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 Linda Davis, which she submitted to this site on Wednesday 25 October 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Linda Davis who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Linda Davis
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 25 October 2006.
‘I just wanted to let other Gene Watson fans know that he is the genuine article.
A country song was never sung better than one sung by Gene.
I am also from Texas…we’re very proud of our home-grown country boy.
Thanks Gene for what you mean to me and to country music’
Thank you, Linda Davis, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Linda Davis…
Linda Davis is a native of Dodson, Texas where she was born Linda Kaye Davis on Monday 26 November 1962; it was in Dodson, Texas where Linda Davis sang on local radio by the time she was six years old.
In 1982, Linda Davis moved to Nashville and teamed up with Skip Eaton to form the duo Skip & Linda; together they enjoyed three minor hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart, which were released on MDJ Records:
‘If You Could See You Through My Eyes’ (No.63, 1982)
‘I Just Can’t Turn Temptation Down’ (No.73, 1982)
‘This Time’ (No.89, 1982)
In 1988 and 1989, Linda Davis enjoyed three minor Billboard country music chart singles with Epic Records:
‘All The Good Ones Are Taken’ (No.50, 1988)
‘Back In The Swing Again’ (No.51, 1989)
‘Weak Nights’ (No.67, 1989)
On Friday 1 February 1991, Linda Davis saw the release of her debut album, ‘In A Different Light’ (Capitol Records, 1991), which was produced by Jimmy Bowen and Linda Davis, and included three tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘In A Different Light’ (written by Ed Hill) (No.61, 1991)
‘Some Kinda Woman’ (written by Annette Cotter and David Leonard) (No.68, 1991)
‘Three Way Tie’ (written by Mary Beth Anderson, Lisa Silver and Carol Grace Anderson) / this track was released as a single in 1991, but it did not chart
Linda Davis’ debut album, ‘In A Different Light’ (Capitol Records, 1991), also included the following tracks:
‘From Him To Here’ (written by Mark D. Sanders and Verlon Thompson)
‘If Your Greener Grass Turns Blue’ (written by Cindy Greene and Marsha Spears)
‘There’s A Problem At The Office’, which was written by Annette Cottera and Kim Chadwick Tribble (who passed away on Wednesday 25 August 2021)
‘Knowin’ We’ll Never Know’ (written by Jim Rushing and James Dean Hicks)
‘White Collar Man’ (written by Vernon Rust)
‘The Crash of 29’ (written by Ron Moore and Billy Henderson)
‘If I Could Only Be Like You’ (written by Kendall Franceschi, Quentin Powers and Reba McEntire)
On Tuesday 15 October 1991, Dawn Sears (Thursday 7 December 1961 – Thursday 11 December 2014) saw the release of her debut album, ‘What A Woman Wants To Hear’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1991), the title track of which was written by Lisa Silver, Mark D. Sanders and Linda Davis.
On Tuesday 22 April 1992, Linda Davis saw the release of ‘Linda Davis’ (Liberty Records, 1992), which was produced by Jimmy Bowen and Linda Davis, and included two tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘There’s Something ‘Bout Loving You’ (written by Chris Waters and Tom Shapiro) / this track was released as a single in 1992, but it did not chart
‘He Isn’t My Affair Anymore’, which was written by Dewayne L. Blackwell (Thursday 17 September 1936 – Sunday 23 May 2021) / this track was released as a single in 1992, but it did not chart
Linda Davis’ self-titled album, ‘Linda Davis’ (Liberty Records, 1992) also included the following tracks:
‘Years After You’ (written by Thom Schuyler)
‘Just Enough Rope’ (written by Karen Staley and Steve Dean)
‘Tonight She’s Climbing The Walls’ (written by Craig Bickhardt)
‘Love Happens’, which was written by Wayland D. Holyfield (Sunday 15 March 1942 – Monday 6 May 2024) and Verlon Thompson
‘The Boy Back Home’ (written by Gary Harrison and Tim Menzies)
‘Do I Do It To You Too?’ (written by Chris Waters and Tom Shapiro)
‘Isn’t That What You Told Her?’ (written by Karen Staley and Gary Harrison)
‘L.A. To The Moon’ (written by Susan Longacre and Lonnie Wilson)
Personnel involved in the recording of Linda Davis’ self-titled album, ‘Linda Davis’ (Liberty Records, 1992), included the following:
Lang Scott, Lisa Silver and Harry Stinson (vocal backing)
Brent Rowan and Billy Joe Walker Jr. (1953 – Tuesday 25 July 2017) (guitars)
Bruce C. Bouton (steel guitar)
Walt Cunningham (passed away on Thursday 16 April 2020) (synthesizers)
John Jarvis (keyboards)
Rob Hajacos (fiddle)
Terry McMillan (Monday 12 October 1953 – Friday 2 February 2007) (harmonica)
Michael Rhodes (Wednesday 16 September 1953 – Saturday 4 March 2023) (bass)
Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion)
It was this time when Reba McEntire chose Linda Davis as a backing vocalist for her road band.
