Gene Watson: Biography - 1990s
It is difficult to imagine the world of country music without the vast
contribution that Gene Watson has made to it. Between his major label debut
on Capitol Records in 1975 and the present day, Gene Watson has excelled
with his traditional slant within country music.
Biography: 1990s
Gene Watson, however, felt that things were, at long last, going his way. He had
begun work on 'At Last', his second album for Warner Bros. Records, when the relationship between himself & Lib ran into some
problems. In the latter part of 1990, it was reported that Gene & Lib had
both issued suits against one another over management fees.
The legal wrangle with Lib Hatcher lasted for about a year, during which
time Gene could not sign any management/booking deals with anyone else.
Warner Bros. Records became aware of the situation and, following the
release of 'At Last' in 1991,
they dropped Gene from their roster.
The major label recording career of a country music legend had ended -
something that the country music industry should never have allowed to
happen & something that they should be thoroughly ashamed of.
Gene Watson then turned to veteran manager Jack McFadden in Nashville. Jack, who
had established himself in Nashville in 1983, was renowned as a formidable
talent manager & had worked with the likes of
Merle Haggard, Freddie Hart,
Susan Raye, Keith Whitley RIP & Lorrie Morgan.
It was also Jack McFadden who
brought Billy Ray Cyrus, and the 'Achy breaky heart' phenomenon, to the
world of country music. Jack was aware of Gene’s situation, but he agreed to
manage him.
Jack approached a number of major record labels in Nashville, but none of
them were willing to take a chance on an artist with a lawsuit hanging over
his head. However, an independent recording project was agreed with Canadian
record producer & former recording artist Gary Buck. There were several
provisions within the contract, which meant that if no major label acquired
the rights to the recording, Gary could release it on Mercury/Polygram
Records in Canada.
'In Other Words' was recorded in Nashville in December 1991 & February 1992
& initially gained a release only in Canada
on Gary Buck’s own Broadland International Records
label through a deal with Mercury Canada.
'In Other Words' later gained a release (on Broadland Records) in the United States
in 1993, when a single from it, 'One & one & one', managed to make its way
into the American country music charts, stopping a little outside the Top
50.
On a sad note, Gary Buck passed away at his home in Didsbury, Alberta in
Canada on Tuesday 14 October 2003
- he was 63 years old.
In the early 1990s, the country music market place was quite different to
how it was when Gene Watson emerged on the country music scene in 1975.
Garth Brooks was now the major country music artist, most new country acts
were young & Gene’s new manager, Jack McFadden, was now busy promoting his
new discovery Billy Ray Cyrus.
Sadly, Jack McFadden passed away in Nashville on
Tuesday 16 June 1998 - he was 71
years old.
It was around 1993 that Gene Watson became despondent and seriously
considered quitting the country music industry for good. He had no
management & felt that he didn’t have anything to look forward to. He had
had no major hit songs since 1989 & felt that the country music industry had
turned its back on him. While he was considering retiring from the business
he contributed so much to, a name was thrown at him, that of an old friend &
booking agent by the name of Allen Whitcomb.
Gene traveled to Nashville to meet with Allen. They talked, a deal was
struck & Gene once again had a recording home. Gene signed a recording
contract with singer/songwriter/producer Ray Pennington and joined the
roster at Step One Records in September 1993.
Step One Records, which was based in Nashville, was also owned by Ray who
acted as the company’s chief executive.
Gene Watson’s debut album for Step One was called 'Uncharted Mind' and the first
single released from it was a song called 'Snake in the house'. This track
was written by a then new artist called Wade Kimes who, in later years,
recorded under the name of Royal Wade Kimes. Once again, Gene Watson brought
a new songwriter to prominence.
Gene Watson’s relationship with Ray Pennington at Step One Records was one
of mutual respect & admiration. Gene was now wearing less hats in the
recording studio than he was in the 1970s & 1980s. In the old days, Gene was
looking for material, organising the musicians & working on his own musical
arrangements.
At Step One Records, he simply arrived at the recording studio & Ray did all
the rest. The release of Gene’s debut album for Step One Records, 'Uncharted Mind', opened some doors for Gene, in that some American country music radio
stations were willing to add some if its tracks to their play-lists. It very
much appeared that Gene Watson was back from the dead in musical terms &
that a revival of his career looked distinctly possible.
In 1996, Gene Watson’s second album for Step One Records was released;
'The Good
Ole Days' was an album of exquisite Texas swing & tasteful balladry &
included a track which would ultimately put the Gene Watson name firmly back
on the American country music singles charts after an absence of some four
years.
The song in question, 'Change her mind', entered the Billboard American
country music singles chart on Saturday 25 January 1997. By March of 1998,
the single had reached No.44, thanks in no small part by the work carried
out by an excellent promotion team at Step One Records.
One of the reasons for the revival in Gene Watson’s career at this time can be
attributed to the fact that many of the people programming the song for
American country music radio did not know who Gene Watson was & thought that
he was a new, young artist. Most listeners to American country music radio
thought the same thing.
The follow-up single, 'No goodbyes', didn’t achieve as high a chart
position, only reaching the Top 70. The release of 'The Good Ole Days' also
afforded Gene the opportunity to re-record three of his hit songs for a new
generation of fans, namely 'Love in the hot afternoon', 'Speak softly
(you're talking to my heart)' & 'I don't need a thing at all'.
1997 also saw the release of Gene Watson’s third album for Step One Records;
the 'Jesus is All I Need' project was an album that Gene had been
wishing to record for some time - a collection made up entirely of religious
material. The recording of the album was also very much a family affair.
Six of the ten featured tracks had been written by Gene’s cousin Bobbie Bost RIP, while his sisters, Virginia Ruth Watson Thompson & Mary Lois Watson
Templeton, provided wonderful harmony vocals.
'Jesus is All I Need' was re-released
as 'The Gospel Side of Gene Watson' (Intersound Records,
2004) &
'Gene Watson: Gospel at its Best' (Gusto
Records, 2006).
Gene Watson’s final album for Step One Records, 'A Way to Survive', was released in 1997
& included seven new tracks, along with a
re-recording of 'Fourteen carat mind' (Gene’s first - and only - No. 1
Billboard country No.1 hit from January 1982).
'Fourteen carat mind' had originally been included on Gene
Watson's 'Old Loves Never Die'
(MCA Records, 1981).
'A Way to Survive' also included, for some inexplicable reason, 'Class reunion' & 'Old porch swing', two tracks
which had originally been included on 'In Other Words' (Broadland
Records/Mercury Canada, 1993),
'A Way to Survive' demonstrated, however, that
Gene Watson still possessed his extraordinary vocal ability.
On Sunday 27 September 1998, Gene Watson was honoured by ROPE (Reunion of
Professional Entertainers) in Nashville when they presented him with their
Golden ROPE 'Lifetime Achievement Award'.
As far as Gene Watson was concerned, he was the sole entertainment for the evening
and, to the best of his knowledge, that was the only reason he was there;
this turned out not to be the case. Upon receiving his award, Gene
Watson said little as his eyes shone with gratitude - humble as ever!
A compilation of eighteen of Gene Watson’s previous glorious hit singles was
released on Tee Vee Records in 1999 under the banner 'Eighteen Greatest
Hits' & introduced his unique voice to a whole new audience of listeners.
It would be a further two years, however, before an album of new material
would be released bearing the name of Gene Watson.
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