Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Vern Gosdin: October 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 Vern Gosdin, which he submitted to this site on Thursday 12 October 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Vern Gosdin who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Vern Gosdin
This quote was submitted on Thursday 12 October 2006.
'Gene Watson is truly one of the great voices in country music.
His unique style sets him apart from all others and defines the true meaning of country music and what it stands for in our hearts and lives'.
Thank you, Vern Gosdin, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Vern Gosdin...
Vern Gosdin was born in Woodland, Alabama and was known affectionately within country music circles as 'The Voice'. Vern idolised The Louvin Brothers and The Blue Sky Boys as a young man and sang in a gospel quartet called The Gosdin Brothers.
When Vern Gosdin was in his late teens, his family moved to Birmingham, Alabama and began hosting The Gosdin Family Gospel Show on a local radio station WVOK. Vern and his brother Rex moved to Long Beach, California in 1961 and began performing bluegrass music, joining a group called The Golden State Boys that evolved into The Hillmen, featuring future Byrds' member Chris Hillman.
Vern and Rex teamed up to sing country music as The Gosdin Brothers, enjoyed a Top 40 country hit in 1967 with 'Hangin' On' (No.37, 1967) and opened for The Byrds on occasion.
Vern Gosdin moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1972, raised a family and ran a retail shop. However, he never gave up on music completely, performing at local clubs and eventually gravitated toward Nashville. In 1976, Vern Gosdin and Emmylou Harris cut a demo single consisting of 'Hangin' On' (No.16, 1976), which was backed with a newly written song called 'Yesterday's Gone'.
As a consequence, Vern Gosdin was signed to the Elektra Records label and both songs cracked the Billboard country music Top 20 singles chart. In the late 1970s, Vern notched up several major hits, including 'Till The End' (with Janie Fricke) (No.7, 1977), 'Mother Country Music' (No.17, 1977) and a remake of The Association's 'Never My Love' (No.9, 1978).
In 1980, following the demise of Elektra's country division, Vern Gosdin quickly moved through several contracts and landed with the independent Nashville label Compleat Records. He made the Billboard Top Ten consistently in the early 1980s and hit his stride when he teamed up with Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004) as a song-writing collaborator.
In August 1982, Merle Haggard and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 - Friday 26 April 2013) saw the release of 'A Taste Of Yesterday's Wine' (Epic Records, 1982), their first album that they recorded together; the album included 'Must've Been Drunk', which was written by Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004) and Vern Gosdin.
In 1983, Vern Gosdin enjoyed two Billboard Top Five country music hit singles, 'If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)' (No.5, 1983) and 'Way Down Deep', which was written by Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004) and Max T. Barnes (No.5, 1983).
In 1984, Vern Gosdin achieved his first No.1 single on the Billboard country music singles chart; 'I Can Tell By The Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight') was No.1 for one week in late June/early July 1984.
Vern Gosdin also achieved two Billboard country music Top Ten hits, 'What Would Your Memories Do' (No.10, 1984) and 'Slow Burning Memories' (No.10, 1984).
The Compleat Records label folded in 1986 and Vern Gosdin found himself without a record label. In 1987, Vern was approached by Merle Haggard, but Merle's friend and sometimes co-writer Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010) stepped in and brought Vern to the attention of producer Bob Montgomery at Columbia Records.
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
Vern Gosdin recorded 'Set 'Em Up Joe', which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010), Vern Gosdin, Dean Dillon and Buddy Cannon and included the track on 'Chiseled In Stone' (Columbia Records, 1988); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in July 1988.
Columbia Records advanced some money to cut some tracks with Vern Gosdin, the result of which was 'Do You Believe Me Now', which reached No.8 on the Billboard country music singles chart in early 1988.
Vern Gosdin's first album for Columbia Records, 'Chiseled In Stone', was released shortly afterwards and Vern achieved a No.1 hit with 'Set 'Em Up, Joe' (No.1 for one week in July 1988).
The title track of 'Chiseled In Stone' (Columbia Records, 1988), which was co-written with Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004), reached No.6 on the Billboard country music singles chart in November 1988 and was cited as the 'Song Of The Year' by the Country Music Association (CMA) on Monday 9 October 1989.
Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 - Tuesday 9 May 1989) recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Would These Arms Be In Your Way', which was co-written with Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010) and Red Lane, and included the track on 'Don't Close Your Eyes' (RCA Records, 1988).
George Strait recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Is It That Time Again' (co-written with Dean Dillon and Buddy Cannon) and included the track on 'If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' (MCA Records, 1988).
Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 - Tuesday 9 May 1989) recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Tennessee Courage' (co-written with Rex Gosdin and James Brown) and included the track on 'I Wonder Do You Think Of Me' (RCA Records, 1988).
It was in 1989 that Vern Gosdin's second Columbia Records album was released. 'Alone' (Columbia Records, 1989) was a concept album in a traditional country music style which chronicled the dissolution of Vern's marriage and which featured Curtis Wright on backing vocals. The first track released as a single from the album, 'I'm Still Crazy', was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in September 1989.
Between 1989 and 1991, Vern Gosdin released a number of songs and three more made the Billboard Top 10: 'That Just About Does It' (No.4, 1989), 'Right In The Wrong Direction' (No.10, 1990) and 'Is It Raining At Your House' (No.10, 1990).
Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 - Wednesday 13 February 2002) and Willie Nelson recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Two Old Sidewinders', which was co-written with Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004) and Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010) and included the track on 'Clean Shirt' (Epic Records, 1991).
Tracy Byrd recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Back In The Swing Of Things' (co-written with Buddy Cannon and Dean Dillon) and included the track on 'Tracy Byrd' (MCA Records, 1993).
Benny Berry recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Heart Don't Start Stopping On Me Now', which was co-written with Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004) and Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010), and included the track on 'When The Trains Still Ran Through Dixie' (Hawk Records, 1993).
Benny Berry recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Put Me In Your Pocket', which was co-written with Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 - Sunday 11 January 2004) and Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010), and included the track on 'When The Trains Still Ran Through Dixie' (Hawk Records, 1993).
Jacob Lyda recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Walkin' In My Tracks' (co-written with Arthur Leo 'Doodle' Owens and Dennis Knutson) and included the track on 'Here We Go Again' (Bob Grady Records, 1995).
George Strait recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Today My World Slipped Away' (co-written with Mark Wright) and included the track on 'Carrying Your Love With Me' (MCA Records, 1997).
Brad Paisley recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Is It Raining At Your House', which was co-written with Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010) and Dean Dillon, and included the track on 'Mud On The Tires' (Arista Nashville, 2003); Vern Gosdin had originally recorded 'Is It Raining At Your House' and included the track on 'Chiseled In Stone' (Columbia Records, 1988).
In 2008, Vern Gosdin saw the release of '40 Years Of The Voice' (VGM Records, 2008), a four-CD career retrospective. The box set, released on VGM Records, featured one-hundred-and-one songs, including fourteen previously unreleased tracks recorded thirty-five years previously; the collection also offered eleven newly recorded songs.
Daryle Singletary recorded Vern Gosdin's 'How Can I Believe In You (When You'll Be Leaving Me)' (co-written with Buddy Cannon) and included the track on 'Rockin' In The Country' (E1 Music Records, 2009).
Jamey Johnson recorded Vern Gosdin's 'Set 'Em Up Joe', which was co-written with Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010), Buddy Cannon and Dean Dillon, and included the track on 'The Guitar Song' (Mercury Records, 2010).
Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent recorded Cathy Gosdin's 'Till The End' and included the track on 'Your Money and My Good Looks' (Upper Management Music, 2011).
Vern Gosdin Singles Discography
'Today My World Slipped Away' (No.10, 1981)
'If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)' (No,5, 1983)
'Way Down Deep' (No.5, 1983)
'I Wonder Where We'd Be Tonight' (No.10, 1983)
'I Can Tell By The Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight') (No.1 for one week in late June/early July, 1984)
'What Would Your Memories Do' (No.10, 1984)
'Slow Burning Memory' (No.10, 1984)
'Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)' (No.20, 1985)
'I Know The Way To You By Heart' (No.35, 1985)
'Time Stood Still' (No.51, 1986)
'Do You Believe Me Now' (No.4, 1987)
'Set 'Em Up Joe' (No.1 for one week in July 1988)
'Chiselled In Stone' (No.6, 1988)
'Who You Gonna Blame It On This Time' (No.2, 1989)
'I'm Still Crazy' (No.1 for one week in September 1989)
'That Just About Does It' (No.4, 1989)
'Right In The Wrong Direction' (No.10, 1990)
Sadly, Vern Gosdin, who was known affectionately within country music circles as 'The Voice', passed away on Tuesday 28 April 2009, following a stroke he suffered earlier in the month.
Vern Gosdin
Sunday 5 August 1934 - Tuesday 28 April 2009
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