Rodney Atkins had a “Hell” of an accomplishment when he earned his first No. 1 single on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart dated Aug. 12, 2006.
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Atkins had signed with Curb nearly a decade earlier and logged five previous chart singles, earning one top five title in 2004. As he assembled his second album, he was clearly “going through” something — his producer, Ted Hewitt, received demos for three different songs with a “going through hell” theme. The best of them was written by Sam Tate (“Moments,” “Shut Up and Drive”), Annie Tate (“Somebody”) and Dave Berg (“Stupid Boy,” “These Are My People”): “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows).”
That song blended a hard-driving beat with two existing quotes: a Winston Churchill encouragement to push through adversity and an Irish toast about reaching heaven 30 minutes before the devil knows you’re dead.
Atkins’ recording first charted on Jan. 21, 2006. The singer received early affirmation from a listener who abandoned a suicide attempt when Atkins’ gritty inspiration came on the radio. “Hell” battled its way up the chart for seven months, remaining at the top for four weeks.
The song was certified Platinum by the RIAA and became an anthem of encouragement, performed by Atkins during a 2007 National Adoption Month ceremony at the White House and during the 2008 National Memorial Day concert outside the U.S. Capitol.
It also inspired Atkins’ next single. When his son was scolded for using the world “hell” while singing his daddy’s song at school, Atkins penned “Watching You.”