awards. Tritt served as one of the co-hosts that year, and after being introduced by his fellow hosts Clint Black and Lorrie Morgan, the singer and Pesci launched into the energetic song. Tritt sang the first verse and then threw the song over to Pesci, who sang the second verse while Tritt harmonized. The two continued singing together and trading lines for the rest of the song and Pesci also joined Tritt and his band on electric guitar. The 29th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards saw wins from Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and Alan Jackson, among others.
In addition to performing the song on the ACM Awards, the country singer also recorded an official music video for the song which alternates between clips of Tritt performing and clips from the movie. Tritt's It's All About To Change album produced Grammy-nominated song, "The Whiskey Ain't Workin' (duet with Marty Stuart)," as well as hits, "Anymore," "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" and "Nothing Short of Dying." The singer released his hit album, T-R-O-U-B-L-E, later that year in 1992.
