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 2018, 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 Sylvia, which she submitted to this site on Tuesday 11 December 2018.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Sylvia who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Sylvia
This quote was submitted on Tuesday 11 December 2018.
'I absolutely love Gene Watson and his incredible voice!
I tear up almost every time I hear 'Farewell Party', which was written by Lawton Williams (Monday 24 July 1922 - Thursday 26 July 2007).
It's not just the sound of his beautiful voice, it's the heart and soul in his delivery!
He is a wonderful storyteller!
Today's young singers have an inspiring role model in Gene to help them study and learn how to let the song be the 'star'.
Gene sings with such ease - the effortless effort!
His approach draws me in and creates space for me to resonate with the song.
He doesn't let the sound of his voice over-shadow the story the song is telling.
Can you tell I'm a big fan?!!
Gene is an artist in the truest sense of the word!'
Thank you, Sylvia, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Sylvia...
Sylvia was born Sylvia Jane Kirby, in Kokomo, Indiana, on Sunday 9 December 1956, and was known simply by her first name, Sylvia, during the 1980s, when she achieved success as an American country music and country/pop singer and songwriter.
Sylvia began performing at the age of three when she was asked to sing at a small local church. This set Sylvia on a course which eventually led her to Nashville on Sunday 26 December 1976.
With a burning desire to become a recording artist, like her idols Patsy Cline (Thursday 8 September 1932 - Tuesday 5 March 1963) and Dolly Parton, Sylvia packed her bags, along with a demo tape, and headed for Nashville, where she ultimately landed a job as a secretary for producer/publisher Tom Collins, who produced records for both Barbara Mandrell and Ronnie Milsap.
After auditioning for Dave & Sugar, Sylvia was signed as a solo artist by RCA Records in 1979. Her first RCA single, 'You Don't Miss A Thing', reached No.36 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1979, which got Sylvia's name noticed.
In 1981, Sylvia saw the release of her debut album, 'Drifter' (RCA Records, 1981), which was produced by Tom Collins, and included five tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
'It Don't Hurt To Dream', which was written by Charles William Quillen (Monday 21 March 1938 - Friday 19 August 2022), D. Pate and J. Pate (No.35, 1980)
'Tumbleweed' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.10, 1980)
'Drifter', which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) and Archie Jordan (No.1 for one week in April 1981)
'The Matador', which was written by Bob Morris and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) (No.7, 1981) / Sylvia was credited with making the first 'concept' music video clip to air on Country Music Television (CMT) with this track
'Heart On The Mend' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.8, 1981)
Sylvia's debut album, 'Drifter' (RCA Records, 1981) also included the following tracks:
'I'm Going With Him' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'Whippoorwill' (written by Dennis W. Morgan and Kye Fleming)
'Cry Baby Cry' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'Missin' You' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'Rainbow Rider' (written by Klang)
Sylvia's debut album, 'Drifter' (RCA Records, 1981), which offered a traditional country music feel, with plenty of fiddle and steel guitar, reached No.10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1981, and No.139 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1981.
