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 2016, 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 Jimbeau Hinson, which he submitted to this site on Thursday 13 October 2016.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Jimbeau Hinson who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Jimbeau Hinson
This quote was submitted on Thursday 13 October 2016.
‘One of the all time great country male voices, Gene Watson embodied the same emotional clarity of George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), Marty Robbins (Saturday 26 September 1925 – Wednesday 8 December 1982), Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) and Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 – Tuesday 9 May 1989).
Like them, Gene delivered chill bump-raising performances every time he wrapped his wonderful voice around a song’
Thank you, Jimbeau Hinson, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Jimbeau Hinson…
Jimbeau Hinson was born James Leon Hinson Jr., on Wednesday 29 October 1952, in Newton, Mississippi.
Jimbeau Hinson has been performing country music since his teenage years in the late 1960s and began going by the name Jimbeau Hinson in the mid-1970s, in order to avoid any confusion with Muppets creator, Jim Henson (Thursday 24 September 1936 – Wednesday 16 May 1990).
In 1969, Jimbeau Hinson was encouraged by Loretta Lynn (Thursday 14 April 1932 – Tuesday 4 October 2022) to move to Nashville. When he was seventeen years old, Jimbeau Hinson signed a writing contract with The Wilburn Brothers publishing company and later recorded several singles for Chart Records.
During the late 1970s, Jimbeau Hinson began a long-running relationship with The Oak Ridge Boys as a songwriter and assisted with the operation of their publishing company; he also wrote songs and worked in clubs.
It was also In the 1970s when Jimbeau Hinson made the brave choice to come out of the closet: ‘I was the first out and open bisexual singer / songwriter in Nashville’.
Though it hurt his aspirations to be a recording artist, it didn’t stop Jimbeau Hinson’s impressive career as a songwriter.
Jimbeau Hinson’s eclectic catalogue of hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart included songs recorded by an acclaimed number of artists, including The Oak Ridge Boys, Steve Earle, Patty Loveless and Brenda Lee.
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Let Me Be The One’ and included the track on ‘Y’All Come Back Saloon’ (ABC Records / Dot Records, 1977).
Brenda Lee & The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Broken Trust’; the track, which was included on Brenda Lee’s ‘Take Me Back’ (MCA Records, 1980), reached No.9 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1980, and was subsequently included on ‘Brenda Lee’s Greats Country Hits’ (MCA Records, 1982).
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Fancy Free’ (co-written with Dan August) and included the track on ‘Fancy Free’ (MCA Records, 1981); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in November 1981.
The Oak Ridge Boys‘ ‘Fancy Free’ (MCA Records, 1981) reached No.1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1981, and reached No.14 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1981.
In 2010, The Oak Ridge Boys‘ ‘Fancy Free’ attained the BMI 2-Million Spins Award, with over thirteen years of aggregate broadcast time.
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Until You’ (co-written with Rusty Golden) and included the track on ‘Bobbie Sue’ (MCA Records, 1982).
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Everybody Wins’ (co-written with Jack Williams and Duane Allen) and included the track on ‘Bobbie Sue’ (MCA Records, 1982).
Rita Coolidge recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Shadow In The Night’ (co-written with Tony Brown) and included the track on ‘Never Let You Go’ (A&M Records, 1983).
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Down Deep Inside’ (co-written with Michael Foster) and included the track on ‘Deliver’ (MCA Records, 1983).
Tammy Wynette (Tuesday 5 May 1942 – Monday 6 April 1998) recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘With A Friend Like You, Who Needs A Lover’ (co-written with Paulette Carlson) and included the track on ‘Even The Strong Get Lonely’ (Epic Records, 1983).
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Only One I Love’ (co-written with Michael Foster) and included the track on ‘Step On Out’ (MCA Records, 1985).
In 1985, Connie Smith recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘A Far Cry From You’ (co-written with Steve Earle) for Epic Records; the track, which was released as a non-album single, reached No.71 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1985, and was subsequently included on Connie Smith‘s ‘My Part of Forever, Volume 1: The Ultimate Collection 1972 – 2018’ (Hump Head Country, 2018).
