Gene Watson's Peers: Vern Gosdin

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's Peers who were contacted in 2006 were most gracious with their time & words. It is here, within this special part of gene-watson.com, 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'.

Gene Watson Fan Site

Vern Gosdin

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 & defines the true meaning of country music & what it stands for in our hearts & lives'.


Thank you, Vern Gosdin, for your support of Gene Watson.

Gene Watson Fan Site

About Vern Gosdin...

Vern Gosdin was born in Woodland, Alabama & is known as 'The Voice'. Vern idolised the Louvin Brothers & the Blue Sky Boys as a young man & sang in a gospel quartet called the Gosdin Brothers.

When Vern was in his late teens, his family moved to Birmingham & began hosting the Gosdin Family Gospel Show on a local radio station WVOK. Vern & his brother Rex moved to Long Beach, California in 1961 & began performing bluegrass music, joining a group called The Golden State Boys that evolved into The Hillmen, featuring future Byrds' member Chris Hillman.

Vern & Rex teamed up to sing country music as The Gosdin Brothers, enjoyed a Top 40 country hit in 1967 with 'Hangin' on' & opened for The Byrds on occasion.

Vern moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1972, raised a family & ran a retail shop. However, he never gave up on music completely, performing at local clubs & eventually gravitated toward Nashville. In 1976, Vern & Emmylou Harris cut a demo single consisting of 'Hangin' on' backed with a newly written song called 'Yesterday's gone'.

As a consequence, Vern Gosdin was signed to the Elektra Records label & both songs cracked the country Top 20.  In the late 1970s, he notched up several major hits, including 'Till the end' (with Janie Fricke), 'Mother country music' & a remake of The Association's 'Never my love'.

In 1980, following the demise of Elektra's country division, Vern quickly moved through several contracts & landed with the independent Nashville label Compleat. He made the Top Ten consistently in the early 1980s & hit his stride when he teamed up with Max D Barnes as a song-writing collaborator.

In 1983, Vern enjoyed two Top Five hits, 'If you're gonna do me wrong (do it right)' & 'Way down deep'. In 1984, he achieved his first No.1 single with 'I can tell by the way you dance (you're gonna love me tonight'), which was No.1 for one week in late June/early July of that year. Vern also achieved two Top Ten hits ('What would your memories do' & 'Slow burning memories'), both of which peaked at No.10.

The Compleat Records label folded in 1986 & Vern found himself without a record label. In 1987, he was approached by Merle Haggard, but Merle's friend & sometimes co-writer Hank Cochran steeped in & brought Vern to the attention of producer Bob Montgomery at Columbia Records.

Vern Gosdin: 'Chiseled in Stone' (Columbia Records, 1988)

Columbia advanced some money to cut some tracks with Vern, the result of which was 'Do you believe me now', which reached No.8 in early 1988. Vern's first album for Columbia - 'Chiseled in Stone' - was released shortly afterwards & Vern achieved a No.1 hit with 'Set 'em up, Joe' (No.1 for one week in July 1988).

The title track of the 'Chiseled in Stone' album, which as co-written with Max D. Barnes (RIP), reached No.6 in November 1988 & was cited as the 'Song of the Year' by the Country Music Association on 9 October 1989.

Vern Gosdin: 'Alone' (Columbia Records, 1989)

It was in 1989 that Vern's second Columbia Records album was released. 'Alone' was a concept album in a traditional country music style which chronicled the dissolution of Vern's marriage. The first track released as a single from the album, 'I'm still crazy', spent one week at No.1 in September 1989.

Brad Paisley: 'Mud on the Tires' (Arista Nashville, 2003)

Between 1989 & 1991, Vern Gosdin released a number of songs & three more made the Billboard Top 10: 'Right in the wrong direction', 'That just about does it' & 'Is it raining at your house'.  In 2003, 'Is it raining at your house' was recorded by Brad Paisley & included on 'Mud on the Tires' (Arista Nashville, 2003).

Vern Gosdin: '40 Years of The Voice' (VGM Records, 2008)

In 2008, Vern Gosdin released '40 Years of the Voice', 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.

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Sadly, Vern Gosdin, who was known affectionately as 'The Voice', passed away on Tuesday 28 April 2009 following a stroke he suffered earlier in the month.

Vern Gosdin (5 August 1934 - 28 April 2009) RIP


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