Gene Watson's Peers: Ed Bruce

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 Ed Bruce, which he submitted to this site on Sunday 10 December 2006.

Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Ed Bruce who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.

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Ed Bruce

Ed Bruce
This quote was submitted on Sunday 10 December 2006

'Gene Watson is one of my long time, all-time favourites. No smoke machines, no light shows!

Just pure, honest REAL country music'.


Thank you, Ed Bruce, for your support of Gene Watson.

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About Ed Bruce...


Ed Bruce is a native of Keiser, Arkansas where he was born (William Edwin Bruce Junior) in December 1939. He was brought up in Memphis, Tennessee & at the age of seventeen cut his first tracks for the legendary Sun Records.

However, his career as a rockabilly performer were largely unsuccessful & by 1964 Ed had moved to Nashville, where he became a member of the Marijohn Wilkins Singers. Ed also entered into a lucrative career singing advertising jingles, his best-known campaign cast him as a character called the Tennessean.

Ed Bruce: 'If I Could Just Go Home' (RCA Victor, 1968) Ed Bruce: 'Shades of Ed Bruce' (Monument Records, 1969)

In 1966, Ed signed with RCA Records, where he notched up his first chart hit with the song 'Walker's woods'. More singles & a change of record label followed; Ed signed with Monuments Records & released the 'Shades of Ed Bruce' album in 1969.

Ed Bruce: 'Ed Bruce' (United Artists Records, 1976)

However, Ed Bruce struggled career-wise until 1976, when he saw the release of the 'Ed Bruce' album on United Artists Records; the album included his composition 'Mammas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys' which climbed to No.15 on the Billboard country music singles chart.

Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson: 'Outlaw' (RCA Records, 1978)

The song, which is Ed Bruce's best-known composition, was later a huge hit when recorded by Waylon Jennings RIP & Willie Nelson; the track spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart in March/April 1978.

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Ed Bruce's compositions have been recorded by a number of fellow country music stars, including the following:

Charlie Louvin: 'Less & Less & I Don't Love You Anymore' (Capitol Records, 1964)

Charlie Louvin recorded Ed Bruce's 'See the big man cry' (which reached No.7 in 1965) & included the track on 'Less & Less & I Don't Love You Anymore' (Capitol Records, 1964)

Dave Dudley: 'Songs About The Working Man' (Mercury Records, 1964)

Dave Dudley recorded Ed Bruce's 'Farmer's prayer' & included the track on 'Songs About The Working Man' (Mercury Records, 1964)


Charlie Louvin: 'Lonesome is Me' (Capitol Records, 1966

Charlie Louvin recorded Ed Bruce's 'Lonesome is me' & included the track on 'Lonesome is Me' (Capitol Records, 1966)

Jeannie Seely: 'Little Things' (Monument Records, 1968)

Jeannie Seely recorded Ed Bruce's 'My love dies hard' & included the track on 'Little Things' (Monument Records, 1968)

Jeannie C. Riley: 'Sock & Soul' (Little Darling Records, 1968)

Jeannie C. Riley recorded Ed Bruce's 'Price I pay to stay' & included the track on 'Sock & Soul' (Little Darling Records, 1968)


Billie Jo Spears: 'Mr. Walker, It's All Over' (Capitol Records, 1969)

Billie Jo Spears recorded Ed Bruce's 'Price I pay to stay' & included the track on 'Mr. Walker, It's All Over' (Capitol Records, 1969)

Charlie Louvin: 'Here's a Toast to Mama' (Capitol Records, 1970

Charlie Louvin recorded Ed Bruce's 'Little reasons' & included the track on 'Here's A Toast To Mama' (Capitol Records, 1970

Tanya Tucker: 'Would You Lay With Me in a Field of Stone' (Columbia Records, 1974)

Tanya Tucker recorded Ed Bruce's 'The man that turned my mama on' & included the track on 'Would You Lay With Me in a Field of Stone' (Columbia Records, 1974); the track was a Top 5 hit on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1974