Reba McEntire recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Red Roses (Won’t Work Now)’ (co-written with David Lee Murphy) and included the track on ‘Have I Got A Deal For You’ (MCA Records, 1985).
On Wednesday 5 March 1986, Steve Earle saw the release of his debut album, ‘Guitar Town’ (MCA Records, 1986), which reached No.1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1986; the title track reached No.7 on the Billboard country music singles chart.
Steve Earle was also nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1987, ‘Best Male Country Vocalist’ and ‘Best Country Song’, for the title track.
Steve Earle’s ‘Guitar Town’ (MCA Records, 1986) was recorded in late 1985 and early 1986, at Sound Stage Studio in Nashville.
Overdubs were later recorded at Emerald Studios in Nashville and was one of the first country music albums to be recorded digitally, utilizing the Mitsubishi X-800.
Steve Earle recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Hillbilly Highway’ (co-written with Steve Earle) and included the track on ‘Guitar Town’ (MCA Records, 1986).
Steve Earle recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Down The Road’ (co-written with Tony Brown and Steve Earle) and included the track on ‘Guitar Town’ (MCA Records, 1986).
In 2003, Steve Earle’s ‘Guitar Town’ (MCA Records, 1986) was ranked No.489 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s ‘List of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.
In 2012, Steve Earle’s ‘Guitar Town’ (MCA Records, 1986) was ranked at No.482 on a revised list, and in 2006, it was ranked 27th on Country Music Television’s ’40 Greatest Albums in Country Music’.
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jumbeau Hinson’s ‘Seasons’ (co-written with Jack Williams) and included the track on ‘Seasons’ (MCA Records, 1986).
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jumbeau Hinson’s ‘Everybody Wins’ (co-written with Duane Allen) and included the track on ‘Seasons’ (MCA Records, 1986).
John Conlee recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Harmony’ (co-written with Rick Beresford) and included the track on ‘Harmony’ (Columbia Records, 1986); the track reached No.10 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1986.
Patty Loveless recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘After All’ (co-written with Harry Stinson) and included the track on ‘Patty Loveless’ (MCA Records, 1986); the track reached No.43 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1987.
Kathy Mattea recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Train of Memories’ (co-written with Andy Byrd) and included the track on ‘Walk The Way The Wind Blows’ (Mercury Records, 1986); the track reached No.6 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1987.
Patty Loveless recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘I’m On Your Side’, which was co-written with Kim Chadwick Tribble (Wednesday 14 November 1951 – Thursday 26 August 2021), and included the track on ‘Honky Tonk Angel’ (MCA Records, 1988).
Larry Boone recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Don’t Give Candy To A Stranger’ (co-written with Larry Boone and Dave Gibson) and included the track on ‘Larry Boone’ (Mercury Records, 1988); the track reached No.10 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1988.
Rhonda Vincent recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘A Far Cry From You’ (co-written by Steve Earle) and included the track on ‘A Dream Come True’ (Rebel Records, 1990).
David Lee Murphy recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Party Crowd’ (co-written with David Lee Murphy) and included the track on ‘Out With A Bang’ (MCA Records, 1994); the track, which reached No.6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1995, was named ‘Most Played Country Song’ of 1995 on American country music radio.
The veteran songwriter should have been in high cotton. Instead, Jimbeau Hinson was wasting away; eleven years living secretively as HIV-positive had taken an exhaustive toll.
But a funny thing happened on his way to the hereafter; Jimbeau Hinson lived: ‘After years of decline and near death, I came back a soul reborn. I am here to remind people to be grateful for each healthy breath, treat each day as a gift, and live them all with an open, honest heart’.
What stopped Jimbeau Hinson in 1995 was the devastating news that he was HIV-positive. He and his beloved wife, Brenda Fielder, made the wrenching decision to keep this truth to themselves, primarily to protect the business she had built.
