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 2008, 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 Jesse Dayton, which he submitted to this site on Sunday 24 February 2008.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Jesse Dayton who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Jesse Dayton
This quote was submitted on Sunday 24 February 2008.
‘Gene’s cool and laid-back vocal style was always on the radio growing up in my hometown of Beaumont, Texas.
Gene is one of the all-time great vocal stylists from Texas!’
Thank you, Jesse Dayton, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Jesse Dayton…
Jesse Dayton was raised in Beaumont in east Texas and was heavily influenced by two artists who lived in the area, George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) and Lightnin’ Hopkins.
Jesse Dayton began to play the guitar at the age of fifteen and it was George Jones‘ raw emotional style which drew him into the world of country music. When he was old enough, Jesse Dayton took trips to Houston to see Townes Van Zandt (Tuesday 7 March 1944 – Wednesday 1 January 1997), and to Amarillo to see ZZ Top.
Jesse Dayton later settled in Austin, Texas where he formed a number of groups, including The Midnight Ramblers and The Alamo Jets.
In 1995, Jesse Dayton was signed by Justice Records, whose roster included Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002), and saw the release, on Tuesday 25 July 1995, of ‘Raisin’ Cain’ (Justice Records, 1995), his first solo album, which featured guest appearances from several Texas legends, including Doug Sahm, Johnny Gimble (Sunday 30 May 1926 – Saturday 9 May 2015) and Flaco Jimenez.
Jesse Dayton’s ‘Raisin’ Cain’ (Justice Records, 1995) included the following tracks:
‘Kissing Abilene Goodbye’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Big City Blues’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Stitch In Time’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
Carmelita (Show Me How To Dance)’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Blood Bucket Blues, Part One’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Train of Dreams’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Boystown’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Angel Like You’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Playing With A Memory’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Next Time I’m In Town’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Time To Go’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Raisin’ Cain’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
Jesse Dayton’s first solo album, ‘Raisin’ Cain’ (Justice Records, 1995), achieved a No.1 position on The Gavin Report’s Americana Chart.
The success of Jesse Dayton’s ‘Raisin’ Cane’ (Justice Records, 1995) led to some high profile gigs; President Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Ball in 1996, touring with George Strait during ‘Strait Fest’ (an eighteen-stadium tour in 1997) and appearances at Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July picnic concerts.
Following an appearance on The Crook & Chase Show in 1997, Jesse Dayton was invited by Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002) to play guitar on a studio session for Waylon’s ‘Right For The Time’ (Justice Records, 1996).
Jesse Dayton then moved to Los Angeles, recorded a number of albums with his band, The Road Kings, and toured with Chris Isaak.
On Tuesday 24 October 2000, Jesse Dayton saw the release of ‘Tall Texas Tales’ (Bullet Records, 2000), which was released on Jesse Dayton’s own record label, Bullet Records, and included the following tracks:
‘Never Turned My Back On You’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Every Now & Then’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Jumped Head First’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Creek Between Heaven & Hell’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Harris County Blues’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Molasses Girl’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Arkansas Chrome’ (duct tape song) (written by Jesse Dayton)
One Year, Three Months, A Week To The Day’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Old Faithful’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Angel’s Touch’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘The Room Full of Blues’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Blackjack’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
In 2015, Jesse Dayton’s ‘Tall Texas Tales’ (Bullet Records, 2015) was completely remixed, the vocals were redone and bonus tracks (fifteen songs in total) were included.
It was also in 2000 when Jesse Dayton recorded a duet with Dwight Yoakam’s former producer / guitarist, Pete Anderson, for inclusion on the various artists album, ‘Young Guitar Slingers’ (Texas Music Group / Antone’s Records, 2000); the track was ‘Gimme Back My Wig’ (written by Theodore Roosevelt Taylor).
