What it’s all about.
If you’re a fan of 2000s country, Rodney Atkins is sure to ring a bell. Being one of the premiere hit-makers in the mid 2000s, the Knoxville native scored a string of four consecutive hits with the likes of “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows You’re There),” “It’s America,” “Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)” and arguably his most popular song to date, “Watching You.”
Atkins would score major hits in the early 2010s as well with the 3x platinum, “Farmer’s Daughter” and “Take a Back Road” as well as the platinum “He’s Mine.” Additionally, he’d receive a bit of a late-career revival in 2018 upon the release of “Caught Up in the Country,” which peaked inside the Top 20 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and a 2x platinum certification from the RIAA.
These days, Atkins is still releasing music, albeit less frequently. In 2024, he released a 4-song acoustic EP filled with his biggest hits in addition to a two new singles, “True South” and “Marry Me Again.” This year, Atkins turned heads with the release of “Watching You 2.0” with his son, Elijah, back in January.
Though the “It’s America” singer has been releasing music less frequently over the past few years, he’s still been actively touring quite frequently. And last week he delivered one of the most heartwarming performances you’ll see all year.
As alluded to earlier, Atkin’s “Watching You” has remained arguably one of his biggest songs for a good reason. Beyond it reaching #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and 3x platinum status, the track has maintained its status of being one of the sweetest father-son songs in country music over the past two decades. Centering around the fact that Atkins son wants to do everything like him, “Watching You” has touched the hearts of many fathers (and their children) over the years.
This was especially the case for a young fan he met recently.
Taking to social media last week, he would share the footage captured at an unspecified show. The young fan, whose name was not revealed by the 56-year-old singer/songwriter, held up a sign asking Atkins to FaceTime her brother during his performance of “Watching You” since they had both lost their father in 2017.
The sign reads as follows:
“Will you FaceTime my brother during ‘Watching You?’ He’s stuck farming. He watched our dad until 2017 and now he watches us from Heaven! xoxo”
Fulfilling the young fan’s wish, Atkins pulled her up to the front of the stage, sat on the edge of it and gave her the microphone to sing the sentimental song’s chorus with him, all while she held her phone up while on FaceTime with her brother. The emotional moment ended with Atkins giving the fan a hug and his guitar pick.
In the caption, Atkins would add:
“I know her dad was watching from Glory.”
With so much negativity out there in the world, it’s nice to see some moments of pure kindness from the likes of Atkins. If there’s one thing for certain, he gave that young fan a night that she, her brother and her father watching from Heaven, will never forget.
Watch the heartwarming performance here:
@rodneyatkinsmusic I know her dad was watching from Glory 🙏 #WatchingYou #Family #RodneyAtkins #CountryMusic #Faith ♬ Watching You – Rodney Atkins
“Watching You”
Rodney Atkins Tour Dates
November 7 – Gainesville, Georgia – Boot Barn Hall
November 8 – Columbia, South Carolina – Township Auditorium
November 13 – Tampa, Florida – Boots on the Water
