Has “Purple Rain” ever been played at the historic Ryman auditorium before? Even if it has, it would be hard to beat this killer performance led by country music icons Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley.
Paisley and Rucker weren’t the only prominent country artists on stage to bring the Prince song to life at the Ryman. They were joined and supported by what appears to be Sam Hunt in there at the beginning, Vince Gill, Parker McCollum, Boy Named Banjo, Caylee Hammack, and Tyler Hubbard amongst others. They were in attendance for the annual 2023 Country Radio Seminar taking place in Nashville.
If you were wondering what Prince would sound like with a country twang, this should answer any questions you have about the matter. Rucker’s strong vocals drop in first to begin the song, with Paisley’s guitar-playing talents at full force from the get-go.
Pretty soon, Paisley and the rest of the well known country artists step in with supporting vocals, and the song really finds its home in the arms of Ryman Auditorium.
The purple lights illuminating the stage were a pleasant touch as well.
And is it a Prince song without a wicked, sprawling guitar solo? Brad Paisley absolutely shreds at the end, which you have to do if you are trying to do a Prince song justice, especially “Purple Rain.”
Check out talent-packed cover at The Ryman:
Sounds great with a little violin in it, doesn’t it? It is hard to be a true “country cover” without having a violin within the band (in my own personal opinion).
And I know I asked “if Purple Rain has been played at the Ryman before” to start the article…turns out it has. However, I am leaving that at the top because it adds to the drama of the performance.
Turns out Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (great name for a band) played the Prince classic in tribute back in 2016, one day after the legendary artist passed away.
And it appears that Daughtry also played “Purple Rain” at the Ryman pretty recently…
@jasonmapes Daughtry – “Purple Rain” live at The Ryman in Nashville #Daughtry, #ChrisDaughtry #Prince #PurpleRain #LiveMusic #TheRyman #RymanAuditorium #RymanAuditoriumNashville #Nashville #MusicCity #Rock #Pop #RnB #PopRock #PrinceCover #CoverTune #Remake #PrinceRogersNelson #TheArtist #AmericanIdol ##concert ♬ original sound – JasonMapes
I still won’t take back my question, and I think the Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker led version is the best of the three performances anyways…