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 by The Gene Watson Fan Site, during 2006, 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 Gregg Galbraith, which he submitted to this site on Monday 2 October 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Gregg Galbraith who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Gregg Galbraith
This quote was submitted on Monday 2 October 2006.
‘Sean, thank you for writing and for expressing the desire to include me in the ‘Peers’ section of your website.
The first time I worked with Gene was when I was playing guitar for Bill Anderson, and Gene appeared on our syndicated television show here in Nashville. It must have been in 1972 or 1973.
‘Love In The Hot Afternoon‘ was on top of the charts, and I was really impressed by this new singer’s talent!
Later I had the opportunity to play for Gene as a member of the staff band for the Capital Records show during the disc-jockey convention on a couple of occasions.
I think I’ve played on about five of Gene’s more recent albums, and it’s always been a thrill to be around him in the studio.
He is the consummate vocal professional!
Just hearing that voice of his in your headphones inspires you to play up to the limits of your capability and beyond.
The greatest compliment that can be paid to a singer who has been around for decades is that he sings ‘just as good as ever’, but that phrase is bandied about far too often, and usually is just down-right incorrect.
I had the pleasure of working a Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) tour earlier this year, and Ray really does sound as good as ever!
The only other vocalist I can think of who fits in this same category is Gene Watson!’
Thank you, Gregg Galbraith, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Gregg Galbraith…
Gregg Galbraith is an acclaimed guitar player from Columbus, Indiana where he was born on Monday 29 July 1946.
Gregg Galbraith began taking guitar lessons at the age of ten and, by the time he was fifteen years old, Gregg had ‘discovered’ country music and knew that he wanted to make Nashville his home.
In 1964, Gregg Galbraith moved to Nashville, just a couple of days after graduating from High School. Gregg Galbraith played on The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for the first time shortly after his 18th birthday, with Bill Carlisle (Saturday 19 December 1908 – Monday 17 March 2003), and worked road dates with Bill Carlisle, until Gregg was drafted into the United States Army in 1966.
Upon his discharge from the United States Army, Gregg Galbraith returned to Nashville and played on the road, on The Grand Ole Opry, and in the studio with Skeeter Davis (Wednesday 30 December 1931 – Sunday 19 September 2004), George Hamilton IV (Monday 19 July 1937 – Wednesday 17 September 2014) and Bill Anderson until 1976, when he decided to try to stay in town and concentrate on a career as a recording musician.
In addition to playing on Gene Watson’s records, Gregg Galbraith was also involved in recording sessions with George Strait, Reba McEntire, Joe Stampley, Moe Bandy, Merle Haggard (Tuesday6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016), Alabama, Becky Hobbs, Joe Sun, The Kendalls – Royce Kendall (Wednesday 25 September 1935 – Friday 22 May 1998) & Jeannie Kendall – Leona Williams and Bobby Bare, as well as many international artists from England, Ireland, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Japan and Australia.
Gregg Galbraith first met Gene Watson in the early 1970s, when he appeared on Bill Anderson’s syndicated television show.
In 1973, Charlie Rich (Wednesday 14 December 1932 – Tuesday 25 July 1995) saw the release of ‘I Do My Swingin’ At Home’ (Harmony Records, 1973), a compilation album, which included the following tracks:
‘Sittin’ & Thinkin’, which was written by Charlie Rich (Wednesday 14 December 1932 – Tuesday 25 July 1995)
‘The Proudest, Loneliest Fool’ (written by Gregg Galbraith and Ricci Mareno)
‘Mama, Take Me Home’, which was written by Carmol Taylor (Saturday 5 September 1931 – Friday 5 December 1986)
‘Have A Heart’, which was written by Margaret Ann Rich (1934 – Thursday 22 July 2010)
‘Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)’ (written by George Brown and Peter De Rose)
‘Life Has Its Little Ups & Downs’, which was written by Margaret Ann Rich (1934 – Thursday 22 July 2010)
‘Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast’ (written by Peter Callander and Geoff Stephens)
‘Golden Slipper Rose’, which was written by Curly Putman (Thursday 20 November 1930 – Sunday 30 October 2016)
‘Papa Was A Good Man’, which was written by Hal Bynum (Saturday 29 September 1934 – Thursday 2 June 2022)
‘I Do My Swingin’ At Home’, which was written by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015)
Charlie Rich’s ‘I Do My Swingin’ At Home’ (Harmony Records, 1973), which was released on Harmony Records in 1973, was also released on Epic Records in The Netherlands in 1974, on Embassy Records in the United Kingdom in 1975, and on Summit Records in Australia in 1975.
• On Tuesday 5 September 2006, Charlie Rich Junior submitted a ‘Peer’s Quote’ about Gene Watson
Gregg Galbraith’s wife Theresa is the sister of steel guitar great Paul Franklin.
