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 2013, 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 Buddy Jewell, which he submitted to this site on Thursday 10 October 2013.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Buddy Jewell who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Buddy Jewell
This quote was submitted on Thursday 10 October 2013.
‘Thanks so much for asking me for a quote about Gene Watson.
I am happy to oblige.
Gene Watson is the epitome of what a real country singer is all about.
His voice drew me in the first time I heard him sing ‘Love In The Hot Afternoon‘, and hits like ‘Fourteen Carat Mind‘ kept me coming back for more.
He is truly one of the greatest country singers ever!’
Thank you, Buddy Jewell, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Buddy Jewell…
Buddy Jewell was born Buddy Jewell Jr. in Lepanto, Arkansas on Sunday 2 April 1961.
Buddy Jewell began playing guitar after buying one from a schoolmate during childhood, and saved the money that he earned bagging groceries to buy guitar lesson books.
Buddy Jewell also listened to the music that his father, also named Buddy, played for him, and was taught by his uncle Clyde how to play ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’.
By the time he was fifteen years old, Buddy Jewell had also taught himself how to play Johnny Cash’s ‘I Still Miss Someone’, which was written by Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003) and Roy Cash.
Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003) recorded ‘I Still Miss Someone’ and included the track on ‘The Fabulous Johnny Cash’ (Columbia Records, 1958); the album was re-issued on Tuesday 19 March 2002 with six additional tracks.
After graduating from Osceola High School, Buddy Jewell attended Arkansas State University where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha.
Buddy Jewell majored in television and radio in college, although he left in his junior year to marry, despite the marriage only lasting two-and-a-half years.
Buddy Jewell later moved to Camden, Arkansas when he was twenty-one years old, in order to pursue a musical career. It was while he was in Camden, Arkansas that he discovered a band called White Oak, which were seeking a new lead singer.
White Oak was a band which was sponsored by a booking agency whose roster also included Canyon and a band founded by a then-unknown Trace Adkins.
After touring with White Oak for four years, Buddy Jewell moved to Dallas, Texas where he took a role in a gun-fighting show at Six Flags over Texas.
Buddy Jewell later entered a singing competition which was sponsored by the band Alabama, whose music was also an inspiration to him.
Buddy Jewell won the competition’s top prize, which was an opening slot for the band.
After winning the competition, Buddy Jewell competed on ‘Star Search’ where he won ‘Male Vocalist’ on several episodes.
In 1993, Buddy Jewell decided to move to Nashville, and found work, in 1995, as a demo singer.
As a demo singer, Buddy Jewell recorded more than five thousand demos. Among the songs which Buddy Jewell recorded demos for, were the following:
‘A Little Past Little Rock’ for Lee Ann Womack (No.2, 1998)
‘You’re Beginning To Get To Me’ for Clay Walker (No.2, 1998)
‘Write This Down’ for George Strait (No.1, 1999)
‘The One’ for Gary Allan (No.3, 2002)
Buddy Jewell also saw the release of two albums, which he released independently; ‘One In A Row’ (My Little Jewell Music, 2001) and ‘Far Enough Away’ (My Little Jewell Music, 2002). Having been rejected by several record labels at this point, Buddy Jewell supported himself with the money that his second wife made at her nail salon.
In 2001, Buddy Jewell saw the release of ‘One In A Row’ (My Little Jewell Music, 2001), which included the following tracks:
‘Abilene On Her Mind’
‘The Whiskey & The Wind’
‘Lacey’s Song’
‘Through The Eyes of A Fool’
‘One In A Row’
‘Mail Myself To Mexico’
‘That’ll Never Happen To Us’
‘Any Other Woman’
‘Left At The Light’
‘Addicted To The Rain’
‘Wichita Falls Woman’
‘Happiness Is An Inside Job’
In 2002, Buddy Jewell saw the release of ‘Far Enough Away’ (My Little Jewell Music, 2002), which included the following tracks:
‘Tree of Love’
‘Harder Than It Has To Be’
‘King of My World’
‘Mama’s Roses’
‘Sho Nuff’
‘Peg Leg Jessie’s Daughter’
‘The Ring’
‘I Heart You’
‘Let Her Go’
‘Far Enough Away’
‘Tree of Love’ (Grandpa’s Version)
In 2003, Buddy Jewell competed in the first season of the television singing competition, ‘Nashville Star’.
Buddy Jewell became the show’s first winner that season and was soon signed to a recording contract with Columbia Records Nashville.
