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 2007, 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 Skip Graves, which he submitted to this site on Saturday 3 March 2007.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Skip Graves who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Skip Graves
This quote was submitted on Saturday 3 March 2007.
‘Gene Watson gives every song he sings a new breath of life.
To have him record ‘If I’m A Fool For Leaving’ was a dream come true.
He has recorded it three times and it has been released on five different albums, as well as released on singles.
It was so great to have the first cut on his first album, ‘Gene Watson‘ (Wide World Records, 1969 / Stoneway Records, 1973) and the first cut on his ‘Gene Watson…Then & Now‘ (Koch Records Nashville, 2005) CD.
I’m grateful for Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015) for co-writing it with me and record it first on his hit album ‘May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose’ (Columbia records, 1965) in 1965.
Jimmy did an excellent vocal on it also. I appreciate Jimmy giving the song to Gene and would like to thank them both for recording it.
‘If I’m A Fool For Leaving’ has been recorded by many great artists and is still being recorded by artists worldwide’.
Thank you, Skip Graves, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Skip Graves…
Skip Graves has been involved in the entertainment field since his high school days as a singer, musician, MC and disc jockey.
Skip Graves started in radio in Jackson, Tennessee and later moved to Ohio where he played shows and night clubs.
Skip Graves graduated from Ohio School of Broadcasting in Cleveland.
After moving to Southern California, Skip Graves was a disc jockey and Music Director at KWOW in Pomona.
Skip Graves later went to Victorville, California where he was a disc jockey and Program Director for KCIN in the 1970s.
Skip Graves was also a disc jockey for a short time in Glendale at KIEV.
As an entertainer, Skip Graves performed at ‘Hollywood Press Club’ in Hollywood and also in nightclubs throughout Southern California.
Skip Graves and his band have played many of the top Air Force and Naval Bases in California and in other parts of the United States.
Skip Graves was also Master of Ceremonies for the groundbreaking Roy Rogers Museum in Victorville, California in the early 1970s.
As an accomplished songwriter, Skip Graves has had his songs recorded by Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015), Gene Watson, Roy Rogers (Sunday 5 November 1911 – Monday 6 July 1998), Miss Norma Jean, Gary Buck (Thursday 21 March 1940 – Tuesday 14 October 2003), Bobby Barnett, Ray Sanders, Price Mitchell and many, many other fine country music artists.
Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015) recorded Skip Graves’ ‘Call Him Me’ (co-written with Little Jimmy Dickens) and included the track on ‘May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose’ (Columbia Records, 1965).
Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015) recorded Skip Graves’ ‘Twice The Fool’ (co-written with Little Jimmy Dickens) and included the track on ‘May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose’ (Columbia Records, 1965).
Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015) recorded Skip Graves’ ‘Back of My Hand’ (co-written with Little Jimmy Dickens) and included the track on ‘May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose’ (Columbia Records, 1965).
In December 1965, Ray Sanders & Irene Belle saw the release of the single, ‘It Won’t Hurt To Hear Goodbye’, which was written by Skip Graves; the track was released on the California-based Stadium Records.
Gene Watson recorded Skip Graves’ ‘If I’m A Fool For Leaving’, which was co-written with Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015), and included the track on ‘Gene Watson‘ (Wide World Records, 1969 / Stoneway Records, 1973).
Gene Watson recorded Skip Graves’ ‘If I’m A Fool For Leaving’, which was co-written with Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015), and included the track on ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1976).
On Monday 26 September 2005, England’s Hux Records released Gene Watson‘s ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1976), along with Gene Watson‘s ‘Beautiful Country‘ (Capitol Records, 1977), as a special 2-for-1 CD set.
As a recording artist, Skip Graves has had several records to his credit. Skip Graves has had two national chart records in the United States: ‘Miami Dreaming’ and ‘Happy Song’.
Skip Graves has also seen the release of two albums: ‘Love Country’ (Binge Records Germany, 1970) was released by Binge Records in Germany in 1970, while the second album was released on Nashville’s Rich-R-Tone Records.
Skip Graves has played concerts and fairs all across the United States, and has been a Master of Ceremonies for a number of country music artists, including Marty Robbins (Saturday 26 September 1925 – Wednesday 8 December 1982), George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), Bob Wills (Monday 6 March 1905 – Tuesday 13 May 1975) & His Texas Playboys, Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015), Freddie Hart (Tuesday 21 December 1926 – Saturday 27 October 2018) and Roy Rogers (Sunday 5 November 1911 – Monday 6 July 1998).
Between 1992 and 2003, Skip Graves performed in Branson, Missouri. Since then, Skip Graves has devoted his time to song-writing, demo-ing songs and assisting one of his sons, Zac, with writing stories and children’s books.
Gene Watson re-recorded Skip Graves’ ‘If I’m A Fool For Leaving’, which was co-written with Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015), and included the track on ‘Gene Watson…Then & Now‘ (Koch Records Nashville, 2005).
The original version of ‘If I’m A Fool For Leaving’ was included on ‘Gene Watson‘ (Wide World Records, 1969 / Stoneway Records, 1973) and ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1975); the track was subsequently included on ‘Because You Believed in Me & Beautiful Country‘ (Hux Records, 2005).
In 2007, Skip Graves saw the release of ‘Country Collection’ (Skip Graves Independent Release, 2007), which included the following tracks:
‘Our Love’s Going Nowhere’
‘Too Much In Love To Leave’
‘Love Country’
‘Living With A Dying Love’
‘You Let The Horse Out of The Barn’
‘I Pulled Through With Flying Colours’
‘Nothing & You’
‘Credit Cards’
‘You’re Gone For Good’
‘If I’m A Fool For Leaving’, which was written by Skip Graves and Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015)
On Monday 16 June 2008, Skip Graves saw the release of ‘Little Moments’ (Skip Graves Music, 2008), which included the following tracks:
‘Little Moments’ (written by Skip Graves)
‘Not A Sparrow Falls’ (written by Skip Graves)
‘The Old Man Drowned’ (written by Skip Graves)
‘The Mustard Seed’ (written by Skip Graves)
‘I Found It In The Yellow Pages’ (written by Skip Graves)
‘What’s My Father’s Name?’ (written by Skip Graves)
‘I’ve Been Adopted’ (written by Skip Graves)
‘We Shall Plant Vineyards’ (written by Skip Graves)
• Skip Graves