On Friday 9 January 2026, Gene Watson celebrated the 44th anniversary of the release, on MCA Records, of his hit single, ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’.
In September 1981, Gene Watson saw the release of ‘Old Loves Never Die‘ (MCA Records, 1981), an album, which holds the distinction of including Gene Watson’s only single to reach No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart.
On Saturday 3 October 1981, ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), made its debut on the Billboard country music singles chart where it remained for nineteen weeks.
Gene Watson enjoyed a happy start to the new year – 1982 – when the single, ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’ (catalogue number MCA 51183), enjoyed the honour of spending one week at No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart in January 1982 (Saturday 9 January 1982 – Saturday 16 January 1982); the ‘b’ side of the single was ‘Lonely Me’ (written by Larry Booth).
Gene Watson’s ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’ also reached No.1 on the Cash Box Country Music Singles Chart (USA) in 1982, and No.5 on the Canadian RPM Singles Chart in 1982.
Gene Watson’s ‘Old Loves Never Die’ (MCA Records, 1981) reached No.57 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1981.
Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), and included the track on ‘A Way to Survive‘ (Step One Records, 1997).
Gene Watson re-recorded ‘Fourteen Carat Mind’, which was written by Dallas Frazier) (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Larry Lee Favorite (Saturday 6 January 1940 – Saturday 26 May 2001), and included the track on ‘Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2012).