Gregg Galbraith made an indelible mark on five of Gene Watson’s album releases.
Gregg Galbraith played a variety of guitars on Gene Watson’s ‘At Last‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1991); Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on the following tracks:
‘At Last’, which was written by Jay Booker and Jack Keller (Wednesday 11 November 1936 – Friday 1 April 2005)
‘A Gifted Hand’ (written by Doug Crider and Billy Spencer)
‘You Can’t Get Arrested In Nashville’ (written by Hugh Prestwood)
‘She’s Leavin’ Looking Good’ (written by Lewis Anderson)
‘This Could Go On Forever’ (written by Jerry Vandiver and Sandy Ramos)
‘I Catch Myself’, which was written by Bruce Burch (Friday 30 January 1953 – Saturday 12 March 2022)
‘The Workin’ End of A Hoe’ (written by Jim Rushing)
‘This Country’s Bigger Than Texas’ (written by Hugh Prestwood)
Gregg Galbraith also played acoustic guitar on ‘You Can’t Take It With You When You Go’, which was written by Larry Cordle, Larry Shell and Bert Colwell (Tuesday 4 April 1944 – Monday 31 July 2017), and electric guitar and delveccio guitar on ‘Only Yesterday’ (written by Bob Regan).
Gregg Galbraith also played lead guitar, on all tracks, on the following Gene Watson albums:
‘In Other Words‘ (Canada: Mercury Records / Polygram Records, 1992 / United States: Broadland International Records, 1992)
‘A Way to Survive‘ (Step One Records, 1997)
‘From The Heart‘ (RMG Records, 2001)
‘Gene Watson: Then & Now‘ (Koch Records Nashville, 2005)
‘In a Perfect World‘ (Shanachie Records, 2007)
Gregg Galbraith played a variety of guitars on Gene Watson’s ‘Best of The Best: 25 Greatest Hits’ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2012):
Gregg Galbraith played lead acoustic, gut string and fretted Dobro guitar on ‘Paper Rosie’, which was written by Dallas Harms (Thursday 18 July 1935 – Saturday 12 October 2019)
Gregg Galbraith played acoustic guitar on ‘Nothing Sure Looked Good On You’ (written by Jim Rushing)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Bedroom Ballad’ (written by Joe Allen)
Gregg Galbraith played lead acoustic, gut string and fretted Dobro guitars on ‘Farewell Party’, which was written by Lawton Williams (Monday 24 July 1922 – Thursday 26 July 2007)
Gregg Galbraith played acoustic guitar on ‘One Sided Conversation’ (written by Joe Allen)
Gregg Galbraith played lead acoustic, gut string and fretted Dobro guitars on ‘Carmen’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (written by Steve Spurgin and J.D. Mendenhall)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Don’t Waste It On The Blues’ (written by Sandy Ramos and Jerry Vandiver)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘The Old Man & His Horn’, which was written by Dallas Harms (Thursday 18 July 1935 – Saturday 12 October 2019)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Should I Come Home (Or Should I Go Crazy)’ (written by Joe Allen)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘What She Don’t Know Won’t Hurt Her’ (written by Dave Lindsey and Ernie Rowell)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Because You Believed In Me’, which was written by Arthur Leo ‘Doodle’ Owens (Friday 28 November 1930 – Monday 4 October 1999), Shorty Hall and Gene Vowell
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Cowboys Don’t Get Lucky All The Time’, which was written by Dallas Harms (Thursday 18 July 1935 – Saturday 12 October 2019)
Gregg Galbraith played acoustic guitar on ‘This Dream’s On Me’ (written by Fred Koller)
Gregg Galbraith played acoustic guitar on ‘Sometimes I Get Lucky & Forget’ (written by Ernie Rowell and Bobby Lee House (Friday 11 February 1949 – Thursday 25 November 2004)
Gregg Galbraith played acoustic guitar on ‘Between This Time & The Next Time’, which was written by Ray Griff (Monday 22 April 1940 – Wednesday 9 March 2016)
Gregg Galbraith played lead acoustic, gut string and fretted Dobro guitars on ‘Pick The Wildwood Flower’ (written by Joe Allen)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Where Love Begins’, which was written by Ray Griff (Monday 22 April 1940 – Wednesday 9 March 2016)
Gregg Galbraith played electric guitar on ‘Drinkin’ My Way Back Home’, which was written by Don Scaife, Ronnie Scaife (1947 – Wednesday 3 November 2010) and Phil Thomas (1944 – Saturday 5 January 2019)
Gregg Galbraith does not have a website presence. However, The Gene Watson Fan Site has included a link for The Steel Guitar Forum; it was as a result of searching this site that Sean Brady ‘stumbled’ upon Gregg Galbraith’s email address.
A link to Gregg Galbraith‘s Facebook page has also been included.
• Like Gregg Galbraith on Facebook