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 2011, 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 Charlie Sizemore, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 2 February 2011.

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



Charlie Sizemore
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 2 February 2011.

'If I could sing one song, one time, exactly like Gene Watson, I would then declare my music career an unqualified success and retire gratefully'.

Thank you, Charlie Sizemore, for your support of Gene Watson.

About Charlie Sizemore...



Charlie Sizemore is a bluegrass singer, songwriter and guitarist who was raised in the Magoffin County region of Eastern Kentucky, where he was born in 1960, in a family environment where both his father and grandfather were banjo players.

Charlie Sizemore understandably grew up fascinated by mountain music and bluegrass music.

Charlie Sizemore's first instrument was the fiddle, which he began playing at the age of six.  By his teens, Charlie Sizemore was good enough on guitar to play with local favourite Lum Patton and to tour with The Goins Brothers Band.

In 1977, at only seventeen years old, the Kentuckian's first big challenge was filling the shoes of Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 - Tuesday 9 May 1989) as guitarist and lead singer with Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys.

During his nine years with Ralph Stanley (Friday 25 February 1927 - Thursday 23 June 2016), between 1977 and 1986, Charlie Sizemore established a strong and credible reputation as one of the band's top lead singers and appeared on over a dozen of Ralph Stanley's albums.

In 1986, Charlie formed his own group, The Charlie Sizemore Band, and returned to college at the University of Kentucky where he subsequently graduated with a degree in political science.



On Thursday 25 August 1994, Charlie Sizemore saw the release of 'Back Home' (Rebel Records, 1994), which included the following tracks:

'Who Cares' (written by Bill Cheatham and David Kent)
'Time Can't Take Your Memory Away' (written by Charlie Sizemore)
'Roller Coaster Run' (written by Hugh Prestwood)
'Walking Home in the Rain', which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014)
'A Dream Where a Memory Used to Be' (written by David Kent and Charlie Sizemore)
'I'm Really Gone' (written by Nolan Hall and Charlie Sizemore)
'Watering Poison Ivy' (written by David Kent)
'Back Home' (written by Charlie Sizemore)
'You Never Know Until You Cry' (written by Charlie Sizemore)
'Once More from the Bottom' (written by David Kent and Charlie Sizemore)
'Nothing Happening Every Minute', which was written by Pat Alger and Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014)
'Thy Burdens are Greater Than Mine', which was written by Pee Wee King (Wednesday 18 February 1914 - Tuesday 7 March 2000)



On Tuesday 27 February 1996, The Charlie Sizemore Band saw the release of 'In My View' (Rebel Records, 1996), which included the following tracks:

'That's How I Got to Memphis' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Made in The Shade (If The Tree Don't Fall)'
'Louisiana Red Dirt Highway'
'Let Me Love You One More Time'
'I Know The Way to You By Heart'
'Bristlecone Pine' (written by Hugh Prestwood)
'I Want My Rib Back', which was written by Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 - Tuesday 9 May 1989) and Fred Koller
'In My View'
'Ricket's Reel'
'Watching My World Go Down'
'What You Go Thru'
'Are You Waiting Just For Me'
'Keep Me From Blowin' Away'

Relocating to Nashville, Charlie Sizemore worked as a songwriter for Paul Craft Music (Paul Craft: Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014); Ralph Stanley (Friday 25 February 1927 - Thursday 23 June 2016), Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 - Saturday 14 May 2005), Doyle Lawson, Dry Branch Fire Squad and Del Reeves (Thursday 14 July 1932 - Monday 1 January 2007) are among the artists who have recorded Charlie Sizemore songs over the years, and interned at a Nashville law firm while attending law school.



On Tuesday 23 April 2002, Charlie Sizemore saw the release of 'The Story is...The Songs of Tom T. Hall' (Rebel Records, 2002), a fourteen-track album, which extolled the virtues of Tom T. Hall, a man revered within country music circles and widely regarded as 'The Storyteller'.

Charlie Sizemore's 'The Story is...The Songs of Tom T. Hall' (Rebel Records, 2002) included fourteen of Tom T. Hall's finest songs, including the following:

'Mama's Got The Catfish Blues' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'I'll Never Do Better Than You' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'I Washed My Face in The Morning Dew' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Pamela Brown' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'I Flew Over Our House Last Night' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Waiting on The Other Shoe to Fall' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Kentucky in The Morning' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Old Dogs, Children & Watermelon Wine' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Ballad of Forty Dollars' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Margie's at The Lincoln Park Inn' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Turn It On, Turn It On, Turn It On' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Another Town' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'The Year That Clayton Delaney Died' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Me & Jesus' (written by Tom T. Hall)

After graduating, Charlie Sizemore went into private practice as an attorney, but he continued to work, record and tour with The Charlie Sizemore Band, which consisted of members Matt DeSpain who played Dobro, Danny Barnes who played mandolin, Wayne Fields (Monday 1 September 1952 - Friday 21 March 2008) who played banjo and John Pennell who played bass).



In 2007, Charlie Sizemore made his debut on the prestigious Rounder Records label with the release, on Tuesday 14 Augusst 2007, of 'Good News' (Rounder Records, 2007); the album, which Charlie Sizemore co-produced with Buddy Cannon, caused Charlie Sizemore's fan base to rejoice and cheer his re-emergence on record after a five year hiatus.

Charlie Sizemore's 'Good News' (Rounder Records, 2007) was a stellar collection of all that's good about bluegrass and country music, and included the following exquisite tracks:

'I've Fallen & I Can't Get Up', which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014) and David Kent
'I Won't Be Far From Here' (written by Buddy Cannon and Charlie Sizemore)
'Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart' (written by Hugh Prestwood)
'Devil on a Plow', which was written by Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011) and John Pennell
'Alison's Band' (written by Buddy Cannon and Charlie Sizemore)
'Whiskey Willie' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Blame it on Vern' (written by Jeff Barbra)
'No Blues is Good News', which was written by Eddie Noack (Tuesday 29 April 1930 - Sunday 5 February 1978)
'The Less That I Drink' (written by Buddy Cannon and Charlie Sizemore)
'Mama, Turn Aloosa My Soul', which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014)
'The Silver Bugle', which was written by Tom T. Hall, Dixie Hall (Saturday 26 May 1934 - Friday 16 January 2015) and Charlie Sizemore
'Hey Moon'
'My Dying Day', which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 - Thursday 15 July 2010) and Craig Martin
'Good News When I Die' (written by Matt DeSpain)



On Tuesday 15 February 2011, Charlie Sizemore saw the release of a bluegrass and country music project, 'Heartache Looking For a Home' (Rounder Records, 2011), which included the following tracks:

'Down in The Quarter'
'Red Wicked Wine' (written by John Preston)
'No Lawyers in Heaven', which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014) and Billy Edd Wheeler
'Heartache Looking For a Home', which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014)
'Feelin' Like El Paso' (written by Keith Nixon and John Pennell)
'Slow Goin', which was written by Shawn Camp and Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014)
'Walking The Floor Over Me' (written by Alan Jackson and Don Sampson)
'I Don't Remember Loving You', which was written by Bobby Braddock and Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 - Sunday 3 March 2002)
'Poor Rambler'
'Ashley Judd', which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014)
'Fords of Pittman' (written by Matt DeSpain)
'Pay No Attention to Alice' (written by Tom T. Hall)
'Going to Georgia'
'Crossing Over into The Valley', which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 - Saturday 18 October 2014) and Barbara Martin

• Visit Charlie Sizemore's Official Site at charliesizemore.wordpress.com