In 1982, Sylvia saw the release of 'Just Sylvia' (RCA Records, 1982), which was produced by Tom Collins, and included three tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
'Sweet Yesterday' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.12, 1981)
'Nobody' (written by Kyle Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.1 for one week in 1982) / this track, which also reached No.9 on the Cashbox Top 100 Country Chart in 1982, No.15 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1982, and No.5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in 1982, earned Sylvia a 'Gold' record certification and a Grammy Award nomination for 'Best Female Country Vocal Performance' / this track sold more than a million copies and became Sylvia's signature song, and was the BMI 'Song of The Year' for 1982, which was awarded for receiving more radio airplay than any other single that year
'Like Nothing Ever Happened' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.2, 1982)
Sylvia's 'Just Sylvia' (RCA Records, 1982) also included the following tracks:
'Mirage', which was written by Archie Jordan and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015)
'You're A Legend In Your Own Mind' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'You Can't Go Back Home' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'I'll Make It Right With You', which was written by Charles William Quillen (Monday 21 March 1938 - Friday 19 August 2022) and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015)
'Not Tonight', which was written by Steve Dean and John Jarrard (Thursday 7 May 1953 - Thursday 1 February 2001)
'I Feel Cheated', which was written by Charles William Quillen (Monday 21 March 1938 - Friday 19 August 2022) and Sue Patton
'The Mill Song (Everybody's Got A Dream)' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
Personnel involved in the recording of Sylvia's 'Just Sylvia' (RCA Records, 1982) included the following:
Sylvia (lead vocal)
The Cherry Sisters, Kye Fleming, George Grantham, Sherilyn Huffman, Lisa Silver and Diane Tidwell (backing vocals)
Dennis W. Morgan and Jimmy Capps (Thursday 25 May 1939 - Monday 1 June 2020) (acoustic guitar, electric guitar)
Pete Bordonali and Fred Newell (electric guitar, mandolin)
David Briggs (keyboards, piano)
Archie Jordan (piano)
Shane Keister and Bobby Ogdin (synthesizers)
Joe Osborn (bass)
Kenny Malone (Thursday 4 August 1938 - Thursday 26 August 2021) and Buster Phillips (drums)
Nashville String Machine (strings, string arrangements)
Sylvia's 'Just Sylvia' (RCA Records, 1982) reached No.2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1982, No.56 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1982, and No.51 on the Canadian RPM Top Albums Chart in 1982.
In 1982, Sylvia was named 'Female Vocalist of The Year' by the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
In September 1982, James Galway saw the release of 'The Wayward Wind' (RCA Records, 1982); two of the included tracks were 'Piper, Piper' (written by Dennis W. Morgan and Kye Fleming), and 'The Wayward Wind', which was written by Herbert Newman and Stanley Richard Lebowsky (Friday 26 November 1926 - Sunday 19 October 1986), both of which featured guest vocals from Sylvia.
In 1983, Sylvia saw the release of 'Snapshot' (RCA Records, 1983), which was produced by Tom Collins, and included three tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
'Snapshot' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.5, 1983)
'The Boy Gets Around' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.18, 1983)
'I Never Quite Got Back (From Loving You)', which was written by Mike Reid and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) (No.3, 1983)
Sylvia's 'Snapshot' (RCA Records, 1983) also included the following tracks:
'Tonight I'm Getting Friendly With The Blues' (written by William T. Davidson)
'Winter Heart' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'Bobby's In Vicksburg' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'Gone But Not Forgotten' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'Who's Kidding Who', which was written by William T. Davidson and Charles William Quillen (Monday 21 March 1938 - Friday 19 August 2022)
'Jason' (written by Kye Fleming, Dennis W. Morgan and Mack David)
'So Complete' (written by Kye Fleming, Dennis W. Morgan and Karen Charlton)
Sylvia's 'Snapshot' (RCA Records, 1983) reached No.7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1983, No.77 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1983, and No.62 on the Canadian RPM Top Albums Chart in 1983.
In 1984, Sylvia saw the release of 'Surprise' (RCA Records, 1984), which was produced by Tom Collins, and included two tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
'Victims of Goodbye', which was written by Dennis W. Morgan and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) (No.24, 1984)
'Love Over Old Times' (written by Lisa Angelle and Mike Reid) (No.36, 1984)
Sylvia's 'Surprise' (RCA Records, 1984) also included the following tracks:
'Give 'Em Rhythm' (written by Dennis W. Morgan and Stephen Davis)
'Unguarded Moments', which was written by Dennis W. Morgan and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015)
'Isn't It Always Love' (written by Archie Jordan and Sue Sutton)
'I Just Don't Have The Heart' (written by Shireen Salyer and John Schweers)
'One Foot On The Street' (written by Stephen Dean and Frank Myers)
'On The Other Side of Midnight' (written by William T. Davidson)
'Surprise' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan)
'It's Still There' (written by Archie Jordan)
Sylvia's 'Surprise' (RCA Records, 1984) reached No.40 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1984, and No.178 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1984.
