Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Kieran Kane: May 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 gene-watson.com, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Kieran Kane, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 31 May 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Kieran Kane who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Kieran Kane
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 31 May 2006.
'I think of Gene Watson as one of the greatest country singers of all time and honestly can't think of a single singer popular on the radio today who could deliver a song with the strength or subtlety that he possesses.
And I mean it. He is truly amazing and his choice of songs killer. It's sad to think that many of those songs would not find a home on the modern so-called country music stations'.
Thank you, Kieran Kane, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Kieran Kane...
Kieran Kane was born on Friday 7 October 1949 in the Queens borough of New York City and grew up in Mount Vernon where he heard plenty of country music on jukeboxes. It was his brother who turned him onto bluegrass music when he was thirteen years old. After high school, Kieran spent a couple of years at Boston University and Suffolk University, but he gave up his education in order to concentrate on making music.
Eventually, Kane Kane shifted his focus to bluegrass music, before relocating to Los Angeles, California in 1971 where he found work as a session guitarist and songwriter.
Kieran Kane eventually met Deborah Allen and Rafe VanHoy who persuaded him to try his luck in Nashville, where he arrived in 1979. It didn't take Kieran long to find success in Music City, where he signed a song-writing deal with the Tree Publishing Company.
T.G. Sheppard recorded Kieran Kane's 'I Came Home To Make Love To You' and included the track on '3/4 Lonely' (Warner Bros. Records, 1979).
Kieran Kane also signed to a recording contract with Elektra Records; although several singles were released for the label, an album was never released and Kieran soon left the label over creative disputes.
Kieran Kane's talents as a consummate songwriter were soon evident; Johnny Duncan (Wednesday 5 October 1938 - Monday 14 August 2006) recorded Kieran's 'Play Another Slow Song', which reached No.17 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1980.
Kieran Kane also played a prominent mandolin fill on the intro to Hank Williams Junior's No.1 hit 'Texas Women' (No.1 for one week in March/April 1981).
It was also in 1981 that Kieran Kane saw the release of his self-titled debut album; 'Kieran Kane' (Elektra Records, 1981) was released by Elektra Records and included two Billboard Top 20 hits: 'You're The Best' and 'It's Who You Love'. However, creative differences forced him to relinquish his contract, so Kieran then decided to concentrate on his song-writing.
An Alabama recorded Kieran Kane's 'Gonna Have A Party' and included the track on Mountain Music' (RCA Records, 1982); the track gained significant country music radio airplay in 1982.
Janie Fricke recorded Kieran Kane's 'Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby' (co-written with Bruce Channel and Deborah Allen) and included the track on 'Sleeping With Your Memory' (Columbia Records, 1982); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in July 1982.
Oak Ridge Boys recorded Kieran Kane's 'Doctor's Orders' (co-written with Rory Bourke and Bruce Channel) and included the track on 'Bobbie Sue' (MCA Records, 1982).
John Conlee recorded Kieran Kane's 'As Long As I'm Rockin' With You' and included the track on 'In My Eyes' (MCA Records, 1983); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in May 1984.
Mel McDaniel (Sunday 6 September 1942 - Thursday 31 March 2011) recorded Kieran Kane's 'Doctor's Orders' (co-written with Rory Bourke and Bruce Chanel) and included the track on 'Stand Up' (Capitol Records, 1985).
It was while Kieran Kane was at the Tree Publishing Company that he met fellow artist Jamie O'Hara and together they formed The O'Kanes in 1985. Together they saw the release, on Columbia Records, of three successful and critically acclaimed albums:
'The O'Kanes' (Columbia Records, 1986)
'Tired Of The Running' (Columbia Records, 1988)
'Imagine That' (Columbia Records, 1989)
Tammy Wynette's highly acclaimed 'Higher Ground' (Epic Records, 1987) was released by Epic Records in 1987 and included three tracks which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart; 'Your Love' (No.12, 1987), 'Talkin' To My Myself Again' (No.16, 1987) and 'Beneath A Painted Sky' (No.25, 1988).
Tammy Wynette's 'Higher Ground' (Epic Records, 1987), which was produced by Steve Buckingham, featured extraordinary musicians and guest vocalists.
Guest vocalists on Tammy Wynette's 'Higher Ground' (Epic Records, 1987) included the following:
Ricky Skaggs: background vocals on 'Your Love'
Gene Watson: background vocals on 'Tempted'
Vern Gosdin (Sunday 5 August 1934 - Tuesday 28 April 2009): duet vocal on 'Some Things Will Never Change', which was written by Troy Seals and Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004)
Emmylou Harris: background vocals on 'Beneath A Painted Sky'
Vince Gill: background vocals on 'I Wasn't Meant To Live My Life Alone' (written by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet)
Larry, Steve and Rudy Gatlin: background vocals on 'Higher Ground'
The O'Kanes (Kieran Kane and Jamie O'Hara): background vocals on 'Talking To Myself Again' (written by Jamie O'Hara)
Harry Stinson, John Wesley Ryles and Ricky Van Shelton: background vocals on 'A Slow Burning Fire'
Paul Overstreet: background vocals on 'There's No Heart So Strong' (written by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet)
Rodney Crowell and Jeanne Smith (background vocals on 'All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad')
Musicians who participated in Tammy Wynette's 'Higher Ground' (Epic Records, 1987) recording sessions included the following:
Mark O'Connor: fiddle, mandolin and guitar
Jerry Douglas: dobro
Mark Casstevens: guitar
Steve Gibson: guitar
Steve Buckingham: guitar
Paul Franklin: steel guitar dobro
Tom Robb: bass
Roy Huskey Junior (Monday 17 December 1956 - Saturday 6 September 1997): upright bass
Eddie Bayers: drums
Randy McCormick: piano
Jay Spell: accordian
The O'Kanes scored seven Top Ten singles on the Billboard country music singles chart between 1986 and 1990, including 'Oh Darlin' (Why Don't You Care For Me No More)', 'Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You' (No.1 for one week in May 1987), 'Daddies Need To Grow Up Too' (1987), 'Just Lovin' You' (1987), 'One True Love' (1988) and 'Blue Love' (1988).
