Fans said this Willie Nelson duet with a legendary singer from the next gen showed what a gentleman Willie is! The country icon teamed up with Shania Twain on his greatest ballad “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” and 61 million viewers just could not get enough. Willie’s a big name, but he wasn’t afraid to sit back and let Shania shine. And shine she did, delivering a soulful, yearning vocal on the classic. Willie tastefully accompanied her with some gorgeous backing vocals and a slinking guitar solo.
The slower, stripped-back country tune is a perfect showcase for what an incredible voice Shania has. And despite being from different worlds musically, her and Willie’s voices blend so beautifully. Two generations but both sharing that old-time soul – you can see it when they look into each other’s eyes as they sing. The fact that the performance was given for Willie’s 70th birthday celebration makes it all the more special.
Fan channel dynocounter uploaded the duet to YouTube, noting that the performance was from the Willie Nelson And Friends: Live & Kickin’ DVD. Viewers were loving the duet and added comments such as “Wonder how many people have watched this multiple times? I have lost count. And I love that Willie is hanging back and letting Shania’s voice shine! Such a gentleman” and “My dad used to watch this video and say it was the most beautiful thing he ever heard. Sometimes he cried. Soon it will be four years ago he died.”
Shania has been a fan of Willie Nelson for quite some time, it seems. Back in 1993, she delivered a solo cut of “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” on Music City Tonight. The lower register of the vocal part suits her voice so perfectly – her husky tones on this are just delectable. It’s a side of Shania that we don’t hear a whole lot of, but The Music Man is a big fan of this vibe!
American songwriter Fred Rose penned “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain.” The song was first popularized by Roy Acuff with his 1947 recording. In 1975, Willie Nelson issued his take on the ballad as the lead single from his 18th studio album, Red Headed Stranger. The Willie version has since become the most well-known version of “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain,” as well as one of his signature tunes. The Texan’s take on the ballad was his first US Hot Country Songs number one hit. It also marked the beginning of Willie’s commercial breakthrough as a solo artist, as he had previously been more successful as a songwriter for other artists.