In 2000, Alison Krauss’ rendition of “I’ll Fly Away,” featuring singer-songwriter Gillian Welch, was included in the soundtrack album of O Brother, Where Art Thou? – a crime comedy-drama film starring George Clooney and John Turturro, among others.
Although it wasn’t the version heard in the film, this rendition won Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards. It also contributed to the soundtrack’s massive success, which sold over eight million copies, topped multiple Billboard album charts, and was named Album of the Year and Best Soundtrack Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards.
Krauss and Welch achieved similar success with their live performance of the song at the Ryman Auditorium. This performance was featured in the 2000 documentary Down from the Mountain and its soundtrack album, which also appeared on various Billboard charts and won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album.
“I’ll Fly Away” is one of the most acclaimed songs in Alison Krauss’ hits. Krauss and Welch’s vocals blend perfectly, with a dynamic accompaniment that captivates the audience.
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Story Behind The Song
The classic spiritual ballad was written by gospel songwriter Albert E. Brumley in 1929. Brumley said he had “no idea that it would become so universally popular” when he wrote it. The idea for the song came while he was humming an old ballad as he picked cotton on his father’s farm in Oklahoma. It took Brumley three years to finish the song.
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Since then, “I’ll Fly Away” has become the most recorded gospel song of all time, with over 5,000 versions performed by various artists worldwide.
You can listen to “I’ll Fly Away” by Alison Krauss in the video below.
