While leaving his mark on country music with hits like “Wagon Wheel” and “Only Wanna Be with You”, Darius Rucker’s talents went far beyond a single genre. Throughout his career, the singer dabbled in blues, R&B, pop, and even rock. Born in South Carolina, Rucker always shared a love for music. That love eventually landed in the South Carolina rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. With the country star holding three Grammy Awards, he recently showcased his wide range of talent when covering a Frank Sinatra classic.
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It can be almost impossible to pick just one hit song from the one they called “Ol’ Blue Eyes.” He recorded iconic songs that included “That’s Life”, “New York, New York”, “Nothing but the Best”, and “Strangers In The Night.” Just picking those four songs was a challenge. But when it came to Rucker teaming up with the BBC Concert Orchestra, he decided to invite fans to take to the sky with “Come Fly With Me.”
Filmed in the Radio 2 Piano Room, Rucker completely cruised through the song with effortless confidence. His smooth vocals blended seamlessly with the orchestra behind him. Channeling the charm and swagger of Sinatra, Rucker proved that no matter the genre, he has a timeless voice capable of bringing new life to a classic standard.
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Fans Declare Darius Rucker A “Generational Voice”
As for fans, they weighed in on the performance, wondering why Rucker hasn’t expanded his discography.
“Every new decade of my life gets a new Darius Rucker style of music that I can get behind! I need an album of old standards from him, because I am now old.”
“A true artist who can do a little bit of everything!!!”
“Dang Hootie you been holding out on us!?”
“I would go out on a limb to say Darius Rucker is my generations most versatile singer. Pop rock, country, and now Big Band Sinatra, just wow.”
Gaining high praise from fans, one person even labeled him a “generational voice.” And to receive such high marks on a cover from Sinatra’s catalog shows just how effortlessly Rucker can step into any musical era and make it feel fresh all over again.
Released in 1958, “Come Fly with Me” was composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and written by Sammy Cahn. Featured on the album of the same name, the song brought listeners to exotic landscapes from Peru and Bombay.
Becoming just another hit in Sinatra’s legendary career, Rucker was just the latest singer to add his name to the song. Over the decades, Michael Bublé, Laura Dickinson, Kurt Elling, Shirley Horn, Robbie Williams, and Barry Manilow produced their own covers.
With his smooth delivery and easy charm, Darius Rucker showed that great songs never go out of style.
(Photo by C Brandon/Redferns)
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