Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Gretchen Peters: September 2006
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 2006 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 Gretchen Peters, which she submitted to this site on Monday 4 September 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Gretchen Peters who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Gretchen Peters
This quote was submitted on Monday 4 September 2006.
'I remember very clearly the first time I heard Gene Watson's voice. I was driving my old Pontiac in Denver, Colorado late at night, and 'Farewell Party' came on the radio. I was a new convert to country music back then, just soaking up whatever I could find.
The last note Gene sings on that record pinned my ears back and nearly made me wreck the car. It was an astonishing voice and a perfect song. I was blown away. The next day I went out and bought every Gene Watson record I could find. He remains, to this day, one of my very favourite country singers'.
Thank you, Gretchen Peters, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Gretchen Peters...
Gretchen Peters was born on Thursday 14 November 1957 in Bronxville, New York and has been hailed by many as one of Nashville's best contemporary songwriters, her intelligent and introspective songs having been covered by pop, country, blues and folk artists all over the world.
Gretchen Peters, although born in New York was, in fact, raised in Boulder, Colorado but moved to Nashville in the late 1980s. There, she found work as a songwriter, composing hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, Billy Ray Cyrus, Pam Tillis and George Strait, as well as for rock singers Neil Diamond and co-writing songs with Bryan Adams.
George Strait recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Chill Of An Early Fall' (co-written with Daniel Green) and included the track on 'Chill Of An Early Fall' (MCA Records, 1991).
Randy Travis recorded Gretchen Peters' 'High Lonesome' and included the track on 'High Lonesome' (Warner Bros. Records, 1991).
Lionel Cartwright recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Susannah' and included the track on 'Chasin' The Sun' (MCA Records, 1991).
Martina McBride recorded Gretchen Peters' 'When You Are Old' and included the track on 'The Time Has Come' (RCA Records, 1992).
Holly Dunn recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Golden Years' (co-written with Sam Hogin) and included the track on 'Getting It Dunn' (Warner Bros. Records, 1992).
Martina McBride recorded Gretchen Peters' 'My Baby Loves Me' and included the track on 'The Way That I Am' (RCA Nashville Records, 1993); the track reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1993.
Martina McBride recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Independence Day' and included the track on 'The Way That I Am' (RCA Nashville Records, 1993); the track reached No.12 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1993 and Gretchen Peters won the Country Music Association (CMA) 'Song Of The Year' Award for the song in 1994.
Patty Loveless recorded Gretchen Peters' 'You Don't Even Know Who I Am' and included the track on 'When Fallen Angels Fly' (Epic Records, 1994); Gretchen Peters received a Grammy Award nomination for the song.
Trisha Yearwood recorded Gretchen Peters' 'On A Bus To St. Cloud' and included the track on 'Thinkin' About You' (MCA Records, 1995); the track reached No.59 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in early 1996.
Neil Diamond recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Talking Optimist Blues (Good Day Today)' (co-written with Neil Diamond) and included the track on 'Tennessee Moon' (Columbia Records, 1996).
Michelle Wright recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Nobody's Girl' and included the track on 'For Me It's You' (Arista Records, 1996).
Alabama recorded Gretchen Peters' 'New Year's Eve 1999' and included the track on 'Christmas Volume II' (RCA Records, 1996); the track reached No.55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in 1996.
Patty Loveless recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Like Water Into Wine' and included the track on 'Long Stretch Of Lonesome' (Epic Records, 1997).
Faith Hill recorded Gretchen Peters' 'The Secret Of Life' and included the track on 'Faith' (Warner Bros. Records, 1998); the track reached No.4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in April 1999.
Martina McBride recorded Gretchen Peters' 'This Uncivil War' and included the track on 'Emotion' (RCA Records, 1999).
Billy Ray Cyrus recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Hey Elvis' (co-written with Bryan Adams) and included the track on 'Southern Rain' (Monument Records, 2000).
Trisha Yearwood recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Inside Out' (co-written with Bryan Adams) and included the track on 'Inside Out' (MCA Records, 2001); the track was a duet with Don Henley.
Andy Griggs recorded Gretchen Peters' 'If Heaven' and included the track on 'This I Gotta See' (RCA Records, 2004).
As an artist, Gretchen Peters regularly tours in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe to sold out crowds, and continues to do so.
As a recording artist in her own right, Gretchen Peters has seen the release of a number of studio albums, all of which have been released to widespread critical acclaim.
On Tuesday 4 June 1996, Gretchen Peters saw the release of her debut album, 'The Secret Of Life' (Purple Crayon Productions, 1996); the album was re-issued (with a different album cover) by Purple Crayon/Valley Entertainment/Grapevine Records in 2001.
All tracks on Gretchen Peters' 'The Secret Of Life' (Purple Crayon Productions, 1996) were written by Gretchen, with the exception of 'Waiting For The Light To Turn Green' (written by Gretchen Peters and Suzy Bogguss) and 'I Ain't Ever Satisfied' (written by Steve Earle).
Gretchen Peters' 'The Secret Of Life' (Purple Crayon Productions, 1996) featured a minor Billboard country music hit single with the track 'When You Are Old'; the song reached No.68 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in 1996Songs chart.
Gretchen Peters' 'The Secret Of Life' (Purple Crayon Productions, 1996) also featured a number of tracks which were hit singles for other artists:
Faith Hill recorded Gretchen Peters' 'The Secret Of Life' and included the track on 'Faith' (Warner Bros. Records, 1998); the track reached No.4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in 1998 and also reached the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart.
