Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Shawn Camp: August 2010

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 2010 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 Shawn Camp, which he submitted to this site on Friday 20 August 2010.

Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Shawn Camp who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.

Gene Watson and Shawn Camp at the BMI Event to honour Hank Cochran in Nashville on Monday 19 June 2009

Shawn Camp
This quote was submitted on Friday 20 August 2010.

'I'm absolutely a fan of Gene Watson!

What an amazing voice.  I think he is even getting better with age.

When it comes to singing, he's the best of the best.  My favourite record of his is 'Love in the hot afternoon'.

Thank you, Shawn Camp, for your support of Gene Watson.

About Shawn Camp...

Shawn Camp was born Darrell DeShawn 'Shawn' Camp on Monday 29 August 1966 in Perryville, Arkansas where he was raised by a musical family; Shawn Camp is an American musician who performs country music and Americana music.

Shawn Camp grew up surrounded by music - everything from his mother's Elvis Presley (Tuesday 8 January 1935 - Tuesday 16 August 1977) collection to his father's Merle Haggard records, to picking parties at his home to the sounds of living legends and local heroes at the bluegrass festivals his family regularly visited.

Before he had finished high school, Shawn Camp was playing for country dances around his home and hitting festival stages around the American Midwest as a member of bands with names like the Grand Prairie Boys and Freddie Sanders and Signal Mountain.

Spotted by the Grand Ole Opry's Osborne Brothers at an Iowa festival when he was twenty years old, Shawn Camp moved to Nashville in 1987 to play fiddle with the legendary bluegrass act.

Over the next few years, Shawn lived the life of a sideman, touring for short runs and long stretches alike with country stars and newcomers, ranging from the Burch Sisters to Jerry Reed (Saturday 20 March 1937 - Sunday 31 August 2008), Alan Jackson, Suzy Bogguss and Trisha Yearwood.

Before long, Shawn Camp became a prolific songwriter too - thanks to a fortuitous encounter at Nashville's song-writing Mecca, the Bluebird Café where he met songwriter Dean Miller.

In 1988, Shawn found himself in a session upstairs at the Cowboy Arms and Recording Spa in Nashville with a band called Weary Hearts which included a number of pickers destined for bluegrass stardom - Butch Baldassari, Ron Block, Mike Bub and Chris Jones.

Shawn then struck up a friendship with a couple of Jack Clement's apprentice engineers, David 'Ferg' Ferguson and Cousin Bob, and returned to work on some demos of his own material over the next year or so.

Soon after, Jack Clement stumbled upon Shawn at John Prine's house as they were rehearsing the Whole Damn Family, a loose 'band' of rotating players featuring John Prine, Jim Rooney, David 'Ferg' Ferguson, Pat McLaughlin and others who got together for an annual Christmas show.

In 1991, Shawn Camp was signed to Warner Reprise Records and saw the release of 'Shawn Camp' (Warner Reprise Records, 1993).  Shawn charted with two minor Top 40 Billboard country music singles in 1993; 'Fallin' never felt so good' and 'Confessin' my love' both reached No.39.

But mainstream country music success proved elusive, especially when work on Shawn's second album ground to a halt over creative differences in 1994.

After a writing deal with Patrick Joseph Music and his stint with Warner Reprise Records, Shawn Camp signed with the publishing company, Forerunner, two of whose owners were Jim Rooney and Jack Clement's long-time associate Allen Reynolds, producer of Garth Brooks.

Staff at Forerunner included Pete Wasner (Vince Gill's piano player), George Marinelli (Bonnie Raitt's guitar player), perennial bluegrass Grammy nominee Tim O'Brien and Tony Arata, writer of Garth Brooks' hit 'The dance'.

After Forerunner was sold to Universal Music Group, Shawn Camp became an in-demand co-writer and sideman with the upper echelon of Nashville's singer-songwriters.

Shawn Camp's first No.1 as a songwriter came in early 1998, when Garth Brooks reached the top of the Billboard country music singles chart with 'Two Piña Coladas'.  Later that same year, Brooks and Dunn (Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn) also reached No.1 with 'How long gone'.

