Written by Kat Dobay
Darius Rucker and The Black Crowes have been confirmed for an episode of CMT Crossroads. The episode, set to air Tuesday, May 16, will feature the legendary American singer/songwriter and the hard rock band sharing the stage.
Videos by American Songwriter
The collaboration was filmed outdoors in front of a live audience in downtown Austin, Texas. Rucker gets in touch with his ’90s rock roots with the collaboration. The country singer and frontman for Hootie and The Blowfish has said that the inspiration for “Let Her Cry” actually came from The Black Crowes’ hit song “She Talks to Angels.”
“I’ve been a fan of The Black Crowes for decades, and I’m grateful that we’ve also become good friends over the years,” Rucker said in a statement. “The first time I heard ‘She Talks to Angels,’ I remember being so moved by the lyrics that I went around Columbia, South Carolina, asking every single bar to play it.
“I went home that night and put on Bonnie Raitt’s Home Plate, and decided I was going to try to write ‘She Talks to Angels’ for her. ‘Let Her Cry’ was what poured out of me. These guys have been so impactful on my career and sharing the stage with them was a blast.”
Added Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes: “It was really cool getting to do Crossroads with Darius. We both come from similar music scenes in the South and we have a shared admiration for a lot of the same music. Darius has such a powerful voice and has written some great songs. I’m glad we finally got to share the stage with our friend!”
The episode showcases a collaboration between long-time friends swapping stories and performing on each other’s songs. Rucker’s cover of the Bob Dylan song “Wagon Wheel” created a quintessential Southern anthem and was certified diamond. Before Rucker’s success in country music, he had hits with Hootie and The Blowfish such as “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Hold My Hand,” and “Let Her Cry.”
The CMT Crossroads performance also features Chuck Leavell (The Allman Brothers and the Rolling Stones) performing alongside The Black Crowes and Rucker on keyboards. The episode features collaborations on hits including The Black Crowes’ “Hard To Handle,” “She Talks to Angels,” and “Remedy” and Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” and “Let Her Cry.”
CMT Crossroads: The Black Crowes & Darius Rucker premieres on May 16 at 10p/9c on CMT, with an immediate encore at 11p/10c, and on Friday, May 19 at 12a/11c. The episode will also go live on Wednesday, May 17 on CMT.com, CMT VOD and the MTV app (CMT Crossroads), with subsequent premieres on CMT MUSIC and MTV LIVE.
(Photo by Keith Griner/ Courtesy Ebie Media)