On Monday 5 May 2003, two days after his win, Buddy Jewell’s debut single, ‘Help Pour Out The Rain (Lacey’s Song)’, which was written by Buddy Jewell, was shipped to radio, and became the highest-debuting single by a new country artist since the singles charts were first tabulated via Nielsen SoundScan in 1990.
‘Help Pour Out The Rain (Lacey’s Song)’ reached No.3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 2003, and reached No.29 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 2003. The track was the first single from Buddy Jewell’s self-titled debut album, ‘Buddy Jewell’ (Columbia Records, 2003), which was produced by former RCA Records artist, Clint Black, and was recorded in ten days.
Buddy Jewell’s self-titled debut album, ‘Buddy Jewell’ (Columbia Records, 2003), also included two further tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Sweet Southern Comfort’ (written by Rodney Clawson and Brad Crisler) (No.3, 2003)
‘One Step At A Time’ (written by Burton Collins and Stacy Widelitz) (No.38, 2004)
Buddy Jewell’s self-titled debut album, ‘Buddy Jewell’ (Columbia Records, 2003), also included the following racks:
‘I Wanna Thank Everyone’ (written by Marty Dodson and Tom Shapiro)
‘Today I Started Loving You Again’, which was written by Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) and Bonnie Owens (Tuesday 1 October 1929 – Monday 24 April 2006) / this track was a duet with Miranda Lambert
‘Abilene On Her Mind’ (written by Buddy Jewell and Jim Weaver)
‘One In A Row’ (written by Buddy Jewell and Thom McHugh)
‘O’Reilly Luck’ (written by Will Rambeaux, Thom Shepherd and Steve Williams)
‘Why We Said Goodbye’ (written by Tom Douglas and Billy Kirsch)
‘I Can Get By’ (written by Clint Black)
‘You Know How Women Are’ (written by Dave Duncan and J. Fred Knobloch)
Personnel involved in the recording of Buddy Jewell’s self-titled debut album, ‘Buddy Jewell’ (Columbia Records, 2003), included the following:
Eddie Bayers (drums)
Clint Black (bass harmonica, harmonica, background vocals)
Dane Bryant (synthesizer)
Mark Casstevens (banjo)
Lisa Cochran, Wes Hightower and John Wesley Ryles (background vocals)
Stuart Duncan (fiddle, mandolin)
Larry Franklin (fiddle)
Paul Franklin (Dobro, steel guitar)
James Garner (harmonica)
Buddy Jewell (lead vocals)
Miranda Lambert (duet vocals on ‘Today I Started Loving You Again’)
Brent Mason (electric guitar)
Larry Paxton and Glenn Worf (bass guitar)
Matt Rollings (piano)
Biff Watson (acoustic guitar, classical guitar)
Buddy Jewell’s self-titled debut album, ‘Buddy Jewell’ (Columbia Records, 2003), which sold 500,000 copies and earned a ‘Gold’ certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), reached No.1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2003, and No.13 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 2003.
On Tuesday 4 November 2003, Buddy Jewell saw the release of ‘Tales of New West’ (Corey Productions, 2003), which included the following tracks:
‘Oh, Justine’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘Parrothead Paradise’ (written by Arthur Corey)
‘Rosa Danced In Veracruz’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘So Hard To Be Strong’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘Mama Della’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘One Time We Cared’ (written by Arthur Corey)
‘Come Back, Angel’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘Pancho Villa’s Gold’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘Silver Wings In The Stars’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘I Get The Bird’ (written by Arthur Corey)
‘Cold & Lonesome Life’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
‘The Downtown Matinee’ (written by Alton Corey and Arthur Corey)