Yet even as Shawn Camp was scoring hits with the mainstream, he kept close to his roots too, co-writing with friends like Guy Clark and Jim Lauderdale, another writer with a bluegrass background.  The commercial success of songs like 'How long gone', a Billboard country music No.1 for Brooks and Dunn (Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn) in 1998 was matched by critical acclaim for the likes of 'Forever ain't no trouble now', which appeared on the 2002 Grammy Award winning Jim Lauderdale/Ralph Stanley collaboration, 'Lost in the Lonesome Pines'.

By the end of the 1990s, Shawn Camp grew intent on recording his songs in his own voice; in 2001 he saw the release of 'Lucky Silver Dollar' (Skeeterbit Records, 2001) on his own label.

Combining his own versions of songs like 'How long gone' and 'Can't have one without the other', which had previously been recorded by Tracy Byrd, with new material like 'Tune of the twenty dollar bill', the Mark Miller/Allen Reynolds produced album earned rave reviews but gained very little radio airplay.

Shawn Camp continued, however, to focus on his song-writing until early 2003, when a spur-of-the-moment decision to record a couple of bluegrass shows at a favourite hang-out resulted in 'Live at the Station Inn' (Oh Boy! Records, 2004), which was released in 2004 on John Prine's Oh Boy! Records.

Shawn Camp's collaboration with Jim Lauderdale resulted in the song 'Forever ain't no trouble now', which was included on 'Lost in the Lonesome Pines' (Dualtone Records, 2002), a 'Best Contemporary Bluegrass Album' Grammy Award winner.

In 2002, Shawn Camp wrote a series of songs and toured as a duo with Guy Clark; 'Magnolia wind' and 'Soldier's joy, 1864', which were ShawnCamp/Guy Clark co-writes, were included on Guy Clark's 'The Dark' (Sugar Hill Records, 2002).

In 2004, Shawn Camp saw the release of an album of original bluegrass songs; 'Live at the Station Inn' (Oh Boy! Records, 2004) was released on John Prine's Oh Boy! Records label.

As well as working as an opening act for John Prine, Shawn Camp also played on John's albums, including the 2006 Grammy Award winning 'Fair and Square' (Oh Boy! Records, 2006).

In 2006, Shawn Camp saw the release of 'Fireball' (Thirty Tigers Records, 2006), an album that revealed his strengths as a rootsy, yet modern country music stylist and included songs which evoked memories of country music classics.

It was also in 2006 that Shawn Camp was nominated as 'Songwriter of the Year' by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music (SPBM) and Billboard ranked him No.10 on their 2006 list of 'Hot Country Songwriters'.

Following the release of 'Fireball' (Thirty Tigers Records, 2006), Shawn Camp continued to write hit country songs that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including 'Would you go with me' by Josh Turner (No.1, 2006) and 'Nobody but me' by Blake Shelton (No.4, 2006).

Shawn Camp also co-wrote Josh Turner's 2007 single 'Firecracker' (No.1, 2007) and George Strait's 'River of love' (No.1, 2009), which he performed with George Strait at the 2008 CMA (Country Music Association) Awards show.

Shawn Camp has written, or co-written, an extraordinary catalogue of exemplary country music material, as evidenced by the following list:

Mark Chesnutt recorded Shawn Camp's 'This side of the door' (co-written with Tim Mensy) and included the track on 'What a Way To Live' (Decca Records, 1994).

Diamond Rio recorded Shawn Camp's 'You ain't in it' and included the track on 'Love A Little Stronger' (Arista Records, 1994).

Kenny Chesney recorded Shawn Camp's 'My poor old heart' (co-written with Gary Harrison) and included the track on 'Me & You' (BNA Records, 1996).

Rhett Akins recorded Shawn Camp's 'K-I-S-S-I-N-G' (co-written with Herb McCullough) and included the track on 'Somebody New' (Decca Nashville Records, 1996).

Tracy Byrd recorded Shawn Camp's 'Cowgirl', which was co-written with Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011) and included the track on 'Big Love' (MCA Records, 1996).



Johnny Rodriguez recorded Shawn Camp's 'It Might Take A While But I'll Get Over You' (co-written with Frank Dycus) and included the track on 'You Can Say That Again' (Hightone Records, 1996).