Billie Jo Spears: 'Blanket on the Ground' (United Artists Records, 1975)

Billie Jo Spears recorded Ed Bruce's 'I can only judge your future by his past' & included the track on 'Blanket on the Ground' (United Artists Records, 1975)

Chris LeDoux: 'Songbook of the American West' (ACS Records, 1976)

Chris LeDoux recorded Ed Bruce's 'Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys' (co-written with Patsy Bruce) & included the track on 'Songbook of the American West' (ACS Records, 1976)


Tanya Tucker: 'TNT' (MCA Records, 1978)

Tanya Tucker recorded Ed Bruce's 'Texas, when I die' (co-written with Bobby Borchers & Patsy Bruce) & included the track on 'TNT' (MCA Records, 1978); the track reached No.5 in 1978

Crystal Gayle: 'Country Classics' (Capitol Records, 1991)

Crystal Gayle recorded Ed Bruce's 'Restless' & included the track on 'Country Classics' (Capitol Records, 1991); the track had been originally recorded by Crystal Gayle in 1974

Chris LeDoux: 'Western Underground' (Capitol Records, 1991)

Chris LeDoux recorded Ed Bruce's 'Thank the cowboy for the ride' (co-written with Paul Richey) & included the track on 'Western Underground' (Capitol Records, 1991)

Chris LeDoux: 'Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy' (Liberty Records, 1992)

Chris LeDoux recorded Ed Bruce's 'You just can't see him from the road' (co-written with Donny Blanz & Judith Bruce) & included the track on 'Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy' (Liberty Records, 1992)


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Ed Bruce: 'Tennesseean' (Epic Records, 1977) Ed Bruce: 'Cowboys & Dreamers' (Epic Records, 1978)

Ed Bruce recorded for Epic Records between 1977 & 1978 & saw the release of two fine albums; 'Tennessean' in 1977 & 'Cowboys & Dreamers' in 1978.  These exemplary albums were released as a special '2-for-1' CD by Hux Records in 2009.

Ed Bruce: 'Ed Bruce' (MCA Records, 1980) Ed Bruce: 'One to One' (MCA Records, 1981)

However, Ed Bruce achieved his greatest commercial success with MCA Records in the 1980s.

'The last cowboy song' (featuring guest vocals from Willie Nelson) reached No.12 in 1980, while both 'Girls, women & ladies' & '(When you fall in love) Everything's a waltz' fell just short of entering the Top 10 (each reached No.14).  In 1982, Ed reached No.1 with 'You're the best break this heart ever had' (No.1 for one week in March 1982).

Ed Bruce: 'I Write It Down' (MCA Records, 1982) Ed Bruce: 'You're Not Leaving Here Tonight' (MCA Records, 1983)

Other Top 5 singles on MCA Records included 'My first taste of Texas' (No.6, 1982), 'Ever, never lovin' you' (No.4, 1982), 'You're not leaving here tonight' (No.21, 1983), 'If it was easy' (No.19, 1983) & 'After all' (No.4, 1983).

Ed Bruce: 'Homecoming' (RCA Victor, 1984) Ed Bruce: 'Nght Things' (RCA Victor, 1986)

In 1984, Ed Bruce switched record labels, moving from MCA Records to RCA Victor where he saw the release of 'Homecoming' (RCA Victor, 1984) & 'Night Things' (RCA Victor, 1986).

Ed Bruce achieved a hit song from each of these albums; 'Homecoming' (1984) produced 'You turn me on (like a radio)' which reached No.3 in 1984, while 'Night Things' (1986) produced 'Nights' which reached No.4 in 1986.

When his recording career took off, Ed Bruce branched into acting, appearing in the CBS mini-series 'The Chisholms' & the television special 'The Last Days of Frank & Jessie James'.  Ed also played the part of Tom Guthrie in an eight-month return of 'Bret Maverick' in 1982.

Later albums from Ed Bruce included 'Set Me Free' (Kingfisher Records, 1997), 'This Old Hat' (Old Hat Records, 2002) & '12 Classics' (Varese records, 2003).

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