It's been exactly one year since Lauren Alaina's stepfather, Sam Ramker, died following a battle with Stage IV cancer. In tribute, the country star dedicated her Monday night (Oct. 21) Dancing With the Stars performance to him, dancing to a brand-new song she wrote in his honor.

Alaina and dance partner Gleb Savchenko performed a contemporary dance to "The Other Side," a new song written by Alaina in Ramker's memory. Savchenko's choreography, he explained, encouraged Alaina to dance as though she was speaking to her stepdad.

"[Sam] made my mom so happy, changed my mom's life ... I wanted to write a song that did him justice," Alaina shared on the TV dance competition, noting that her mother was at the show in person that night. "He couldn't hear me sing without crying because he was so proud of me ... I wrote this song so that he can live on, and never be forgotten."

Alaina and Savchenko's performance earned 26 points out of a possible 30. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba called Alaina "a brave woman" for her dance, adding, "You touched all of our hearts tonight. It was so beautiful. You should be proud of what you did tonight."

Ramker was a family friend before he married Alaina's mother following Alaina's parents' divorce. "He was always my champion. He was always my number one fan. Now he’s my guardian angel," Alaina writes on Instagram of Ramker.

In addition to Alaina, Season 28's Dancing With the Stars cast includes actors James Van Der Beek and Kate Flannery, former Bachelorette contestant Hannah Brown, comedian Kel Mitchell and more. The show pairs celebrities with professional dancers, with the pairings competition in an elimination-style competition until a winner is crowned at the end of the season.

Alaina is far from the first country artist to compete on Dancing With the Stars: Wynonna JuddChuck WicksSara EvansBilly Ray Cyrus, and Jana Kramer also previously appeared on the show. Kellie Pickler won the show back in 2013, while country radio DJ Bobby Bones won the show's 27th season in 2018; in fact, it was Bones who convinced Alaina to accept the competitor spot.

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