Tracy Byrd recorded Shawn Camp's 'Walkin' the line' (co-written with Wynn Varble and Randy Hardison) and included the track on 'I'm From The Country' (MCA Records, 1998).

Tracy Byrd recorded Shawn Camp's 'Every time I do' (co-written with Taylor Dunn) and included the track on 'I'm From The Country' (MCA Records, 1998).

Garth Brooks recorded Shawn Camp's 'Two Pina coladas' (co-written with Sandy Mason and Benita Hill) and included the track on 'Sevens' (Capitol Records, 1998); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1998.

Garth Brooks recorded Shawn Camp's 'I don't have to wonder' (co-written with Taylor Dunn) and included the track on 'Sevens' (Capitol Records, 1998).

Brooks and Dunn (Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn) recorded Shawn Camp's 'How long gone' (co-written with John Scott Sherrill) and included the track on 'If You See Her' (Arista Records, 1998); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1998.

Randy Travis recorded Shawn Camp's 'A little bitty crack in her heart' (co-written with Jim Rushing) and included the track on 'A Man Ain't Made of Stone' (DreamWorks Records, 1999).

Gary Allan recorded Shawn Camp's 'Sorry' (co-written with Brice Long and Wynn Varble) and included the track on 'Smoke Rings in the Dark' (MCA Records, 1999).

Gary Allan recorded Shawn Camp's 'Greenfields' (co-written with Frank Dycus) and included the track on 'Smoke Rings in the Dark' (MCA Records, 1999).

Guy Clark recorded Shawn Camp's 'Sis Draper' (co-written with Guy Clark) and included the track on 'Cold Dog Soup' (Sugar Hill Records, 1999).

Tracy Byrd recorded Shawn Camp's 'Can't have one without the other' (co-written with Gary Scruggs) and included the track on 'It's About Time' (RCA Records, 1999).

Tracy Byrd recorded Shawn Camp's 'Every time I do' (co-written with Taylor Dunn) and included the track on 'It's About Time' (RCA Records, 1999).

Mark Chesnutt recorded Shawn Camp's 'Fallin' never felt so good' (co-written with Will Smith) and included the track on 'Lost in the Feeling' (MCA Records, 2000).

Mark Chesnutt recorded Shawn Camp's 'Confessin' my love' (co-written with John Scott Sherrill) and included the track on 'Lost in the Feeling' (MCA Records, 2000).

Mark Chesnutt recorded Shawn Camp's 'It pays big money' (co-written with Randy Hardison and Wynn Varble) and included the track on 'Lost in the Feeling' (MCA Records, 2000).

Wade Hayes recorded Shawn Camp's 'Goodbye is the wrong way to go' (co-written with Will Smith) and included the track on 'Highways & Heartaches' (Monument Records, 2000).

Wade Hayes recorded Shawn Camp's 'You just keep on' (co-written with Herb McCullough and Taylor Dunn) and included the track on 'Highways & Heartaches' (Monument Records, 2000).

Wade Hayes recorded Shawn Camp's 'I'm lonesome too' (co-written with Gary Scruggs) and included the track on 'Highways & Heartaches' (Monument Records, 2000).

Brooks and Dunn (Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn) recorded Shawn Camp's 'Lucky me, lonely you' (co-written with Terry McBride and Ronnie Dunn) and included the track on 'Steers & Stripes' (Arista Records, 2001).

Brooks and Dunn (Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn) recorded Shawn Camp's 'Good girls go to heaven' (co-written with Terry McBride and Ronnie Dunn) and included the track on 'Steers & Stripes' (Arista Records, 2001).

George Strait recorded Shawn Camp's 'The middle of nowhere' (co-written with John Scott Sherrill) and included the track on 'Road Less Travelled' (MCA Records, 2001).

John Anderson recorded Shawn Camp's 'Baby's gone home to Mama' (co-written with Herb McCullough) and included the track on 'Nobody's Got It All' (Columbia Records, 2001).

Sammy Kershaw and Lorrie Morgan recorded Shawn Camp's 'He drinks tequila' (co-written with Michele McCord) and included the track on 'I Finally Found Someone' (BNA Records, 2001).