On Tuesday 26 April 2005, Buddy Jewell saw the release of ‘Times Like These’ (Columbia Records, 2005), which was produced by Garth Fundis, and included two tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘If She Were Any Other Woman’ (written by Brett Beavers, Connie Harrington and Kelley Lovelace) (No.27, 2004)
‘So Gone’ (written by Marc Beeson, Paul Jefferson and Sonny LeMaire) / this track was released as a single in 2005, but it failed to chart
Buddy Jewell’s ‘Times Like These’ (Columbia Records, 2005) also included the following tracks:
‘Me Lovin’ You’ (written by Rick Bowles and Josh Leo)
‘Back To You’ (written by Walt Aldridge and Brad Crisler)
‘You Ain’t Doin’ Right’ (written by Tony Lane and Craig Wiseman)
‘Addicted To The Rain’ (written by Larry Wayne Clark and Buddy Jewell)
‘I’d Run’ (written by Jimmy Ritchey, Sam Tate and Annie Tate)
‘Dyess Arkansas’ (written by Buddy Jewell)
‘Glad I’m Gone’ (written by Buddy Jewell)
‘Times Like These’ (written by Buddy Jewell, J.B. Rudd and Vip Vipperman)
‘Run Away Home’ (written by Burton Collins and D. Vincent Williams)
Personnel involved in the recording of Buddy Jewell’s ‘Times Like These’ (Columbia Records, 2005) included the following:
Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion)
J.T. Corenflos (Wednesday 6 November 1963 – Saturday 24 October 2020) (electric guitar)
Stuart Duncan (fiddle, mandolin)
Troy Engle and Larry Franklin (fiddle)
Shannon Forrest and Kenneth Smith (drums)
Paul Franklin (Dobro, steel guitar)
Garth Fundis, Vince Gill, Wes Hightower, Marty Slayton and Harry Stinson (background vocals)
Lloyd Green (Dobro)
John A. Hobbs (Saturday 11 February 1928 – Wednesday 12 June 2019) (organ, piano)
Buddy Jewell (lead vocals, background vocals)
Richard Lloyd and Michael Rhodes (Wednesday 16 September 1953 – Saturday 4 March 2023) (bass guitar)
Brent Mason (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, nylon string guitar)
Billy Panda (acoustic guitar)
Mickey Raphael (harmonica)
Dave Ristrim (steel guitar)
Bryan Sutton (banjo, acoustic guitar)
Reese Wynans (Fender Rhodes, organ)
Buddy Jewell’s ‘Times Like These’ (Columbia Records, 2005) reached No.5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2005, and No.31 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 2005.
By the end of 2005, Buddy Jewell was dropped from the recording roster at Columbia Records.
Buddy Jewell did not see the release of another single until ‘This Ain’t Mexico’ in 2008, which was a self-released single; the track was included on ‘Country Enough’ (Diamond Dust Records, 2008), which was released on Tuesday 1 July 2008, but the single did not chart.
Buddy Jewell’s ‘Country Enough’ (Diamond Dust Records, 2008) also included a cover of ‘Dance With My Father’, which was written by Richard Marx and Luther Vandross (Friday 20 April 1951 – Friday 1 July 2005); this track was also released as a single in 2008, but it too did not chart.
Buddy Jewell’s ‘Country Enough’ (Diamond Dust Records, 2008) also included the following tracks:
‘Country Enough’
‘The Southern Side of Heaven’
‘The Wheels Turn Slow’ (The Caterpillar Song)
‘Need A Little Country’
‘What This Country’s Comin’ To’
‘Second Chance of A Lifetime’
‘The Ones I Love The Most’
‘That Summer Girl’
‘She Loves This Town’
‘No Grease, No Gravy’
‘Hillbilly Water’
‘Leavin’ Louisiana (For The Last Time)’
On Tuesday 12 July 2011, Buddy Jewell saw the release of ‘I Surrender All’ (Diamond Dust Records, 2011), a country-gospel collection, from which two tracks were released as singles; ‘Somebody Who Would Die For You’ in 2009, and ‘Jesus, Elvis & Me’ in 2011, but both failed to chart.
Another track included on Buddy Jewell’s ‘I Surrender All’ (Diamond Dust Records, 2011) was ‘When I’m Good & Gone’, which Buddy Jewell co-wrote with his good friend, Leslie Satcher; this ballad, with heartfelt sincerity, reflected on the hopes and dreams of a dedicated husband and father.