Jimbeau Hinson and Brenda Fielder moved into an old farm house, which was situated 45 minutes from Nashville on property which had been in Brenda’s family for six generations. Jimbeau Hinson breathed what life he had left into that farm and was determined to leave Brenda with the ranch of her childhood dreams.
With the advent of the first effective drugs, Jimbeau Hinson began to gain weight and feel like his old self.
But fate found him racing to the emergency room and slipping into a coma. Eight weeks later Jimbeau Hinson woke up, after crossing over in the company of his deceased father. For no medical reason, he miraculously recovered.
Ricky Skaggs recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Hillbilly Highway’ (co-written with Steve Earle) and included the track on ‘Life Is A Journey’ (Atlantic Records, 1997).
In 2000, Jimbeau Hinson was working on his ranch when his dear friend and fellow songwriter Sandy Knox called; she said ‘Jimbeau, I’m going to start a record label and I want you to be one of the first artists I sign’.
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Colors’ (co-written with Rocko Heermance) and included the track on ‘Colors’ (Spring Hill Records, 2003); the track was Grammy Award nominated.
Tracy Lawrence recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Stones’, which was co-written with Kim Chadwick Tribble (Wednesday 14 November 1951 – Thursday 26 August 2021) and Jon Michaels, and included the track on ‘Strong’ (DreamWorks Records, 2004).
Alecia Nugent recorded Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘God Knows What’ and included the track on ‘A Little Girl…A Big Four-Lane’ (Rounder Records, 2006).
In 2013, Jimbeau Hinson saw the release of ‘Strong Medicine’ (Wrinkled Records, 2013), which included the following tracks:
‘Dance of Life’ (written by Billy Dawson and Jimbeau Hinson)
‘Stones’, which was written by Jimbeau Hinson, Jon Michaels and Kim Chadwick Tribble (Wednesday 14 November 1951 – Thursday 26 August 2021)
‘Scratch’ (written by Jimbeau Hinson and Jack Williams)
‘Strong Medicine’ (written by Jimbeau Hinson and Cathy Shostak)
‘Not You Again’, which was written by Jimbeau Hinson and Kim Chadwick Tribble (Wednesday 14 November 1951 – Thursday 26 August 2021)
‘When You Give Up, You’re Gone’ (written by Eddie Alexander and Jimbeau Hinson)
‘Distant Vision’ (written by Jimbeau Hinson)
‘Now’ (written by Jimbeau Hinson, Ken Somerville and Barry Sommerville)
‘Positive’, which was written by Jimbeau Hinson and Kim Chadwick Tribble (Wednesday 14 November 1951 – Thursday 26 August 2021)
‘Remember’, which was written by Jimbeau Hinson and Kim Chadwick Tribble (Wednesday 14 November 1951 – Thursday 26 August 2021)
‘Waiting At The Gate’ (written by Diane Durrett, Jimbeau Hinson, Ken Somerville and Barry Sommerville)
Jimbeau Hinson’s ‘Strong Medicine’ (Wrinkled Records, 2013) was critically acclaimed, which led University of Mississippi to produce ‘Beautiful Jim’, an award-winning documentary about Jimbeau Hinson’s life.
On Wednesday 30 June 2021, Jimbeau Hinson had quadruple bypass surgery and, while in recovery, suffered a stroke on Thursday 1 July 2021. Though he initially recovered, Jimbeau Hinson fell ill again and, while in hospice care, suffered another stroke during the first week of March 2022.
On the afternoon of Friday 4 March 2022, Jimbeau Hinson passed away; he was 70 years old. Beating the odds after being told he only had six months to two years to live in 1985, Jimbeau Hinson was survived by his wife, Brenda Fielder, who never tested positive for HIV, and stayed by his side for forty-two years.
Jimbeau Hinson
(Wednesday 29 October 1952 – Friday 4 March 2022)
(Wednesday 29 October 1952 – Friday 4 March 2022)
• Visit Jimbeau Hinson’s official site at jimbeauhinson.com