Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Irene Kelley: July 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 Irene Kelley, which she submitted to this site on Monday 31 July 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Irene Kelley who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Irene Kelley
This quote was submitted on Monday 31 July 2006.
'I would be glad to provide a quote.
Gene Watson's voice rang through my AM radio like a bell in my hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania before I decided to be a part of the Nashville music community.
He was such an inspiration to me and his records set a high standard'.
Thank you, Irene Kelley, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Irene Kelley...
Irene Kelley, who hails from Latrobe, Pennsylvania cites Dolly Parton as one of her influences. She began to pick guitar when she was nineteen years old and also began to focus on her own song-writing ability.
Irene Kelley sent some of her songs to music publishers in Nashville which generated a reply from Gordon Payne at CBS Records. It was Payne who asked her to come to Nashville to cut some demos; musicians on her first recording session included Marty Stuart, Sonny Curtis and Jody Maphis.
After signing with the publishing company, Irene and her husband moved to Nashville in 1983, promptly scoring cuts by Carl Jackson ('You Are A Rock And I Am A Rolling Stone') and the hit Ricky Skaggs/Sharon White duet 'Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This'.
Not long after moving to Nashville, Irene Kelley recorded an album for MCA Records. It yielded two singles: 'Love Is A Hard Road' and her own charting version of 'You Are A Rock (And I Am A Rolling Stone)'. The full version of the album, however, was never released.
Undaunted, Irene Kelley discovered that, in Nashville, song-writing could be a career. Her songs soon found homes on recordings by Loretta Lynn, Trisha Yearwood, Brother Phelps, Rhonda Vincent, Claire Lynch, The Osborne Brothers, The Whites, Ricky Skaggs and Carl Jackson.
In 1999 Irene Kelley wrote, recorded and co-produced (with Scott Neubert) her own album titled 'Simple Path' which was initially released on her own label and was later made available on Relentless Records. Her collaborators on the album included Darrell Scott, Kim Richey, Claire Lynch, Kim Patton-Johnson, Mark Irwin and Michael Joyce.
It was while Irene Kelley was performing 'I'm A Little Bluer Than That' from the 'Simple Path' album on the venerable Grand Ol' Opry that fellow country star Alan Jackson caught the performance on WSM while he was driving home.
Alan Jackson called their mutual publisher and asked for a copy of the song. He duly recorded the track and included it on 'Drive' (Arista Records, 2002), his quintuple-platinum CMA album of the year; Alan also asked Irene to add her lilting harmonies to his version of the song.
Irene Kelley's compositions have been recorded by a number of her country music peers, including Trisha Yearwood, Little Big Town, Brother Phelps, Carl Jackson ('You Are A Rock And I'm A Rolling Stone'), Stevens Sisters ('Run To The Well, Virginia'), The Whites, Claire Lynch, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White, Pat Green and Bill Anderson.
Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White recorded Irene Kelley's 'Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This' (co-written with Nancy Montgomery) and included the track on 'Love's Gonna Get Ya' (Epic Records, 1986).
The Whites recorded Irene Kelley's 'Jesus, Rock My Baby' and included the track on 'Ain't No Binds' (MCA Records, 1986).
Rhonda Vincent recorded Irene Kelley's 'Moving On' (co-written with Nancy Montgomery) and included the track on 'Timeless And True Love' (Rebel Records, 1991); Carl Jackson, along with Russell Moore, Alison Krauss, David Parmley and Johnny Vincent provided harmony vocals on the album.
Brother Phelps recorded Irene Kelley's 'Not So Different After All' (co-written with Jeff Hughes) and included the track on 'Any Way The Wind Blows' (Asylum Records, 1995).
Trisha Yearwood recorded Irene Kelley's 'O, Mexico' (co-written with Michael G. Joyce) and included the track on 'Thinkin' About You' (MCA Records, 1995).
Claire Lynch recorded Irene Kelley's 'Silver And Gold' and included the track on 'Silver And Gold' (Rounder Records, 1997).
Claire Lynch recorded Irene Kelley's 'Jealousy' and included the track on 'Silver And Gold' (Rounder Records, 1997).
Loretta Lynn recorded Irene Kelley's 'Hold Her' and included the track on 'Still Country' (Audium Records, 2000).
Claire Lynch recorded Irene Kelley's 'Keep My Love There While I'm Gone' and included the track on 'Love Light' (Rounder Records, 2000).
Trisha Yearwood recorded Irene Kelley's 'Second Chance' (co-written with Clay Mills and Tony Ramey) and included the track on 'Inside Out' (MCA Records, 2001).
Alan Jackson recorded Irene Kelley's 'I'm A Little Bluer Than That' (co-written with Mark Irwin) and included the track on 'Drive' (Arista Records, 2002).
Little Big Town recorded Irene Kelley's 'Don't Waste My Time' and included the track on 'Little Big Town' (Monument Records, 2002).
Pat Green recorded Irene Kelley's 'Somewhere Between Texas And Mexico' (co-written with Trent Summar) and included the track on 'Lucky Ones' (Universal/Mercury/Republic Records, 2004).
Bill Anderson recorded Irene Kelley's 'Cold All The Time' and included the track on 'The Way I Feel' (Varese Records, 2005).
Karen Lynne recorded Irene Kelley's 'It Wasn't Me' and included the track on 'Changes' (Shoestring Records Australia, 2006).
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