On Tuesday 28 September 1993, Reba McEntire saw the release of ‘Greatest Hits, Volume 2’ (MCA Records, 1993); one of the two newly recorded tracks was ‘Does He Love You’ (written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch), which was a duet with Linda Davis. The single, which was released in August 1993, was No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart for one week in November 1993, and was No.1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart for one week in November 1993.
Reba McEntire & Linda Davis’ recording of ‘Does He Love You’ (written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch) also reached No.62 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart in 1993.
Reba McEntire & Linda Davis’ recording of ‘Does He Love You’ (written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch) went on to win a Grammy Award for ‘Best Country Vocal Collaboration’, a Country Music Association (CMA) Award for ‘Vocal Event of The Year’, and a TNN / Music City News Award for ‘Best Vocal Collaboration’.
On Tuesday 26 April 1994, Linda Davis saw the release of ‘Shoot For The Moon’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994), which was produced by John Guess, and included two tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Company Time’ (written by Mac McAnally) (No.43, 1994)
‘Love Didn’t Do It’ (written by Steven Dale Jones and Bobby Tomberlin) (No.58, 1994)
Linda Davis’ ‘Shoot For The Moon’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994) also included the following tracks:
‘Shoot For The Moon’ (written by Harry Robinson and Chapin Hartford)
‘If Promises Were Gold’ (written by Shawna Harrington-Burkhart and Karl Hasten)
‘He’s In Dallas’, which was written by Johnny MacRae (1929 – Wednesday 3 July 2013), Richard Ross and Donny Kees
‘When You Took Your Love Away’ (written by Skip Ewing and Liz Hengber)
‘How Can I Make You Love Me?’, which was written by Linda Davis and Jim Weatherly (Wednesday 17 March 1943 – Wednesday 3 February 2021)
‘Don’t You Want My Love?’ (written by Skip Ewing and Don Sampson)
‘In Pictures’ (written by Joe Doyle and Bobby E. Boyd)
‘A Family Tie’, which was written by Hugh Prestwood (Thursday 2 April 1942 – Sunday 22 September 2024)
Personnel involved in the recording of Linda Davis’ ‘Shoot For The Moon’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994) included the following:
Paul Leim (drums, percussion)
Joe Chemay (bass)
Steve Nathan and Gary Prim (keyboards)
Mark Casstevens, Skip Ewing, Steve Gibson, Dann Huff, Chris Leuzinger and Randy Lynn Scruggs (Monday 3 August 1953 – Tuesday 17 April 2018) (guitars)
Terry Crisp and Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
Mark Casstevens and Steve Gibson (mandolin)
Stuart Duncan (fiddle)
Michael Black, Vicki Hampton and Mac McAnally (backing vocals)
Linda Davis’ ‘Shoot For The Moon’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994) reached No.28 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1994.
In 1995, Linda Davis, along with Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride, sang guest vocals on Reba McEntire’s cover version of the Patti LaBelle / Michael McDonald song, ‘On My Own’, which was written by Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach (Saturday 12 May 1928 – Wednesday 8 February 2023).
The track was included on Reba McEntire’s ‘Starting Over’ (MCA Records, 1995), although only Reba McEntire received chart credit for it, and reached No.20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Track in 1995.