In 1985, Sylvia saw the release of 'One Step Closer' (RCA Records, 1985), which was produced by Brent Maher, and included three tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
'Fallin' In Love' (written by Randy Goodrum and Brent Maher) (No.2, 1985)
'Cry Just A Little Bit' (written by Bob Heatlie) (No.9, 1985)
'I Love You By Heart' (written by Jerry Gillespie and Stan Webb) (No.9, 1985) / this track, which was a duet with Michael Johnson (Tuesday 8 August 1944 - Tuesday 25 July 2017), was Sylvia's last Top 10 hit single on the Billboard country music singles chart, and the first for Michael Johnson, who had enjoyed success in mainstream pop music in the late 1970s and early 1980s, charting several songs which reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart
Sylvia's 'One Step Closer' (RCA Records, 1985) also included the following tracks:
'One Step Closer' (written by Craig Bickhardt and Brent Maher)
'Breakin' It' (written by Mark Germino)
'I Can't Help The Way That I Don't Feel' (written by Chris Waters, Michael Garvin and Tom Shapiro)
'Read All About It', which was written by Kent M. Robbins (Wednesday 23 April 1947 - Saturday 27 December 1997) and Todd Cerney
'Only The Shadows Know', which was written by Kent M. Robbins (Wednesday 23 April 1947 - Saturday 27 December 1997) and David Gibson
'True Blue', which was written by Holly Dunn (Thursday 22 August 1957 - Tuesday 15 November 2016) and Madeline Stone
'Eyes Like Mine' (written by Gary Burr)
Sylvia's 'One Step Closer' (RCA Records, 1985) reached No.19 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1985.
In 1986, Sylvia saw the release of 'Greatest Hits' (RCA Records, 1986), which included the following tracks:
'Sweet Yesterday' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.12, 1981)
'Nobody' (written by Kyle Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.1 for one week in 1982) / this track, which also reached No.9 on the Cashbox Top 100 Country Chart in 1982, No.15 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1982, and No.5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in 1982, earned Sylvia a 'Gold' record certification, along with a Grammy Award nomination for 'Best Female Country Vocal Performance' / this track sold more than a million copies and became Sylvia's signature song
'Tumbleweed' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.10, 1980)
'Snapshot' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.5, 1983)
'Fallin' In Love' (written by Randy Goodrum and Brent Maher) (No.2, 1985)
'Straight From My Heart' (No.66, 1987) / this track was previously unreleased
'Cry Just A Little Bit' (written by Bob Heatlie) (No.9, 1985)
'Never My Love' / this track was previously unreleased
'Drifter', which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) and Archie Jordan (No.1 for one week in April 1981)
Sylvia's 'Greatest Hits' (RCA Records, 1986) reached No.59 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1986.
In 1986, Sylvia saw the release of her last Billboard Top 40 country music hit single, 'Nothin' Ventured, Nothin' Gained', which reached No.33; the track was intended to be included on the unreleased RCA Records album 'Knockin' Around'.
The shelving of the 'Knockin' Around' album marked the end of Sylvia's tenure with RCA Records.
In 1987, RCA Records released a 'Greatest Hits' (RCA Records, 1987) compilation, but a single from it, 'Straight From My Heart' (written by Jimmy Fortune of The Statler Brothers), received little promotion from RCA Records and only reached No.66 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1987.
In the late 1980s, RCA Records began streamlining its roster of country-pop artists and the casualties included Sylvia, Dolly Parton, Louise Mandrell, Deborah Allen, Juice Newton, John Denver (Friday 31 December 1943 - Sunday 12 October 1997) and Kenny Rogers (Sunday 21 August 1938 - Friday 20 March 2020).
