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 2005, 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 Bill Mack, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 26 October 2005.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Bill Mack who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Bill Mack
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 26 October 2005.
‘Not long ago, during an interview, I was asked, ‘Who do you rate as top-of-the-line ‘country’ singers?’
Of course, that’s a tough question, when you consider the fact no time limit was placed in the frame-of-consideration.
Certainly George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), Marty Robbins (Saturday 26 September 1925 – Wednesday 8 December 1982), Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) and several others crop into mind when I attempt to focus on top-of-the-line, authentic ‘country’ singers.
One name that will always be in that special line-up is Gene Watson.
To me, Gene is a study in ‘original authenticity’.
When a Gene Watson tune hits the radio or CD unit, it’s automatically recognized.
He developed his phrasing and his styling, and stuck with it. That phrasing and styling has been a perfect blend since he first entered the entertainment scene, and it’s still going strong today!
Want to hear a study in perfection? Listen to Gene Watson sing ‘Love in The Hot Afternoon, which was written by Kent Westberry and Vincent Wesley Matthews (1940 – Saturday 22 November 2003)’.
And, without exception, all of his other recordings have consisted of that same perfect blend.
Gene Watson is a master at his calling’
Thank you, Bill Mack, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Bill Mack…
Bill Mack was born in 1933 in Shamrock, a small town ninety miles east of Amarillo in Texas and his early passions included movies, church singing and writing.
Following a school field trip to radio station WRY in Oklahoma City, Bill Mack decided that he wanted to pursue a career in broadcasting. When radio came to Shamrock, Texas in the shape of radio station KEVA, he landed his first on-air job.
In 1953, at the age of twenty, Bill Mack moved to a daytime show on Amarillo’s KAMQ where he met and interviewed country music stars, including Bob Wills (Monday 6 March 1905 – Tuesday 13 May 1975) and Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 – Thursday 6 September 1984).
Bob Wills (Monday 6 March 1905 – Tuesday 13 May 1975) asked Bill Mack to emcee his show at The Paramount Theatre in Amarillo, Texas; the show was broadcast throughout Texas and Oklahoma.
One of the radio stations which picked up the show was KWFT in Wichita Falls who immediately offered Bill Mack a job. KWFT was Bill Mack’s base for the next seven years where he met future stars, including Roger Miller (Thursday 2 January 1936 – Sunday 25 October 1992) and Elvis Presley (Tuesday 8 January 1935 – Tuesday 16 August 1977).
Bill Mack’s next port of call was KDAV in Lubbock, Texas where one of his fellow deejays was Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002). Bill Mack lived close to the Holly family and got to know them well and their pride in Buddy Holly (Monday 7 September 1936 – Tuesday 3 February 1959).
It fell to Bill Mack to make the announcement of the plane crash which claimed the lives of Buddy Holly (Monday 7 September 1936 – Tuesday 3 February 1959), Ritchie Valens (Tuesday 13 May 1941 – Tuesday 3 February 1959) and J.P. ‘The Big Bopper’ Richardson (Friday 24 October 1930 – Tuesday 3 February 1959), on Tuesday 3 February 1959, a date now referred to as ‘The Day The Music Died’.
By 1960, Bill Mack was working for dedicated country music radio station KENS in San Antonio, Texas – a radio station with a 50,000 watt signal, which resulted in a wide coverage area.
In 1962, Bill Mack moved to KCUL in Fort Worth, Texas.
In 1965, Bill Mack moved to radio station WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas where he hosted an all-night country show, which proved so popular that, in August 1970, WBAP transmuted itself into an all-country music radio station. Bill Mack was also the recipient of the Country Music Association (CMA) ‘Disc Jockey of The Year’ Award.
In March 1982, as a result of management decisions, Bill Mack was fired by WBAP; for the next six years, Bill worked on his autobiography and for several radio stations.
In 1988, WBAP, which was now under new management, wooed Bill Mack back onto its airwaves with his ‘All Night Trucking Show’ which has continued ever since.
The song-writing side of Bill Mack began when he was thirteen years old.
Bill Mack’s best known compositions include ‘Drinking Champagne’, which George Strait took to No.4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in October 1990, and ‘Blue’, which LeAnn Rimes took to No.10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1996, and No.26 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1996.
Rose Maddox (Saturday 15 August 1925 – Wednesday 15 April 1998) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ (co-written with Rose Maddox) and included the track on ‘Alone With You’ (Capitol Records, 1963).
Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Singing Star’s Queen’, which was co-written with Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002), and included the track on ‘Everybody Loves A Nut’ (Columbia Records, 1966).
Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘John’s Back In Town’ (co-written with Waylon Jennings) and included the track on ‘The One & Only’ (RCA Camden, 1967).
Cal Smith (Thursday 7 April 1932 – Thursday 10 October 2013) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘At Home With Cal’ (Kapp Records, 1968).
Cal Smith (Thursday 7 April 1932 – Thursday 10 October 2013) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘Drinking Champagne’ (Kapp Records, 1968).
Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘I’ve Got Precious Memories’ (Mercury Records, 1969).
In 1969, Gene Watson recorded Bill Mack’s ‘John’s Back In Town’, which was co-written with Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002); the track, which was released as a 45rpm vinyl single on Uni Records in 1969, was subsequently included on ‘The Best of Gene Watson‘ (Capitol Records, 1978 and 1989).
‘John’s Back In Town’, which was written by Bill Mack and Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002), was included, on LP, on Gene Watson’s ‘The Best of Gene Watson‘ (Capitol Records, 1978), and on CD, on Gene Watson’s ‘The Best of Gene Watson‘ (Capitol Records, 1989).
In 1960, Bill Mack recorded ‘John’s Back In Town’, which was written by Bill Mack and Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002); the track was released on Wednesday 3 February 1960, as a non-album single on D Records, but it did not chart.
Bill Mack’s recording of ‘John’s Back In Town’, which was written by Bill Mack and Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002), was subsequently included on ‘The Complete D Singles Collection, Volume 3: The Sounds of Houston, Texas’ (Bear Family Records, 2000), a various artists compilation.
Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘You Wouldn’t Know Love’ (Columbia Records, 1969).
Connie Smith recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Clinging To A Saving Hand’ and included the track on ‘Where Is My Castle’ (RCA Records, 1971).
Don Gibson (Tuesday 3 April 1928 – Monday 17 November 2003) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘Touch The Morning / That’s What I’ll Do’ (Hickory Records, 1973).
Jim Ed Brown (Sunday 1 April 1934 – Thursday 11 June 2015) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘Barrooms & Pop-A-Tops’ (RCA Records, 1973).
Mickey Gilley (Monday 9 March 1936 – Saturday 7 May 2022) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘Overnight Sensation’ (Playboy Records, 1975).
Cal Smith (Thursday 7 April 1932 – Thursday 10 October 2013) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘It’s Time To Pay The Fiddler’ (MCA Records, 1975).
Dean Martin (Thursday 7 June 1917 – Monday 25 December 1995) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘The Nashville Sessions’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1983).
George Strait recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘Livin’ It Up’ (MCA Records, 1990); the track reached No.4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in October 1990.
LeAnn Rimes recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Blue’ and included the track on ‘Blue’ (Curb Records, 1996); the track reached No.10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1996, and No.26 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1996.
LeAnn Rimes’ ‘Blue’ (Curb Records, 1996) also included the following tracks:
‘One Way Ticket (Because I Can)’ (written by Keith Hinton and Judy Rodman) (No.1 for one week in December 1996 / January 1997)
‘The Light In Your Eyes’ (written by Dan Tyler) (No.5, 1997)
LeAnn Rimes recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Clinging To A Saving Hand’ and included the track on ‘You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs’ (Curb Records, 1997).
Hank Thompson (Thursday 3 September 1925 – Tuesday 6 November 2007) recorded Bill Mack’s ‘I’ll Still Be Here Tomorrow’ and included the track on ‘Hank Thompson & Friends’ (Curb Records, 1997).
The New Coon Creek Girls, featuring Dale Ann Bradley, recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Clinging To A Saving Hand’ and included the track on ‘Our Point of View’ (Pinecastle Records, 1998).
Dale Ann Bradley recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Clinging To A Saving Hand’ and included the track on ‘Songs of Praise & Glory’ (Pinecastle Records, 2001).
Willie Nelson recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Drinking Champagne’ and included the track on ‘Country Music’ (Rounder Records, 2010).
LeAnn Rimes recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Blue’ and included the track on ‘Lady & Gentlemen’ (Curb Records, 2011); the track featured guest vocals from The Time Keepers.
Gene Watson recorded Bill Mack’s ‘Clinging To A Saving Hand’ and included the track on ‘My Gospel Roots‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2017).
On Friday 31 July 2020, it was announced that Bill Mack had passed away, as a result of Covid-19.
Bill Mack
Saturday 4 June 1932 – Friday 31 July 2020
• Visit Bill Mack’s official site at billmackcountry.com (please note that this web link refers to an archived copy of the site from 2001)