Gene Watson's Peers: Dale Watson
Gene Watson's peers within the country music
industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas,
so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' -
and rightly so!
All of Gene's Peers who were contacted in 2005 were most
gracious with their time & words. It is here, within this special part of
gene-watson.com, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from
Dale Watson, which he submitted to
this site on Tuesday 25 October 2005.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to
Dale Watson who has
made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of
a Lone Star Hero'.
Dale Watson
This quote was submitted on Tuesday 25 October 2005
'Gene Watson has always been a part of my country music diet. 'Paper Rosie'
was the first song I heard of him & I was a fan from then on.
Having the same last name, I was always asked if I was related to Gene. We
are from the same part of Texas, but the answer was 'no', but I'm a big fan.
To this day, I still get asked that about Gene and I still say 'no', but I'm
a big fan'.
Thank you, Dale Watson, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Dale Watson...
Dale Watson is a staunch adherent of
old-style honky tonk & Bakersfield country & has positioned himself as a
tattooed, stubbornly independent outsider who was only interested in
recording authentic country music. As a result, Dale never sold many
records, but his music was championed by numerous critics & alternative
country music fans.
Dale Watson was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1962 but spent his teenage
years near Houston in Texas & he grew to think of Texas as his true home
state. His father & brother were both musically inclined & Dale began
writing his own songs at the age of twelve, making his first recording two
years later.
After graduating from high school, Dale spent seven years playing local
clubs & honky tonks. He moved to Los Angeles in 1988 on the advice of
Rosie Flores & soon joined the house band at North Hollywood's now-legendary
alt-country venue the Palomino Club.
Dale recorded two singles for Curb Records in 1990, 'One tear at a time' &
'You pour it on' & he appeared on the third volume of the compilation series
'A Town South of Bakersfield' in 1992. Not long after, Dale moved to
Nashville & spent some time writing songs for the Gary Morris publishing
company.
Dale Watson didn't find commercial country music much to his taste, so he
relocated to the more progressive-minded scene in Austin, Texas where he
formed a backing band called the Lonestars. He scored a recording deal
with Hightone Records & released his debut album, 'Cheatin' Heart Attack',
to wide critical acclaim in 1995.
'Cheatin' Heart Attack' was greeted with enormous acclaim for the vitality
Watson brought to his vintage-style material & performances & it also
featured a witty dig at mainstream country in 'Nashville rash'.
The follow-up album, 'Blessed or Damned' appeared in 1996 (also on Hightone
Records) & continued in a similar vein, as did 'I Hate These Songs' in
1997's. Dale's next album, 'The Truckin' Sessions', was released on
Koch Records in 1998 & was devoted entirely to that distinct country
subgenre of truck driving songs. Unfortunately, it was almost his last
In 2000, Watson's fiancée was killed in an automobile accident; devastated,
he attempted to drown his sorrows in booze & drugs & nearly died of an
overdose shortly after Christmas. He checked himself into a mental
institution to recover & re-emerged later in 2001 with the deeply sorrowful
tribute album 'Every Song I Write is for You', which appeared on Koch
Records' new country imprint Audium Records.
A couple of lower-key releases followed, the holiday album 'Christmas in
Texas (2001) & 'Live in London, England' (2002). In 2004, with his
heart still on his sleeve, but a thicker skin, Dale Watson released
'Dreamland'.
Dale Watson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
He took a break from music for the majority of that year, moving to Maryland
in order to spend more time with his daughters.
2006 found Dale back in Austin playing gigs & a documentary on Watson,
'Crazy Again', premiered at the SXSW (South by South West) Festival that
year; the film charted Watson's mental breakdown following the death of his
fiancée.
Dale Watson saw the release of a new full-length album, 'From the Cradle to
the Grave', in 2007, along with a second album, 'The Little Darlin'
Sessions'.
Visit Dale Watson's Official Site