Over an eight-year period, Sylvia traveled across America many times with her popular concert performances, and she was a frequent guest on network television talk shows and specials, from 'The Today Show' and 'Good Morning, America' to 'Dick Clark's American Bandstand' and Country Music Awards.
Sylvia's decision to stop touring and recording at the end of the 1980s was as a result of her desire to bring more of herself to the music, so she turned her energies to songwriting.
A few years after Sylvia's hiatus from the music industry, she guest-hosted the 'Crook & Chase' show on The Nashville Network (TNN), and also hosted her own 'Holiday Gourmet' cooking special.
After selling over four million records and touring extensively for eight years, Sylvia pulled back from the spotlight to write and record music for her own record label, Red Pony Records.
On Monday 11 November 1996, Sylvia saw the release of 'The Real Story' (Red Pony Records, 1996), which included the following tracks:
'Soon As I Find My Voice'
'I've Been Down Too Long'
'Chance Encounter'
'Hand Me Down'
'Even A Cowboy Can Dream'
'See How Much I Love You'
'Sweet Shall Your Welcome Be'
'The Real Story'
'Whole Heart'
'Thank God I'm Coming Home'
'More Than It Has Ever Rained'
'Sonoma'
'I Will Not Forget You'
On Tuesday 18 November 1997, Sylvia saw the release of 'Anthology' (Renaissance Records, 1997), which included the following tracks:
'You Don't Miss A Thing' (No.36, 1979) / this track was originally released as a non-album single
'It Don't Hurt To Dream', which was written by Charles William Quillen (Monday 21 March 1938 - Friday 19 August 2022), D. Pate and J. Pate (No.35, 1980)
'Tumbleweed' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.10, 1980)
'Drifter', which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) and Archie Jordan (No.1 for one week in April 1981)
'The Matador', which was written by Bob Morris and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) (No.7, 1981) / Sylvia was credited with making the first 'concept' music video clip to air on Country Music Television (CMT) with this track
'Heart On The Mend' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.8, 1981)
'Sweet Yesterday' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.12, 1981)
'Nobody' (written by Kyle Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.1 for one week in 1982) / this track, which also reached No.9 on the Cashbox Top 100 Country Chart in 1982, No.15 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1982, and No.5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in 1982, earned Sylvia a 'Gold' record certification and a Grammy Award nomination for 'Best Female Country Vocal Performance' / this track sold more than a million copies and became Sylvia's signature song, and was the BMI 'Song of The Year' for 1982, which was awarded for receiving more radio airplay than any other single that year
'Like Nothing Ever Happened' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.2, 1982)
'Snapshot' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.5, 1983)
'The Boy Gets Around' (written by Kye Fleming and Dennis W. Morgan) (No.18, 1983)
'I Never Quite Got Back (From Loving You)', which was written by Mike Reid and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) (No.3, 1983)
'Victims of Goodbye', which was written by Dennis W. Morgan and Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) (No.24, 1984)
'Love Over Old Times' (written by Lisa Angelle and Mike Reid) (No.36, 1984)
'One Step Closer' (written by Craig Bickhardt and Brent Maher) / this track was originally an album track in 1985, and was not released as a single
'Fallin' In Love' (written by Randy Goodrum and Brent Maher) (No.2, 1985)
'Cry Just A Little Bit' (written by Bob Heatlie) (No.9, 1985)