Garth Brooks recorded Shawn Camp's 'Big money' (co-written with Randy Hardison and Wynn Varble) and included the track on 'Scarecrow' (Capitol Records, 2001).

Joe Diffie recorded Shawn Camp's 'Hollow deep as mine' and included the track on 'In Another World' (Monument Records, 2001).

Joe Diffie recorded Shawn Camp's 'The grandpa that I know' (co-written with Tim Mensy) and included the track on 'In Another World' (Monument Records, 2001).

Jim Lauderdale recorded Shawn Camp's 'Redbird' and included the track on 'Lost in the Lonesome Pines' (Dualtone Records, 2002).

Jim Lauderdale recorded Shawn Camp's 'Forever ain't no trouble now' and included the track on 'Lost in the Lonesome Pines' (Dualtone Records, 2002).

Chris LeDoux (Saturday 2 October 1948 - Wednesday 9 March 2005) recorded Shawn Camp's 'I would for you' and included the track on 'After The Storm' (Capitol Nashville Records, 2002).

Darryl Worley recorded Shawn Camp's 'Where you think you're going' (co-written with Wynn Varble and Brice Long) and included the track on 'I Miss My Friend' (DreamWorks Records, 2002).

Patty Loveless recorded Shawn Camp's 'The grandpa that I know' (co-written with Tim Mensy) and included the track on 'On Your Way Home' (Epic Records, 2003).

Gary Allan recorded Shawn Camp's 'I can love you' (co-written with Philip White) and included the track on 'See If I Care' (MCA Records, 2003).

Blake Shelton recorded Shawn Camp's 'Nobody but me' (co-written with Philip White) and included the track on 'Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill' (Warner Bros. Records, 2004); the track reached No.4 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 2004.

Alan Jackson recorded Shawn Camp's 'Burnin' the honky tonks down' (co-written with Billy Burnette) and included the track on 'What I Do' (Arista Records, 2004); the track featured background vocals from Richard Sterban of The Oak Ridge Boys.

Jack Clement recorded Shawn Camp's 'Off to join the world' (co-written with Mark D. Sanders) and included the track on 'Guess Things Happen That Way' (Dualtone Records, 2004).

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder recorded Shawn Camp's 'Sis Draper' (co-written with Guy Clark) and included the track on 'Brand New Strings' (Skaggs Family Records, 2004).

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder recorded Shawn Camp's 'Lonesome & dry as a bone' (co-written with Lindsey and Tillis) and included the track on 'Brand New Strings' (Skaggs Family Records, 2004).

Mark Chesnutt recorded Shawn Camp's 'Since you ain't home' (co-written with Dale Dodson and Ken Mellons) and included the track on 'Savin' The Honky Tonks' (Vivaton Records, 2004).

Joe Diffie recorded Shawn Camp's 'The more you drink, the better I look' and included the track on 'Tougher Than Nails' (Broken Bow Records, 2004).

Randy Travis recorded Shawn Camp's 'A place to hang my hat' (co-written with Byron Hill and Brice Long) and included the track on 'Passing Through' (Word/Warner Bros/Curb Records, 2005).

Randy Travis recorded Shawn Camp's 'My poor old heart' (co-written with Gary Harrison) and included the track on 'Passing Through' (Word/Warner Bros/Curb Records, 2005).

Josh Turner recorded Shawn Camp's 'Would you go with me' (co-written with John Scott Sherrill) and included the track on 'Your Man' (MCA Records, 2006); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for two weeks in 2006.

Josh Turner recorded Shawn Camp's 'Baby's gone home to Mama' (co-written with Herb McCullough) and included the track on 'Your Man' (MCA Records, 2006).

Josh Turner recorded Shawn Camp's 'No rush' (co-written with Brice Long and Billy Burnette) and included the track on 'Your Man' (MCA Records, 2006).

Josh Turner recorded Shawn Camp's 'Loretta Lynn's Lincoln' (co-written with Mark D. Sanders) and included the track on 'Your Man' (MCA Records, 2006).

Bradley Walker recorded Shawn Camp's 'Lost at sea' (co-written with John Scott Sherrill) and included the track on 'Highway of Dreams' (Rounder Records, 2006).

