Brothers of The Heart sing a moving cover of Hank Williams’s classic, ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.’ It somehow stirs and soothes at the same time. Take a few moments to savor this beautiful song.
Brothers of The Heart members Mike Rogers, Bradley Walker, Jimmy Fortune, and Ben Isaacs appear one at a time within the first 35 seconds of the video. The four have been performing together since 2020 when they collaborated on an album titled Brotherly Love and a concert DVD/TV special filmed at songwriter Rory Feek’s venue, Hardison Mills, near Columbia, TN.
While each artist has their own very successful solo career, they have now recorded three albums as a group. Bradley Walker sings lead on this song, but Mike Rogers, Jimmy Fortune, and Ben Isaacs have taken their turns, too—respectively, singing lead in Paul McCartney and Wings’ hit ‘Let ‘Em In,’ the Eagles’ ‘Desperado,’ and Glen Campbell’s ‘Gentle on My Mind,’ among others. Brothers of The Heart has been called the “country, bluegrass, gospel dream team” by Cowboys & Indians magazine.
The “Brothers” perform on a small, intimate stage and are joined by four musicians to the right. At 1:25, there is an amazing steel guitar solo; it garners a big smile from Ben Isaacs on the bass. Mike Rogers sings with great expression, and they all give tons of love to Bradley Walker as the song ends; he brings the 1949 poetry to life.
Vince Gill said of the song, “… read the words of that song. That’s as beautiful as you’ll ever want to hear the English language.” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is believed to have been inspired by Hank Williams’s tumultuous relationship with his first wife, Audrey Shepperd.
In only four verses and 2:48, Mr. Williams expressed incredible emotion with heartbreaking images. Brothers of The Heart’s version slows things down, each perfect phrase lingering a bit longer. It is a lovely rendition performed by a group of individuals who may understand loneliness, but certainly don't feel it in one another’s company.
Ben Isaacs shared, “We love each other so much and respect each other so much that we are each other’s biggest fans. When Bradley is singing or when Mikey is singing or when Jimmy is singing, I am rooting for them as hard as I know they are rooting for me when I’m singing because we realize that what we are together is way better than what we are individually. So, there is a line of respect and love and caring and support.”
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” Psalms 25:16