'I Love You By Heart' (written by Jerry Gillespie and Stan Webb) (No.9, 1985) / this track, which was a duet with Michael Johnson (Tuesday 8 August 1944 - Tuesday 25 July 2017), was Sylvia's last Top 10 hit single on the Billboard country music singles chart, in 1985, and the first for Michael Johnson, who had enjoyed success in mainstream pop music in the late 1970s and early 1980s, charting several songs which reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart
'Nothin' Ventured, Nothin' Gained' (No.33, 1986) / this track was Sylvia's last Billboard Top 40 country music hit single, and was intended to be included on an unreleased RCA Records album, 'Knockin' Around'
'Straight From My Heart' (written by Jimmy Fortune of The Statler Brothers) (No.66, 1987) / this track, which was originally included on the RCA Records 'Greatest Hits' (RCA Records, 1987) compilation, but received little promotion from RCA Records in 1987
'Never My Love' / this track was exclusive to this collection
'Knockin' Around' / this track was previously an unreleased album track from 1986
'Blame It On Love' / this track was exclusive to this collection
'Turn My Heart Away' / this track was exclusive to this collection
In December 2001, Sylvia saw the release of 'Where In The World' (Red Pony Records, 2001), a set which marked the culmination of an eleven-year musical collaboration with John Mock, and included the following tracks:
'Where In The World' (written by Craig Bickhardt and Thom Schuyler)
'Dance With Father Time'
'Crazy Nightingale' (written by Craig Bickhardt) / Craig Bickhardt had performed with Sylvia since 1984
'Bird On A Wire'
'Marcie'
'Arrow'
'Bus Stop'
'In My Life'
'Watching Life With The Sound Turned Down'
'Song of Bernadette'
'Nobody'
In October 2002, Sylvia saw the release of 'A Cradle In Bethlehem' (Red Pony Records, 2002), which included the following tracks:
'Guided By A Star'
'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel'
'O, Holy Night'
'Angels We Have Heard On High'
'Cradle In Bethlehem'
'Christmas Bells'
'My Grown Up Christmas List'
'Silent Night'
'When Heaven's Calling You'
'What Child Is This'
'Ave Maria'
Since 2002, Sylvia has been a life coach, where she helps individuals working in the music industry - singers, songwriters, musicians, recording artists and music industry professionals - as well as non-profit agencies.
In 2016, Sylvia saw the release of 'It's All In The Family' (Red Pony Records, 2016), a critically acclaimed album, which included the following tracks:
'Every Time A Train Goes By' (written by Sylvia)
'Somebody's Daughter' (written by Sylvia)
'Leave The Past In The Past'
'Right Turn' (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Sylvia)
'All In The Family' (written by Sylvia)
'Grandpa Kirby Runnin' The Hounds'
'Immigrant Shoes'
'Cumberland Rose'
'Hope's Too Hard'
'I Didn't Know What I Was Missing' (written by Sylvia)
'Here Lately' (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Sylvia)
'Do Not Cry For Me' (written by Sylvia)
In 2016, Bobby Tomberlin saw the release of 'Out of Road' (Curb Music, 2016), which was produced by Bobby Tomberlin and PJ West, and included the following tracks:
'I've Run Out of Road' (written by Bobby Tomberlin, Dean Dillon and Mo Pitney)
'The Grand Ole Opry' (written by Bobby Tomberlin and J.P. Williams) / this track featured guest vocals from Vince Gill and Bill Anderson
'The Songwriter' (written by Bobby Tomberlin, Terry Faust and Bobby Bare) / this track featured guest vocals from Bobby Bare
'One More Day' (written by Bobby Tomberlin)
'Wherever She Is' (written by Bobby Tomberlin)
'Lightning In A Bottle' (written by Bobby Tomberlin)
'Closing Time' (written by Bobby Tomberlin)
'I'd Rather Be Here (Than Gone)' (written by Bobby Tomberlin)
'Damn This Memory' (written by Bobby Tomberlin)
'Looking For Audrey' (written by Bobby Tomberlin, Linda Davis and Bill Whyte) / this track featured guest vocals from Linda Davis and Hilary Williams
'A Right Turn' (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Sylvia) / this track featured guest vocals from Sylvia
• Visit Sylvia's official site at sylviamusic.com
• Visit Sylvia's personal site at sylviahutton.net
• Like Sylvia on Facebook