On Tuesday 16 May 2000, Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) saw the release of ‘Prisoner of Love’ (Justice Records, 2000), which featured included the following tracks:
‘Better Class of Losers’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002) and Ron Peterson
‘Prisoners of Love’ (written by Russ Columbo, Clarence Gaskill and Leo Robin)
‘Soft Rain’, which was written by Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013)
‘Ramblin’ Rose’, which was written by Fred Burch and Marijohn Wilkin (Wednesday 14 July 1920 – Saturday 28 October 2006)
‘If It’s Love (Then Bet It All)’
‘In My Life’, which was written by John Lennon (Wednesday 9 October 1940 – Monday 8 December 1980) and Paul McCartney
‘Fly Me To The Moon’ (written by Bart Howard)
‘Body & Soul’ (written by Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman and Robert Sour)
‘I’ve Got A New Heartache’ (written by Wayne Walker)
‘The Only Bridge’ (written by Jeffrey M. Tweel)
‘I Wish I Was Eighteen Again’ (written by Sonny Throckmorton)
‘What A Wonderful World’ (written by George Douglas, Bob Thiele and George David Weiss)
Personnel involved in the recording of Ray Price’s Prisoner of Love’ (Justice Records, 2000) included the following:
Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) (vocals)
Junior Brown, Jesse Dayton and Jimmy Capps (Thursday 25 May 1939 – Monday 1 June 2020) (guitar)
John Gilutin (piano)
Moises ‘Blondie’ Calderon (vibraphone)
Steve Bailey (bass)
Steve Smith (drums)
Mandy Barnett (background vocals)
On Tuesday 25 September 2001, Jesse Dayton saw the release of ‘Hey Nash Vegas’ (Stag Records, 2001); the album, which featured special guests, including Mandy Barnett, Jim Lauderdale and The Chicks, included the following tracks:
‘Hey, Nashvegas!’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Never Started Living (Until I Started Loving You)’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Date With The Angels’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘I Dream Too’ (written by Jim Lauderdale and Bruce Robison)
‘Heartbreak California’ (written by Jesse Dayton and Rosie Flores)
‘Wayward Soul’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Don’t Take Yesterday’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Panhandle Jane’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Mama’s Guilty Fool’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Letter To Home’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Never Been Too Good At Goodbyes’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘One Life Stand’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Roses Ain’t Enough’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
On Tuesday 19 October 2004, Jesse Dayton saw the release of ‘Country Soul Brother’ (Stag Records, 2004), which included the following tracks:
‘Country Soul Brother’
‘All Because of You’
‘Ain’t Grace Amazing’
‘Just What I Needed’
‘Daily Ritual’
‘Jesus, Pick Me Up’
‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’
‘Tall Walkin’ Texas Trash’
‘Just To Get You Off My Mind’
‘Moravia’
‘One of Them Days’
‘Talkin’ Bobby Dale’s Hard Luck Blues’
On Tuesday 7 March 2006, Jesse Dayton saw the release of ‘South Austin Sessions’ (Stag Records, 2006), which included the following tracks:
‘Loretta’, which was written by Townes Van Zandt (Tuesday 7 March 1944 – Wednesday 1 January 1997)
‘Mexican Blackbird’ (written by Frank Beard and Billy Gibbons)
‘Why Do I Love You’ (written by Jim Lauderdale)
‘Sometimes’ (written by Herman Brock Jr.)
‘Roadworn & Weary’ (written by Eddie Spaghetti)
‘Cornbread, Peas & Black Molassas’ (written by Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry)
‘Swan Song’ (written by Vic Gerard)
‘Waymore’s Blues’, which was written by Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002)
‘Coco Loco’
‘Where The Beer Keeps Flowin’ (written by Herman Brock Jr.)
On Tuesday 11 December 2007, Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh saw the release of ‘Holdin’ Our Own’ (Stag Records, 2007), which included the following tracks:
‘Let’s Run Away’ (written by Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh)
‘Holdin’ Our Own’ (written by Jesse Dayton)
‘Two Step Program’ (written by Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh)
‘We Hung The Moon’ (written by Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh)
‘Somethin’ To Brag About’ (written by Bobby Braddock)
‘Brand New Heartache’, which was written by Felice Bryant (Friday 7 August 1925 – Tuesday 22 April 2003)
‘Take Me’, which was written by Leon Payne (Friday 15 June 1917 – Thursday 11 September 1969)
‘Long-Legged, Guitar Pickin’, Man’ (written by George Perkins)
‘Back Street Affair’
‘We Lost It’ (written by Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh)
‘Somethin’ Somebody Said’ (written by Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh)
‘Everything Looks Good (On The Outside)’ (written by Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh)
In 2011, Jesse Dayton saw the release of ‘Once For The Dance Halls’ (Stag Records, 2011), which included the following tracks:
‘One For The Dance Halls’
‘Camden Town’
‘Lately I’ve Let Things Slide’
‘Pretty Girls Make The World Go ‘Round’
‘Back To Back’
‘Falling Apart’
‘The Bad Ol’ Days’
‘The Good Times Are Now’
‘The Years’
‘Texas Bound’
In 2012, Jesse Dayton saw the release of ‘Jesse Sings Kinky’ (Stag Records, 2012), which included the following tracks:
‘Rapid City South Dakota’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
‘Autograph’ (written by Danny Finley and Kinky Friedman)
‘Lady Yesterday’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
‘Nashville Casualty & Life’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
‘Sold American’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
‘Marilyn & Joe’ (written by Kinky Friedman and Sharon Rucker)
‘Twirl’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
‘Highway Café’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
‘Wild Man From Borneo’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
‘The Silver Eagle Express’ (written by Kinky Friedman)
• Visit Jesse Dayton’s official site at jessedayton.com