Nearly two decades after Chris LeDoux’s passing, fans were stunned to hear his voice once again not through artificial intelligence or remastered recordings, but in a newly released duet with his son, Ned LeDoux.
Featured in Ned’s latest album Safe Haven (released in April 2025), the track “One Hand in the Riggin’” has sparked heartfelt reactions across the country music community. It’s not just a tribute it’s a real duet with the late legend himself, captured from one of Chris’s final studio sessions.
The vocals of Chris in the song were recorded around two years before his death in 2005 from liver cancer. For nearly 20 years, the track remained hidden in the LeDoux family archives, until Ned decided it was time to share it with the world.
“Finding that recording felt like discovering a treasure. Hearing my dad’s voice again — in a song we sing together — was a deeply emotional moment,” Ned revealed.
Completing the Journey
Chris LeDoux was revered for his wild yet honest cowboy spirit, which was perfectly reflected in his music. He wasn’t just a singer he was a former rodeo champion whose songs told the stories of life on the edge, loneliness, freedom, and grit. This final song captures all of that and more.
With heartfelt lyrics, rustic acoustic guitar, and Chris’s unmistakable rugged voice, the song feels like a personal farewell. Ned delivers the remaining vocals with a mature, grounded tone a tribute and a farewell in one breath.
“I didn’t want to recreate my dad’s voice with AI. This is really him. Raw, real, and one last time,” said Ned.
Fan Reactions
Fans have described the experience of hearing Chris’s voice again as overwhelming. Many confessed they wept upon hearing the song. For them, it felt like Chris had never left.
On country music forums, “One Hand in the Riggin’” quickly became a fan favorite, widely shared with messages like: “Listen with your heart this is Chris’s final gift to us.”