It was Hootie and the Blowfish’s performance of “Let Her Cry” with Willie Nelson that made frontman Darius Rucker realize that they’d really made it as a band. After all, when you have the one and only country icon Willie Nelson playing guitar for you at Farm Aid, then you know you’ve hit the big time! 8.2 million viewers loved to see the nostalgic ‘95 performance, which featured some incredible vocals by the frontman. A commenter summed it up by saying “I’m blown away. This man sounds better live than my old CD.”
It’s no secret that the heartbreak anthem “Let Her Cry” is one of the greatest songs of the ‘90s. As a ‘90s kid who used to hear this all the time on the radio back in the day, I love to see that Darius and the band are so incredible live. It’s all the more special to see Darius and Willie’s interaction at 1:26, with Willie sharing a wry grin with the frontman. The Music Man also has to give it up to guitarist Mark Bryan for his stellar lead break at 2:30 – talk about tasteful!
Farm Aid uploaded the live cut of “Let Her Cry” to YouTube, where it became one of the most popular performances on the channel. It was captured at Farm Aid on October 1, 1995, in Louisville, Kentucky. Viewers loved to see the throwback performance and added comments such as “Darius Rucker said this was the day of his life when he knew he made it cuz Willie Nelson played backup for him” and “He has such strong energy in his voice. He truly sings with his soul!!”
Luckily for fans, Farm Aid uploaded a number of killer Hootie and the Blowfish cuts from their multiple performances at the event over the years. Another great capture of the band is their rendition of their romantic hit “Only Wanna Be With You.” The band is really firing on all cylinders here – what a groove. And the way Darius’s voice combines with the backup vocalists’ lines is just delectable.
Hootie and the Blowfish issued “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be with You” as the second and third singles, respectively, from their debut studio album Cracked Rear View. The band dropped the album on July 5, 1994. Cracked Rear View propelled Hootie and the Blowfish to superstar status overnight. It sold 20 million units, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time in the US and also worldwide.