For a cover of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s “Straight to Hell” on his 2017 album, When Was the Last Time, Darius Rucker enlisted the help of a few of his A-list friends—Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley—to provide vocals on the tune.
“‘Straight to Hell’ was huge in my day—when it was played in the bar, every single person in the bar was singing and hugging their best friend,” says Darius to Nash Country Daily. “I’ve wanted to cut that song since I came to Nashville, and I kept saying I was going to cut it someday. For this record, I was thinking about cutting it. Then Charles Kelley called me out of the blue and says, ‘Man, I was just listening to Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s “Straight to Hell” and I think you should cut it, and you should let me sing on it.’ I took that as the universe telling me it was time to cut the song, and I cut it. Jason [Aldean] and Luke [Bryan] and Charles and I are good buddies, so getting them to come sing on it made it something special.”
According to a pic on Darius’ Instagram account, it looks like the guys—aka “The Troublemakers”—are shooting a video for “Straight to Hell” . . . in full Western regalia.
Darius’ new single, “For the First Time,” is currently No. 5 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. “Straight to Hell” could be his next single.
photo by Jason Simanek