The O'Kanes disbanded in 1989.
Trisha Yearwood recorded Kieran Kane's 'Oh Lonesome You' (co-written with Jamie O'Hara) and included the track on 'Hearts In Armor' (MCA Records, 1992).
Don Williams recorded Kieran Kane's 'It's Who You Love' (co-written with Rory Bourke and Charlie Black) and included the track on 'Currents' (RCA Records, 1992).
In 1993, Kieran Kane returned to his career as a solo performer; he signed to Atlantic Records that year and saw the release of his critically acclaimed 'Find My Way Home' (Atlantic Records, 1993).
Emmylou Harris recorded Kieran Kane's 'The Light' (co-written with Emmylou Harris) and included the track on 'Cowgirl's Prayer' (Elektra Records, 1993).
Due to poor sales of 'Find My Way Home' (Atlantic Records, 1993), Kieran Kane was soon dropped from Atlantic Records' roster. Two years later, in 1995, Kieran Kane, along with fellow singer/songwriters Kevin Welch, Tammy Rogers and Harry Stinson, launched the Nashville-based independent record label Dead Reckoning and saw the release of Kieran Kane's highly acclaimed 'Dead Rekoning' album the same year.
Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton recorded Kieran Kane's 'When We're Gone, Long Gone' (co-written with James Paul O'Hara) and included the track on 'Trio II' (Asylum Records, 1999).
Kieran Kane is also a talented visual artist and his paintings are renowned the world over, examples of which can be viewed on his visual arts website.
Pinmonkey recorded Kieran Kane's 'Mountain Music' (co-written with Sean Locke and Chad Jeffers) and included the track on 'Big Shiny Cars' (Back Porch Records, 2006).
Don Williams recorded Kieran Kane's 'Imagine That' (co-written with Jamie O'Hara) and included the track on 'And So It Goes' (Sugar Hill Records, 2012); the track had originally been the title track of The O'Kanes' 'Imagine That' (Columbia Records, 1989).
Singer/songwriter Jamie O'Hara was born on Tuesday 8 August 1950, in Toledo, Ohio. Originally a college football star, a knee injury forced him to look for career opportunities outside of the NFL. Jamie picked up a guitar and eventually began to sing and play his songs at shows throughout the Midwest. Other performers took notice and O'Hara began to establish himself as a songwriter.
In 1975, Jamie O'Hara signed a publishing contract with Nashville's Tree Records.
Mel McDaniel (Sunday 6 September 1942 - Thursday 31 March 2011) recorded Jamie O'Hara's 'Nobody Said It Was Easy', which was co-written with Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 - Sunday 3 March 2002) and included the track on 'Naturally Country' (Capitol Records, 1983).
In 1985, Jamie O'Hara and another Tree songwriter named Kieran Kane collaborated on the song 'Bluegrass Blues', which The Judds would eventually record. That meeting led the duo to begin writing and performing together as The O'Kanes.
They secured a deal with Columbia Records and went on to release three highly acclaimed country albums between 1987 and 1990:
'The O'Kanes' (Columbia Records, 1986)
'Tired Of The Running' (Columbia Records, 1988)
'Imagine That' (Columbia Records, 1989)
After The O'Kanes broke up, Jamie O'Hara returned to his duties as a songwriter.
Don Williams recorded Jamie O'Hara's 'Desperately' (co-written with Kevin Welch) and included the track on 'Prime Cuts' (Capitol Records, 1989).
Jann Browne recorded Jamie O'Hara's 'You Ain't Down Home' and included the track on 'Tell Me Why' (Curb Records, 1990).
Jamie O'Hara also found time, however, to release his solo debut. 'Rise Above It' (RCA Records, 1994) was released on RCA Records in 1994; O'Hara wrote the entire album himself. While 'Rise About It' was a success, its follow-up didn't appear until 2001, when Jamie O'Hara released the richly textured 'Beautiful Obsession' (Valley Records, 2001).
Mandy Barnett recorded Jamie O'Hara's 'Baby Don't You Know' and included the track on 'Mandy Barnett' (Asylum Records, 1996).
Alan Jackson recorded Kieran Kane's 'I'll Go On Loving You' and included the track on 'High Mileage' (Arista Records, 1999).
Gary Allan recorded Jamie O'Hara's 'I Ain't Running Yet' (co-written with Gary Nicholson) and included the track on 'It Would Be You' (Decca Records, 1999).
Gary Allan recorded Jamie O'Hara's 'We Fly By Night' (co-written with Gary Allan and Odie Blackmon) and included the track on 'Get Off On The Pain' (MCA Records, 2010).
Don Williams recorded Jamie O'Hara's 'Imagine That' (co-written with Kieran Kane) and included the track on 'And So It Goes' (Sugar Hill Records, 2012); the track had originally been the title track of The O'Kanes' 'Imagine That' (Columbia Records, 1989).
Visit Kieran Kane's Official Site
Visit Kieran Kane's Official Artist Site