On Tuesday 30 January 1996, Linda Davis saw the release of ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (Arista Records, 1996), which was produced by John Guess, and included three tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (written by Michael Garvin and Gordon Payne) (No.13, 1995)
‘A Love Story In The Making’ (written by Al Anderson and Craig Wiseman) (No.33, 1996)
‘Walk Away’, which was written by Marc Beeson and Robert Byrne (Saturday 10 July 1954 – Monday 27 June 2005) / this track was released as a single in 1996, but it did not chart
Linda Davis’ ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (Arista Records, 1996) also included the following tracks:
‘Always Will’ (written by Harry Stinson and John Hadley)
‘Neither One of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)’, which was written by Jim Weatherly (Wednesday 17 March 1943 – Wednesday 3 February 2021)
‘She Doesn’t Ask’ (written by Nancy Lee Baxter)
‘Cast Iron Heart’, which was written by Dennis Linde (Thursday 18 March 1943 – Friday 22 December 2006)
‘There Isn’t One’ (written by Cathy Majeski, Sunny Russ and Stephony Smith)
‘What Do I Know’ (written by Cathy Majeski, Sunny Russ and Stephony Smith)
‘If I Could Live Your Life’ (written by Tim Nichols and Mark D. Sanders) / this track was a duet with Reba McEntire
Personnel involved in the recording of Linda Davis’ ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (Arista Records, 1996), included the following:
Charlie Anderson (bass)
Michael Black, Vicki Hampton, Lang Scott and Harry Stinson (background vocals)
Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar, mandolin)
Joe Chemay (bass)
Terry Crisp (steel guitar, Dobro)
Linda Davis (lead vocals, background vocals)
Larry Franklin (fiddle, mandolin)
Scotty Hawkins and Lonnie Wilson (drums)
John A. Hobbs (Saturday 11 February 1928 – Wednesday 12 June 2019) (piano)
Paul Hollowell (piano)
Dann Huff (electric guitar)
Steve Nathan and Doug Sisemore (keyboards)
Don Potter (acoustic guitar)
Kent Wells (electric guitar, acoustic guitar)
Linda Davis’ ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (Arista Records, 1996) reached No.26 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1996.
On Tuesday 3 November 1998, Linda Davis saw the release of ‘I’m Yours’ (DreamWorks Records, 1998), on DreamWorks Nashville Records, a newly established record label, which comprised of seven new songs, along with seven previously released songs.
Of its new recordings, the following tracks were all released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘I Wanna Remember This’ (written by Jennifer Kimball and Annie Roboff) (No.20, 1998) / this track, which was produced by Wally Wilson and James Stroud, was also included on the soundtrack to the 1998 film, ‘Black Dog’
‘I’m Yours’ (written by Phillip Coleman and Carolyn Dawn Johnson) (No.38, 1999) / this track was produced by Julian King and James Stroud
‘From The Inside Out’ (written by Marc Beeson and Angela Kaset) (No.60, 1999) / this track was produced by Julian King and James Stroud
Seven of the album’s songs were the original recordings of songs from Linda Davis’ older albums; chronologically, these songs are the following:
‘Three Way Tie’ (written by Mary Beth Anderson, Carol Grace Anderson and Lisa Silver) / this track, which was produced by Jimmy Bowen and Linda Davis, was originally included on ‘In A Different Light’ (Capitol Records, 1991), and was released as a single in 1991, but it did not chart
‘Company Time’ (written by Mac McAnally) (No.43, 1994) / this track, which was produced by John Guess, was originally included on ‘Shoot For The Moon’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994)
‘Love Didn’t Do It’ (written by Steven Dale Jones and Bobby Tomberlin) (No.54, 1994) / this track, which was produced by John Guess, was originally included on ‘Shoot For The Moon’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994)
‘In Pictures’ (written by Joe Doyle and Bobby E. Boyd) / this track, which was produced by John Guess, was originally included on ‘Shoot For The Moon’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994)
‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (written by Michael Garvin and Gordon Payne) (No.13, 1995) / this track, which was produced by John Guess, was originally included on ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996)
‘A Love Story In The Making’ (written by Al Anderson and Craig Wiseman) (No.33, 1996) / this track, which was produced by John Guess, was originally included on ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996)
‘What Do I Know’ (written by Cathy Majeski, Sunny Russ and Stephony Smith) / this track, which was produced by John Guess, was originally included on ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996)
Linda Davis’ ‘I’m Yours’ (DreamWorks Records, 1998) also included the following tracks:
