Every since he was born in Palestine,
Texas in 1943, Gene Watson was destined to go into the music
business. Not long after he was born his father moved the family to
Paris, Texas were the family lived in a converted school bus. They
would drift from place to place as their dad went from job to job but
no matter how bad things were there was also music. In an interview
Mr. Watson once talked about the musical influence his family had in
his life, “I
can remember singing as far back as I can remember talking. Singing
was something that was not out of the ordinary for me. It wasn’t
unique. My whole family sang.”
In
his teen years Mr. Watson had an experience that made him turn away
from the music business. When he was 16 a shady promoter
approached him and his younger brother. The promoter booked the pair
for the a singing performance. By the time the two were done with the
performance and went to get paid it had turned out the promoter had
skipped town with the proceeds. After that Mr. Watson put more focus
in working in the automotive industry were he became a body mechanic.
He never did get the music bug totally out of his system and
continued playing nightclubs but with only minimal success.
In 1974 that all changed when Mr.
Watson signed with Capitol Records were the follow year he released
his first big hit. From that day on Mr. Watson has enjoyed a career
that still has him touring to this day. The most successful years of
his career came in the 1970's and 1980's when he had a large string
of top 40 hits. In the later years the hits came far and few between
but he still remains a fans favorite. The following list are just a
sample of some of his hits:
- "The Note”: The slow melody, the longing in Mr. Watson's voice, and if listen close the sound of a heartbeat make this a powerful song about lost love. A good song for any Gene Watson fan to have on their play-list.
- “Love in the Hot Afternoon”: Mr. Watson's first big hit with Capitol Records it peaked at number 3 on the country charts. Like all great country song this one tells a story of love.
- “Rollin Home”: A song about the longing to get back to the woman you haven't seen for a long time while you were on the road. The bouncy tempo of the song can easily give the listener the picture of someone driving on the road.
- “Fourteen Carat Mind”: In 1981 it spent 15 on the country charts peeking at number 1. The song speaks of a man trying to buy the love of a women only to find her taste are too expensive for him.
- “Old Man and His Horn”: A loving tribute to the late great Charlie Parker. The song has some strong emotion that can touch your very soul as you listen to it.
- “You gave Me a Mountain”: A wonderful Spiritual song about a man that overcome many obstacles in his life but is afraid the current one may just be too much. Marty Robbins wrote the song in the 1960's and since then it has been covered by several artist.
- “Before the Hammer Could Ring”: A strong and powerful Gospel song about the Crucifixion of Christ. A must have for any fan of Gene Watson or Gospel music.
- “Old Porch Swing”: Mr. Watson smooth voice makes this a lovely ballad that would be a good addition to any collection of country music. The song speaks about how porch swings use to be the focal point of country living.
- “Maybe I should have been Listening”: A song that deals with the heartache of losing love that you took for granted. Listening to the song you can hear the loneliness in Mr. Watson's voice and the melancholic melody of the song make it one of those good hurting songs you will listen to over and over.1. “Paper Rosie” : The song soon became a fan favorite after its 1977 release. It peaked at number 3 on the country chart that year. It is a haunting ballad about a lady that sold paper roses.
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