Gene Watson's Peers: Doyle Lawson
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 2008 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
Doyle Lawson, which he submitted to
this site on Friday 10 October 2008.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to
Doyle Lawson who made a special
contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star
Hero'.
Doyle Lawson
This quote was submitted on Friday 10 October 2008
'I've been a Gene Watson fan since the first time I
heard 'Love in the hot afternoon'. He most certainly is one of the most pure
country singers of all time.
There is a line in a George Jones song that
says, 'This old world is full of singers, but only a few are chosen'.
Gene is surely one of the chosen'.
Thank you, Doyle Lawson, for your
support of Gene Watson.
'This old world is full of singers, but only a few are chosen' is a line
from 'Who's gonna fill their shoes' (co-written by Troy Seals & Max D.
Barnes) which was the title track of a
George Jones album which was released
on Epic Records in 1985.
About Doyle Lawson...
Doyle Lawson was born on 20 April
1944 in Ford Town, a part of Sullivan County, near Kingsport in Tennessee to
Leonard & Minnie Lawson; Doyle has two brothers, James & Les, and one
sister, Colleen.
As far back as he can remember, Doyle loved the sound of music & listened
regularly to The Grand Ole Opry. The group that impressed Doyle most was
Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys; he felt that their music was different &
more intense and that it was this type of music that he wanted to play.
Doyle's father, mother & sister all sang gospel music & were members of
trios & quartets that sang a-cappella music in churches & at revivals.
When Doyle was eleven years old, he learned to play the mandolin by
listening to the radio, a few records & watching the occasional television
show.
When he was fourteen years old, Doyle met Jimmy Martin, a native of
Sneedville, Tennessee where Doyle & his family had moved to in 1954. It was
at this time that Doyle decided to play music for a living & made a point of
learning how to play the banjo & guitar.
In February 1963, Doyle went to Nashville & got a job playing banjo with
Jimmy Martin. In 1966, he started working wit JD Crowe in Lexington,
Kentucky, first playing guitar & then later switching to mandolin.
In 1969, Doyle returned to Jimmy Martin for about six months playing
mandolin & singing tenor. He then returned to JD Crowe with whom he stayed
until August 1971.
Doyle joined The Country Gentlemen on 1 September 1971 & stayed with them
until March 1979. He the decided to form a band that would have a unique
Doyle Lawson 'sound' of its own.
Doyle formed Doyle Lawson & Foxfire in April 1979 & later changed the group
name to Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. With the help of group members Terry
Baucom, Jimmy Haley & Lou Reid, Doyle laid the foundation for what became
the quintessential Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver 'sound'.
Doyle's father passed away in 1994, nut his mother still lives in Kingsport,
Tennessee. Doyle & his wife Suzanne (they were married on 24 June 1978) have
one son (Robbie) & two daughters (Suzi & Kristi).
Doyle collects western memorabilia of Roy Rogers & Gene Autry & enjoys
looking at old cars. And he has been hosting the Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Festival in Denton, North Carolina for more years than he cares to remember.
Visit Doyle Lawson's Official Site