‘After A Kiss’ (written by Steven Dale Jones and Carolyn Dawn Johnson) / this track was produced by Julian King and James Stroud
‘I Took The Torch Out of His Old Flame’ (written by Tim Ryan Rouillier and Leslie Satcher) / this track was produced by Julian King and James Stroud
‘Through The Cracks’ (written by Steven Dale Jones and Lee Thomas Miller) / this track was produced by Julian King and James Stroud
‘Make It Through’ (written by Tim Menzies and Skip Ewing) / this track, which was a duet with Randy Travis, was produced by Byron Gallimore, James Stroud and Randy Travis
Personnel involved in the recording of Linda Davis’ ‘I’m Yours’ (DreamWorks Records, 1998) included the following:
Charlie Anderson, Mike Brignardello, Joe Chemay and Neil Steubenhaus (bass guitar)
Michael Black, Molly Felder, Vicki Hampton, Mac McAnally, Michael Mellet, Chris Rodriguez, John Wesley Ryles, Lang Scott, Lisa Silver and Harry Stinson (background vocals)
Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin)
Terry Crisp (steel guitar, Dobro)
Linda Davis (lead vocals, background vocals)
Jerry Douglas (Dobro)
Stuart Duncan, Larry Franklin and Aubrey Haynie (fiddle, mandolin)
Skip Ewing, Don Potter, Randy Lynn Scruggs (Monday 3 August 1953 – Tuesday 17 April 2018) and Biff Watson (acoustic guitar)
Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
Steve Gibson, Dann Huff, Michael Landau, Chris Leuzinger and Brent Mason (electric guitar)
Scotty Hawkins, Paul Leim, Rick Marotta, John Robinson and Lonnie Wilson (drums)
John A. Hobbs (Saturday 11 February 1928 – Wednesday 12 June 2019), Paul Hollowell, John Barlow Jarvis, Steve Nathan, Gary Prim and Doug Sizemore (piano, organ)
Terry McMillan (Monday 12 October 1953 – Friday 2 February 2007) (percussion)
Kent Wells (electric guitar, acoustic guitar)
Strings arranged and conducted by Steve Dorff
Linda Davis’ ‘I’m Yours’ (DreamWorks Records, 1998) reached No.61 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1998.
Following the release of the single, ‘From The Inside Out’ (written by Marc Beeson and Angela Kaset), which reached No.60 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1999, Linda Davis left DreamWorks Nashville Records.
In 2000, Linda Davis was signed to Kenny Rogers’ Dreamcatcher Records – Kenny Rogers (Sunday 21 August 1938 – Friday 20 March 2020).
In 2003, Linda Davis self-released a Christmas album, ‘Family Christmas’ (Center Hill Records, 2003), with her husband, Lang Scott, and their daughter, Hillary (who was born on Tuesday 1 April 1986).
In 2004, Linda Davis saw the release of a further self-financed album, ‘I Have Arrived’ (Center Hill Records, 2004).
In 2006, Hillary Scott founded the country music group, Lady Antebellum.
On Tuesday 4 December 2007, Linda Davis saw the release of ‘Young At Heart’ (Center Hill Records, 2007), which included the following tracks:
‘Come Rain Or Come Shine’ (written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer)
‘Just In Time’ (written by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne)
‘You Belong To Me’, which was written by Pee Wee King (Wednesday 18 February 1914 – Tuesday 7 March 2000), Chilton Price and Redd Stewart (Sunday 27 May 1923 – Saturday 2 August 2003)
‘Miss Otis Regrets’, which was written by Cole Porter (9 June 1891 – Thursday 15 October 1964)
‘It’s Only A Paper Moon’ (written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. ‘Yip’ Harburg)
‘But Not For Me’ (written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin)
‘My Babe’ (written by Willie Dixon)
‘If I Were A Bell’ (written by Frank Loesser)
‘Young At Heart’ (written by Carolyn Leigh and Johnny Richards)
‘It’s A Good Day’ (written by Dave Barbour and Peggy Lee)
In 2009, Linda Davis was inducted into The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.
In November 2013, Linda Davis joined Kenny Rogers (Sunday 21 August 1938 – Friday 20 March 2020) on a twenty-four date tour, which ended in December 2013.
Linda Davis launched a consulting firm designed to offer guidance to other performers.
Called Stage/Performance 101, the new company allowed Linda Davis, who had more than twenty years of experience in the country music business, to direct and advise other entertainers.
On Sunday afternoon, 19 May 2024, it was another good time with old friends as Gene Watson and his Farewell Party Band performed in Adkins, Texas for the ‘No Bull Radio God and Country’ show.
Also at the Adkins, Texas show, I got a chance to catch up with two terrific singers, Deborah Allen and Linda Davis.
If either of these ladies are at a show near you, you don’t want to miss it.
I know you remember Deborah’s huge crossover hit, ‘Baby I Lied’ (written by Deborah Allen, Rafe Van Hoy and Rory Bourke) among others, and Linda won a Grammy for her duet with Reba McEntire on ‘Does He Love You’.
They’ve both had great careers and are still going strong’
• Visit Linda Davis’ official site at lindadavis.com