Gene Watson

Though he can sing honky tonk, Gene Watson built a reputation for soulful ballads in the classic country tradition. Born one of seven children in Palestine, TX, Watson married early and was working as an auto-body man when he began frequenting the clubs in Houston. He recorded for a few small-time regional labels like Wide World and Stoneway during the early '70s. Watson finally had success in 1974, when a steamy single for Resco -- "Love in the Hot Afternoon" -- was picked up for national distribution by Capitol Records, igniting a firestorm of national hits: "Where Love Begins," "Paper Rosie," "Farewell Party," "Should I Come Home (Or Should I Go Crazy)," and "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You." In 1982, shortly after moving to MCA, Watson recorded his only chart-topper, "Fourteen Carat Mind." A parade of Top Ten entries followed during the early '80s, including "Speak Softly (You're Talking to My Heart)" and "You're Out Doing What I'm Here Doing Without." Between 1993 and 1997 Watson released four albums on the independent label Step One: Uncharted Mind, Good Ole Days, Jesus Is All I Need, and A Way to Survive. Four years later From the Heart was issued on RMG Records, followed by the 2005 Koch release Gene Watson...Then & Now. In a Perfect World appeared on Shanachie Records in the summer of 2007.

from Wikipedia:

Gary Gene Watson (born October 11, 1943) is an American country singer. He is most famous for his 1975 hit "Love in the Hot Afternoon," his 1982 hit "Fourteen Carat Mind," and his signature song "Farewell Party." Watson's long career has notched six number ones, 23 top tens and over 75 charted singles.

Biography

Watson was born in Palestine, Texas, in 1943. He began his music career in the early 1970s, performing in local clubs at night while working in a Houston auto body shop during the day. He recorded for only a few small, regional record labels until 1974, when Capitol Records picked up his album Love in the Hot Afternoon and released it nationally. The title track, a mid-tempo ballad in three-quarter time, was released in June 1975, and it quickly reached Number three on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.

Watson's national success continued throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, as he recorded several Billboard top-40 hits, including "Where Love Begins," "Paper Rosie," "Should I Go Home (or Should I Go Crazy)," "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You," and "Farewell Party," which was released in 1979 and quickly became Watson's signature song and the namesake of his Farewell Party Band.

In 1982, after switching to the MCA label, he recorded the #1 Billboard hit, "Fourteen Carat Mind." He followed up with several more hits in the early 1980s, including "Speak Softly (You're Talking to My Heart)," "You're Out Doing What I'm Here Doing Without," and "Got No Reason Now for Going Home." By the mid-1980s, he was recording for Epic Records, where his most notable hit was 1985's "Memories to Burn."

Watson never gave up his classical country style, even as he continued to record music throughout the 1980s. He signed with Warner Bros. and released two new albums in 1989 and 1991. He recorded From the Heart, on the Row Music Group label in 2001.

In 2005, Watson released his album, "Then & Now."

In May 2007, Gene Watson signed with the independent Shanachie Records and began work on his first album for the label, which includes new material, along with three covers of some of Watson's favourite classic country tunes such Merle Haggard's classic "Today I started Loving You Again," a duet with Lee Ann Womack. Also featured on this album are Vince Gill, Mark Chesnutt, Rhonda Vincent, Connie Smith, and Joe Nichols. The album, 'In a Perfect World', was officially released on Tuesday, 25 September 2007. The duet with Vince Gill, "Let Me Be The First To Go," reached #1 on the HotDisc European chart. The US-released single "I Buried Our Love" reached #59 on the Music Row charts while "A Good Place To Turn Around" (featuring Connie Smith) placed #4 on the Gospel Radio Active chart.

It was also in May 2007, on the fifth, that the (all new) Gene Watson Fan Site went 'live'. The site, which is owned & maintained by Sean Brady, is based in Ireland (one of many countries outside the US where fans fully appreciate Watson and his unique traditional country music) and receives full support from Lytle Management in Nashville (Gene Watson's management team) and Gene Watson himself.

In September 2007 "In A Perfect World" was released to great critical acclaim. The album was received by the country music industry as one of the best recordings of the year. The Associated Press noted "Like a well-aged whiskey, Gene Watson has gained smoothness yet maintained his visceral bite...Watson can make contemporary songs sound like timeless classics. He's never sounded better, which is saying something." The Philadelphia Inquirer stated 'In A Perfect World' is a stunning reminder of why the Texan is considered one of country's all time great balladeers."

The Ireland-based Gene Watson Fan Site received a further revamp between February 2009 and May 2009. The new version went 'live' on Monday, 4 May 2009.

In 2009, Gene Watson opened for Brad Paisley on his "Paisley Party" tour in Memphis, Tennessee, and released A Taste of the Truth featuring Alison Krauss, Trace Adkins, and bluegrass queen Rhonda Vincent. A Vincent/Watson duet of "Staying Together" was #1 on the World Indie chart. The album is a continuation of Watson's trademark traditional country sound, and critics hailed it as a landmark for him. Paul Dennis of the 9513.com website praised it as "Album of the Decade." In a national contest on the 9513.com site, Gene Watson's "A Taste of the Truth" was voted by the site's journalists as well as fans worldwide the Album Of The Year, beating out young country music darling, Miranda Lambert.

On 7 June 2011, Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent released an all duets album, "Your Money and My Good Looks" (on independent UMM Records). This very traditional country music release garnered this quote from George Jones: "This is the real deal. Together they have created something very special. I haven't heard country music like this in years." Bill Anderson noted "It doesn't get any better than this! The first time I heard Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent sing together, I knew it was a match made in country music heaven." A first single, "Gone For Good," was released with a video shot in and around Nashville, Tennessee. Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent are touring together on selected dates in the United States.

Gene Watson is managed by Nashville's Lytle Management.