Gene Watson Peer's Quote from David Allan: September 2008
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 2008 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 David Allan, which he submitted to this site on Monday 12 September 2008.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to David Allan who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
David Allan
This quote was submitted on Monday 12 September 2008.
'It was my huge pleasure to work with Gene on a number of occasions in the 1970s and 1980s when I was presenting BBC Radio 2's 'Country Club' and the BBC Television coverage of the Wembley Festivals.
The response was always tremendous - and no wonder! Here is a stone country singer with an incredible ability to connect with his audiences.
When Gene sings of love, heartache and happiness, you know it's for real. He has, simply, one of the best voices in the business - on a par, I would suggest, with the likes of George Jones and Merle Haggard.
Gene sounds even better today and it's nothing short of a disgrace that many of the 'powers that be' who program our radio and TV shows don't appreciate his very special talent and the fact that he has so many fans.
Gene Watson IS genuine, from the heart country music; a billion miles away from the plastic, modern Nashville sound. Gene is the real McCoy!'
Thank you, David Allan, for your support of Gene Watson.
About David Allan...
David Allan, who was born in Bury, Lancashire in England on Wednesday 7 August 1940, is a British television continuity announcer and country music radio presenter.
In 1957, David Allan attained his first job as an assistant stage manager at Manchester Library Theatre and, for the next nine years, he worked at various theatres around the United Kingdom.
In June 1966, David Allan began broadcasting on the middle-of-the-road music formatted offshore pirate radio station Radio 390.
Radio 390 was an offshore pirate radio station which broadcast from the Red Sands Fort in the Thames Estuary in south-east England on 773kHz AM/Medium Wave between 1965 and 1967.
On Radio 390, David Allan hosted such shows as 'The Jim Reeves Show', 'Country Style' and 'Music From The Shows'. The photo (above) is of Stephen West (seated) and David Allan pictured together in the Radio 390 studio in 1966.
Following his days as a pirate radio broadcaster, David Allan specialised in country music shows for British Forces Broadcasting, the BBC and commercial radio in the UK.
David Allan also presented the annual Wembley Country Music Festival coverage on BBC Television between 1975 and 1990.
Throughout the late 1960s, 1970s and part of the 1980s, David Allan was the voice of BBC Radio 2's country music coverage.
One of the great television voices of all time, with warmth and reassurance, David Allan was a BBC Television voice-only announcer for twenty-five years, from 1969 until 1972 (freelance) and from 1972 to 1994 (staff).
David Allan also provided voice-overs on BBC Television's 'Points Of View' in 1987 and was a BBC Radio 2 presenter from 1976, hosting 'Country Club' with Wally Whyton. David Allan was also a BBC World Service Television announcer in 1992.
From 1995, David Allan was heard on ITV as a relief announcer for Carlton Television, the ITV television franchise company for London, England; Carlton Television held the London franchise between 1993 and 2002.
In October 2002, David Allan joined the national ITV1 announcing team as a freelance announcer and covered the overnight shifts.
In 1994, David Allan began presenting shows on London's Country 1035AM.
London's Country 1035AM was the UK's first 24-hour-a-day terrestrial country music service, which began broadcasting to the London area on 1035kHz AM/Medium Wave at 10.35am on the morning of Thursday 1 September 1994; the first song played was Garth Brooks' 'Friends In Low Places'.
London's Country 1035AM was intended to be the ultimate country music service for the London area with latest releases and old favourites (British, Irish and American), together with star interviews, news and views, plus outside broadcasts, including a 'live' feed from Nashville of the Grand Ole Opry, along with a trucker's show at night, requests and phone-ins.
David Allan was one of those responsible for developing the initial 'sound' for London's Country 1035AM. However, prior to the September 1994 launch of London's Country 1035AM, the financial backers of the station had a change of heart and direction, and decided that the country music content of the service would be 'watered down' in order to appeal to a wider 'mainstream' audience. It was this decision that forced David Allan to leave London's Country 1035AM.
Following his time with London's Country 1035AM, David Allan returned to national BBC radio; he hosted the weekly 'Country Club' show on BBC Radio 2 from Thursday 5 January 1995.
David Allan also hosted shows for Melody FM in London which was an easy listening radio service that was on-air between July 1990 and June 1998; he also presented weekend shows for Primetime Radio between 2002 and 2004.
In November 2002, David Allan was presented with the Country Music Association's prestigious 2002 International Broadcaster Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the world of country music broadcasting.
At the time of the acquisition of this Gene Watson 'Peer's Quote' from David Allan, in September 2008, David Allan was an announcer on the Military History Channel on Sky television.
It was also at this time that David Allan was a columnist for 'The David Allan Page' in the United Kingdom's highly respected Country Music People.
Visit David Allan's Official Site
Visit Country Music People Official Site