Bradley Walker recorded Shawn Camp's 'We know where he is' (co-written with Buddy Cannon) and included the track on 'Highway of Dreams' (Rounder Records, 2006).

Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 - Sunday 28 October 2007) recorded Shawn Camp's 'A place to hang my hat' (co-written with Byron Hill and Brice Long) and included the track on 'Wagonmaster' (Anti Records, 2007).

Jim Lauderdale recorded Shawn Camp's 'Looking for a good place to land' and included the track on 'The Bluegrass Diaries' (Yep Roc Records, 2007).

Gene Watson recorded Shawn Camp's 'Speakin' Of The Angel' (co-written with Jim Rushing) and included the track on 'A Taste of the Truth' (Shanachie Records, 2007); Shawn Camp originally recorded 'Speakin' Of The Angel' and included the track on 'Shawn Camp' (Warner Bros. Records/WEA Records, 1993).

Josh Turner recorded Shawn Camp's 'Firecracker' (co-written with Pat McLaughlin and Josh Turner) and included the track on 'Everything is Fine' (MCA Records, 2007); the track reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in mid-2007.

Josh Turner recorded Shawn Camp's 'So not my baby' (co-written with Philips M. Lammonds) and included the track on 'Everything is Fine' (MCA Records, 2007).

Randy Travis recorded Shawn Camp's 'Til I'm dead and gone' (co-written with John Scott Sherrill and Sarah Siskind) and included the track on 'Around The Bend' (Warner Bros. Records, 2008).

George Strait recorded Shawn Camp's 'River of love' (co-written with Billy Burnette and Dennis Morgan) and included the track on 'Troubadour' (MCA Records, 2008); the track was No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Tracks and Singles Chart in April 2009.

Joey+Rory recorded Shawn Camp's 'Tune of a twenty dollar bill' (co-written with Mark D. Sanders) and included the track on 'Life of a Song' (Vanguard Records, 2008).

Joe Nichols recorded Shawn Camp's 'Man woman' (co-written with Marv Green) and included the track on 'Old Things New' (Universal South Records, 2009).

John Anderson recorded Shawn Camp's 'Hawaia in Hawaii' (co-written with John Anderson) and included the track on 'Bigger Hands' (Country Crossing Records, 2009).

John Anderson recorded Shawn Camp's 'Fade out' (co-written with John Anderson) and included the track on 'Bigger Hands' (Country Crossing Records, 2009).

Dierks Bentley recorded Shawn Camp's 'Fallin' for you' (co-written with Paul Kennerley) and included the track on 'Up On The Ridge' (Capitol Nashville Records, 2010).

Dierks Bentley recorded Shawn Camp's 'Fiddlin' around' (co-written with John Scott Sherrill and Jeff Austin) and included the track on 'Up On The Ridge' (Capitol Nashville Records, 2010).

Joe Diffie recorded Shawn Camp's 'Lonesome And Dry As A Bone' (co-written with Matt Lindsey and Mel Tillis Junior) and included the track on 'Homecoming: The Bluegrass Album' (Rounder Records, 2010).

Joe Diffie recorded Shawn Camp's 'Tall Cornstalk' (co-written with Harley Allen) and included the track on 'Homecoming: The Bluegrass Album' (Rounder Records, 2010).

Joe Diffie recorded Shawn Camp's 'Rainin' On Her Rubber Dolly' (co-written with Joe Diffie) and included the track on 'Homecoming: The Bluegrass Album' (Rounder Records, 2010).

Joe Diffie recorded Shawn Camp's 'Stormy Weather Once Again' (co-written with Jimmy Stewart) and included the track on 'Homecoming: The Bluegrass Album' (Rounder Records, 2010).

Josh Turner recorded Shawn Camp's 'Eye candy' (co-written with Pat McLaughlin and Josh Turner) and included the track on 'Haywire' (MCA Records, 2010).

Steff Nevers recorded Shawn Camp's 'Ain't no bad life' and included the track on 'Ain't No Bad Life' (AGR Television Records, 2011).

Gene Watson and Shawn Camp at the BMI Event to honour Hank Cochran in Nashville on Monday 19 June 2009

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