During the Houston Fest in 2017, the audience was in for a big treat when three soldiers owned up the stage for a breathtaking performance of “Seven Spanish Angels.”
The soldiers are part of the United States Army Field Band’s Six-String Soldiers, renowned all over the internet for their incredible covers of bluegrass and country classics as well as acoustic covers of popular songs.
In a stunning moment that you will surely not forget, the three soldiers did a superb job singing “Seven Spanish Angels,” and we all know it’s not an easy one to pull off. Their performance indeed impressed anyone who stopped by to watch. It was no longer a surprise when some members of the audience got teary-eyed as they listened to the soldiers singing this undeniable classic.
The Song Behind The Unforgettable Performance
Written by Troy Seals and Eddie Setser, “Seven Spanish Angels” tells the tale of a Mexican bandit and his lover who were attempting to escape from the lawmen who were hunting them down to return them to Texas. Unfortunately, the couple found themselves cornered.
Without any way to escape, the two decided to fight back. This led to a gunfight that claimed both their lives. Seven Spanish angels then gathered in heaven to pray for the souls of the lovers.
“There were seven Spanish angels at the altar of the sun. They were praying for the lovers in the valley of the gun. When the battle stopped, and the smoke cleared. There was thunder from the throne, and seven Spanish angels took another angel home,” the song goes.
Ray Charles first recorded it as a duet with Willie Nelson and released it in 1984 as a single from Charles’ album Friendship. Then it was once again included on Nelson’s compilation album of duets, Half Nelson, released a year later.
“Seven Spanish Angels” quickly went to No. 1 on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs; it held that position for a week and spent a total of twelve weeks on that chart, making it Charles’ most successful hit on the country chart. The single enjoyed the same success in Canada as it snagged the top spot on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
Several notable artists have since covered the song, including Allison Krauss and Jamey Johnson during the Gershwin prize tribute concert in 2015, with Nelson and his wife in the crowd. Chris Stapleton and Dwight Yoakam also performed the classic song live at the CMA Awards in 2016.
But among our favorites is this cover by Six-String Soldiers – you can watch their performance in the video below.
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