Gene Watson's Peers: Dallas Harms
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 2006 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
Dallas Harms, which he submitted to
this site on Friday 10 February 2006 (the quote was
actually received via postal mail).
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you'
to
Dallas Harms who has made a special
contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star
Hero'.
Dallas Harms
This quote was submitted on Friday 10 February 2006
'What could I say about Gene Watson that hasn't already
been said. Musicians, background singers, studio engineers and producers
will say Gene has a God-given gift that delivers a vocal performance that
inspires and charms all who are involved creating his music in the studio or
live performances.
That same connection also affects the heart of all his listeners. Gene is
way above the ordinary, in a league of his own - like
George Jones & Merle
Haggard! It doesn't get better than that!'
Thank you,
Dallas Harms, for your support of Gene Watson.
Thank you, Larry Delaney, editor of
Country Music News (magazine) in Canada, without whose kind assistance
this Dallas Harms quote would not have been possible.
About Dallas Harms...
Dallas Harms is a singer, guitarist & record producer who was born
Dallas Leon Harms in
Jansen, near Saskatoon, Canada on Thursday 18 July 1935. He was raised in
Hamilton, Ontario where, inspired by Hank Williams, he began his career in
the mid-1950s & made his first record, for Reno Records, in 1959.
Dallas Harms enjoyed country music hits in 1972 & 1973 for Columbia
Records with 'In the loving arms of my Marie' & 'Old Ira Gray'.
Gene Watson recorded Dallas Harms' 'Old Ira Gray' as 'Mr Candyman'
& included the track on 'In Other Words' (Broadland
Records/Mercury Canada, 1992)
Dallas Harms enjoyed country music hits between 1975 & 1979 for Broadland
Records with 'Paper Rosie', 'Georgia I'm cheating on you tonight', 'It's
crying time for me', 'The fastest gun', 'I picked a daisy' & 'The
ballad
of the Duke'.
Gene Watson recorded Dallas Harms'
'Paper Rosie'
& included the track on 'Paper Rosie'
(Capitol Records, 1977); the track reached No.3 on the Billboard country
music singles chart in 1977
Other artists who have record Dallas Harms songs include Billy Walker, George
Hamilton IV & the Osborne Brothers.
Dallas Harms recorded albums as an artist in his own right; 'Paper Rosie',
'The Fastest Gun' & 'Painter of Words' were all released on Broadland
Records.
Dallas Harms received Big Country Awards as top composer (1975 & annually 1977-1979)
& top producer (1978, 1979 & 1985, the last shared with Mike 'Pepe'
Francis) & for best single ('Paper Rosie' in 1975 & 'Georgia I'm
cheating on
you tonight' in 1976) & best album ('The Fastest Gun' in 1978).
Dallas Harms undertook several tours across Canada,
including one in 1976 with Ian Tyson. He also performed in New Zealand and,
in 1980 & 1981, in England.
Dallas Harms' album, 'Out of Harms Way', which was
released on RCA Records in 1982, included the popular 'Honky tonkin' (all
night long)',
'Country fever' & 'Fooling with fire'.
Dallas Harms also won the
CCMA (Canadian Country Music Association) Awards as 'Producer of the Year' in 1983
& 1984 (the second again
shared with Mike Francis). Dallas Harms has produced singles and/or albums
for Terry Carisse, Larry Mattson, Wayne Rostad, Roni Sommers, Paul Weber &
many others.
Though he was largely inactive as a performer after the mid-1980s, Dallas continued to
write songs. His best-known title, 'Paper Rosie,' a standard of the Canadian
country repertoire, was heard on the soundtrack of the 1990 US feature film
'Another 48 Hours'.
Dallas Harms was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989.
Gene Watson recorded
Dallas Harms'
'Paper Rosie'
& included the track on 'Paper Rosie'
(Capitol Records, 1977)
Gene Watson recorded
Dallas Harms'
'The old man & his horn'
& included the track on 'Beautiful
Country' (Capitol Records, 1977)
Gene Watson recorded
Dallas Harms'
'Cowboys don't get lucky all the
time' & included the track on 'Beautiful Country' (Capitol
Records, 1977)
Gene Watson recorded
Dallas Harms'
'Mama sold roses'
& included the track on 'Reflections' (Capitol
Records, 1978)
Gene Watson recorded
Dallas Harms'
'Get along little doggie' & included
the track on 'Memories
to Burn' (Epic Records, 1985)
Gene Watson recorded
Dallas Harms'
'Mr. Candyman' & included the
track on 'In Other Words' (Broadland
Records/Mercury Canada, 1992)
Visit
Canadian Country Music Association Site (Dallas Harms entry)