Trisha Yearwood recorded Gretchen Peters' 'On A Bus To St. Cloud' and included the track on 'Thinkin' About You' (MCA Records, 1995); the track reached No.59 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in early 1996.
Martina McBride recorded 'When You Are Old' and included the track on 'The Time Has Come' (RCA Nashville Records, 1992).
Martina McBride recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Independence Day' and included the track on 'The Way That I Am' (RCA Nashville Records, 1993); the track reached No.12 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1993 and Gretchen Peters won the Country Music Association (CMA) 'Song Of The Year' Award for the song in 1994.
Martina McBride recorded Gretchen Peters' 'This Uncivil War' and included the track on 'Emotion' (RCA Records, 1999).
On Tuesday 13 February 2001, Gretchen Peters saw the release of 'Gretchen Peters' (Purple Crayon Productions/Valley Entertainment/Grapevine Records, 2001).
All tracks on Gretchen Peters' 'Gretchen Peters' (Purple Crayon Productions/Valley Entertainment/Grapevine Records, 2001) were written by Gretchen, with the exception of 'In A Perfect World' (written by Gretchen Peters and Bryan Adams).
Gretchen Peters' 'Gretchen Peters' (Purple Crayon Productions/Valley Entertainment/Grapevine Records, 2001) featured a track which was recorded by another artist:
Suzy Bogguss recorded Gretchen Peters' 'Souvenirs' and included the track on 'Something Up My Sleeve' (Liberty Records, 1993); the track reached No.65 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in 1994.
On Monday 31 May 2004, Gretchen Peters saw the release of 'Halcyon' (Purple Crayon Productions/Curb Records Ltd. UK, 2004).
All tracks on Gretchen Peters' 'Halcyon' (Purple Crayon Productions/Curb Records Ltd. UK, 2004) were written by Gretchen, with the exception of 'Blessing In Disguise' (written by Gretchen Peters and Bryan Adams).
On Tuesday 28 March 2006, Gretchen Peters saw the release of 'Gretchen Peters Trio Live' (Purple Crayon Productions, 2006).
On Tuesday 7 August 2007, Gretchen Peters saw the release of 'Burnt Toast & Offerings' (Scarlet Letter Records/Curb Records Ltd. UK, 2007).
All tracks on Gretchen Peters' 'Burnt Toast & Offerings' (Scarlett Letter Records/Curb Records Ltd. UK, 2007) were written by Gretchen Peters, with the exception of 'The Lady Of The House' (written by Gretchen Peters and David Mead) and 'One For My Baby' (written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer).
On Tuesday 21 October 2008, Gretchen Peters saw the release of her first album of Christmas-related material, 'Northern Lights' (Scarlet Letter Records, 2008). The album includes three Gretchen Peters compositions; 'December Child', 'Waitin' On Mary' and 'Northern Lights'.
Gretchen Peters' 'Northern Lights' (Scarlett Letter Records, 2008) also included 'Song For A Winter's Night' (written by Gordon Lightfoot), 'Coventry Carol (Prelude)', 'Coventry Carol', 'I Wonder As I Wander', '(Charlie's) Angels', 'In The Bleak Midwinter', 'Careful How You Go', 'Christmas Time Is Here' and 'Silent Night'.
On Sunday 1 February 2009, Gretchen Peters saw the release of 'One To The Heart, One To The Head' (Frontera Records/Scarlet Letter Records, 2009), an album project she recorded with Tom Russell.
'One To The Heart, One To The Head' (Frontera Records/Scarlet Letter Records, 2009) included the following tracks:
'North Platte' (instrumental written by Barry Walsh)
'Prairie In The Sky' (written by Mary McCaslin)
'Billy 4' (written by Bob Dylan)
'Blue Mountains Of Mexico' (written by Ian Tyson)
'These Cowboys Born Out Of Their Time' (written by Tom Dundee)
'Guadalupe' (written by Tom Russell)
'Sweet And Shiny Eyes' (written by Nan O’Byrne)
'Wolves' (written by Stephanie Davis)
'Snowin' On Raton', written by Townes Van Zandt (Tuesday 7 March 1944 - Wednesday 1 January 1997)
'Old Paint' (traditional)
'My Last Go Round' (written by Rosalie Sorrels)
'If I Had A Gun' (written by Rebecca Folsom, Celeste Krenz, Elizabeth Barnez and Diana Jones)
'Prairie Melancholy' (written by Jennifer Warnes and Nancy Bacal)
On Tuesday 12 May 2009, Gretchen Peters saw the release of a 'Best of' compilation album, 'Circus Girl' (Scarlet Letter Records, 2009).
In 2011, Gretchen Peters saw the release of the 'Wine, Women & Song' DVD, which featured Matraca Berg, Gretchen Peters and Suzy Bogguss.
The DVD, which has a 1-hour total running time, includes interviews, candid footage and eleven complete songs; 'Outbound Plane', 'Black Ribbons', 'You Don’t Even Know Who I Am', 'Heartache', 'Guadalupe', 'Helpless', 'South Of Heaven', 'To Say Goodbye', 'Strawberry Wine', 'Shenandoah' and 'Farther Along'.
On Tuesday 31 January 2012, Gretchen Peters saw the release of her highly acclaimed 'Hello Cruel World' (Scarlet Letter Records, 2012).
Visit Gretchen Peters' Official Site