Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Darrell Scott: November 2005
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 Watson's Peers who were contacted during 2005 were most gracious with their time and words. It is here, within this special part of the Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Darrell Scott, which he submitted to this site on Tuesday 1 November 2005.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Darrell Scott who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Darrell Scott
This quote was submitted on Tuesday 1 November 2005.
'In 1979, at age 19, I was in a house band in a honky tonk in San Bernardino, California where Gene Watson and The Farewell Party were once our Saturday night guests.
At the end of the night, he asked me to join his band (he had a great steel player Tiny Olson, I recall). I think Gene meant for me to join right then, to get on the bus and go. While I was honoured to be asked, I didn't do it.
I have often thought what in the world I would have seen from the windows of The Farewell Party bus. Gene is a great country singer - a direct lineage of Merle Haggard and George Jones, but completely, his own voice'.
Thank you, Darrell Scott, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Darrell Scott...
Darrell Scott has been, since 1992, a much sought after multi-instrumentalist and is an acclaimed performer and recording artist.
Darrell Scott was born on a tobacco farm in London, Kentucky in 1959 and was raised in East Gary, Indiana. He was part of a musical family; Darrell's father Wayne, a steelworker by trade was a songwriter in his heart, who moved his clan to southern California when Darrell was eleven years old.
Soon Darrell and brothers Denny, Dale, Don and David were part of their dad’s band, getting on-the-job training in country music as they played its hits on the stages of roadhouses and taverns as far north as Alaska.
Darrell eventually left the band and California, paying some more musical dues in Toronto and in Boston and earning a degree in poetry from nearby Tufts University, where he also studied literature.
With his lyric skills sharpened and his abilities on guitars, banjo and other instruments already road-tested, Darrell Scott followed his muse to Nashville. His key to entering Music Row’s inner circles was, at first, his string-slinging skills - starting in 1992, he appeared on albums by alt country mavericks Guy Clark (for whom he later produced two albums) and Steve Earle, Randy Travis, Patty Loveless and Brad Paisley.
Darrell Scott has also proved himself to be a songwriter of note and has had his songs recorded by an array of his fellow country music artists, including the following:
Doug Stone recorded Darrell Scott's 'Honky Tonk Mona Lisa' (co-written with Marcus Hummon) and included the track on 'Faith in Me, Faith in You' (Columbia Records, 1995).
Suzy Bogguss recorded Darrell Scott's 'No Way Out' (co-written with Marcus Hummon) and included the track on 'Give Me Some Wheels' (Liberty Records, 1996).
Guy Clark recorded Darrell Scott's 'Out In The Parking Lot' (co-written with Guy Clark) and included the track on 'Keepers' (Sugar Hill Records, 1997).
Garth Brooks recorded Darrell Scott's 'When There's No-One Around' (co-written with Tim O'Brien) and included the track on 'Sevens' (Capitol Records, 1997).
Dixie Chicks recorded Darrell Scott's 'Heartbreak Town' and included the track on 'Fly' (Monument Records, 1999).
Trace Adkins recorded Darrell Scott's 'Someday' and included the track on 'More' (Capitol Records, 1999).
Travis Tritt recorded Darrell Scott's 'It's A Great Day To Be Alive' and included the track on 'Down The Road I Go' (Columbia Records, 2000).
Sara Evans recorded Darrell Scott's 'Born To Fly' (co-written with Marcus Hummon) and included the track on 'Born to Fly' (RCA Records, 2000).
Patty Loveless recorded Darrell Scott's 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive' and included the track on 'Mountain Soul' (Epic Records, 2001); Darrell Scott also played banjo and dobro on the album.
Brad Paisley recorded Darrell Scott's 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive' and included the track on 'Part II' (Arista Records, 2001).
Diamond Rio recorded Darrell Scott's 'I'm Trying' (co-written with Tia Sillers) and included the track on 'One More Day' (Arista Records, 2001).
Dixie Chicks recorded Darrell Scott's 'Long Time Gone' and included the track on 'Home' (Monument Records, 2002).
Darryl Worley recorded Darrell Scott's 'Family Tree' and included the track on 'I Miss My Friend' (Dreamworks Records, 2002).
Tim McGraw recorded Darrell Scott's 'Old Town New' (co-written with Bruce Robison) and included the track on 'Live Like You Were Dying' (Curb Records, 2004).
Julie Roberts recorded Darrell Scott's 'No Way Out' (co-written with Marcus Hummon) and included the track on 'Julie Roberts' (Mercury Records, 2004).
Andy Griggs recorded Darrell Scott's 'My Kind Of Beautiful' (co-written with Marcus Hummon and Andy Griggs) and included the track on 'This I Gotta See' (RCA Records, 2004).
Brad Paisley recorded Darrell Scott's 'Out In The Parking Lot' (co-written with Guy Clark) and included the track on 'Time Well Wasted' (Arista Records, 2005); the track was a duet with Alan Jackson.
Faith Hill recorded Darrell Scott's 'We've Got Nothing But Love to Prove' and included the track on (the North American release only) of 'Fireflies' (Warner Bros. Records, 2005).
Sam Bush recorded Darrell Scott's 'River Take Me' and included the track on 'Laps in Seven' (Sugar Hill Records, 2006).
Guy Clark recorded Darrell Scott's 'Out In The Parking Lot' (co-written with Guy Clark) and included the track on 'Work Bench Songs' (Sugar Hill Records, 2006).
Tim McGraw recorded Darrell Scott's 'I'm Working' (co-written with Lori McKenna) and included the track on 'Let It Go' (Curb Records, 2007).
Kathy Mattea recorded Darrell Scott's 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive' and included the track on 'Coal' (Captain Potato Records, 2008).
Maura O'Connell recorded Darrell Scott's 'This Beggar's Heart' and included the track on 'Naked' (Sugar Hill Records, 2009).
As his 'day job' as a picker flourished, Darrell Scott channelled his other creative energies into his own song-writing and recordings. Darrell's debut album, 'Aloha from Nashville' (Sugar Hill Records, 1997), was followed by 'Family Tree' (Sugar Hill Records, 1999) and 'Real Time' (Full Light Records, 2000), the latter a duet album with 'new-grass' trailblazer Tim O’Brien.
The Dixie Chicks’ recording of 'Long Time Gone' from 'Real Time' was not only a hit for the Chicks but garnered a 2003 Grammy nomination for 'Best Country Song'. 'The Second Mouse', a Darrell Scott/Tim O’Brien tune from 'Real Time', was a Grammy finalist as 'Best Country Instrumental Performance' in 2001. It was also in 2001 that Darrell Scott was named 'Songwriter of the Year' by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, an honour repeated by ASCAP in 2002.
Darrell Scott’s solo albums, session work, touring gigs with Steve Earle’s Bluegrass Dukes, Guy Clark and New Grass Revival founder Sam Bush and his own live shows have steadily drawn excellent reviews.
In 2003, Darrell Scott launched his own record label, Full Light Records; his first move as owner was to produce a traditional, mountain country album for his father, 'This Weary Way', that finally showcased Wayne’s original songs.
Darrell Scott is a such a distinctive and creative force in contemporary music.
Visit Darrell Scott's Official Site