Buddy Jewell’s ‘I Surrender All’ (Diamond Dust Records, 2011) also included the following tracks;
‘I Surrender All’
‘Hell Bent & Heaven Bound’
‘At Calvary’
‘When Mama Prayed’
‘You’ll Find Your Way’
‘At The Cross’
‘There Is Power In The Blood’
In 2015, Buddy Jewell signed with Lamon Records in Nashville, and saw the release, on Friday 12 June 2015, of ‘My Father’s Country’ (Lamon Records, 2015), which was produced by Grammy-nominated artist / producer Dave Moody, and included tracks, which featured a collection of classic country songs, which Buddy Jewell grew up listening to his father sing:
‘Is Anybody Going To San Antone’, which was written by Glenn W. Martin (Thursday 30 June 1932 – Sunday 12 May 2019) and Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) / the original version of this track was recorded by Charley Pride (Friday 18 March 1934 – Saturday 12 December 2020), who included it on ‘Charley Pride’s 10th Album’ (RCA Records, 1970); Charley Pride‘s version of this track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for two weeks in April / May 1970
‘Galveston’ (written by Jimmy Webb) / the original version of this track was recorded by Glen Campbell (Wednesday 22 April 1936 – Tuesday 8 August 2017), who included it on ‘Galveston’ (Capitol Records, 1969); Glen Campbell’s version of this track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for three weeks in April / May 1969
‘In The Misty Moonlight’, which was written by Cindy Walker (Saturday 20 July 1918 – Thursday 23 March 2006)
• the original version of this track was recorded, in 1964, by Jim Reeves (Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964), and was subsequently included on ‘The Jim Reeves Way’ (RCA Victor Records, 1965)
• this track was also recorded by Dean Martin (Thursday 7 June 1917 – Monday 25 December 1995), who included it on ‘The Door Is Still Open To My Heart’ (Reprise Records, 1964)
• this track was also recorded by Jerry Wallace (Saturday 15 December 1928 – Monday 5 May 2008), who included it on ‘In The Misty Moonlight’ (Challenge Records, 1964); Jerry Wallace’s version of this track reached No.19 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1964
‘Behind Closed Doors’, which was written by Kenny O’Dell (born Kenneth Gist Jr.) (Wednesday 21 June 1944 – Monday 27 March 2018) / the original version of this track was recorded by Charlie Rich (Wednesday 14 December 1932 – Tuesday 25 July 1995), who included it on ‘Behind Closed Doors’ (Epic Records, 1973); Charlie Rich’s version of this track, which was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for two weeks in April / May 1973, and No.15 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1973, sold a million copies by September 1973
‘I’ve Always Been Crazy’, which was written by Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002) / the original version of this track was recorded by Waylon Jennings, who included it on ‘I’ve Always been Crazy’ (RCA Records, 1978); Waylon Jennings’ version of the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for three weeks in September 1978
‘Abilene’, which was written by Samuel Robert Gibson (Monday 16 November 1931 – Saturday 28 September 1996), Albert Stanton, Lester Brown and John D. Loudermilk (Saturday 31 March 1934 – Wednesday 21 September 2016) / the original version of this track was recorded by George Hamilton IV (Monday 19 July 1937 – Wednesday 17 September 2014), who included it on ‘Abilene’ (RCA Victor Records, 1963); George Hamilton IV’s version of this track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for four weeks in 1963, and No.15 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1963
‘Singing The Blues’, which was written by Melvin Endsley (Tuesday 30 January 1934 – Monday 16 August 2004) / the original version of this track was recorded by Marty Robbins (Saturday 26 September 1925 – Wednesday 8 December 1982), who included it on ‘Marty’s Greatest Hits’ (Columbia Records, 1959); Marty Robbins’ version of this track was No.1 on the Billboard C&W Best Sellers Chart for 13 weeks in late 1956 and early 1957, and No.17 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1956
‘Green, Green Grass of Home’, which was written by Curly Putman (Thursday 20 November 1930 – Sunday 30 October 2016)
• the original version of this track was recorded by Johnny Darrell, who included it on ‘As Long As The wind Blows’ (United Artists Records, 1966)
• this track was also recorded by Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 – Sunday 28 October 2007), who included it on ‘On The Road: The Porter Wagoner Show’ (RCA Records, 1966); Porter Wagoner‘s version reached No.4 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1965
• this track was also recorded by Bobby Bare, who included it on ‘The Streets of Baltimore’ (RCA Victor Records, 1966)
• this track was also recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022), who included it on ‘Country Songs For City Folks’ (Smash Records, 1965)
• this track was also recorded by Tom Jones, who included it on ‘Green Green Grass of Home’ (Decca Records, 1966); Tom Jones’ version of this track was No.1 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart for seven weeks in December 1966 / January 1967
‘If We Make It Through December’, which was written by Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) / the original version of this track was recorded by Merle Haggard, who included it on ‘Christmas Present’ (Capitol Records, 1973) and ‘If We Make It Through December’ (Capitol Records, 1974); Merle Haggard‘s version of this track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for four weeks in December 1973 / January 1974
‘Smokey Mountain Memories’, which was written by Earl Thomas Conley (Friday 17 October 1941 – Wednesday 10 April 2019) and Dick Heard (1937 – Tuesday 8 September 1998) / the original version of this track was recorded by Mel Street (Saturday 21 October 1933 – Saturday 21 October 1978), who included it on ‘Smokey Mountain Memories’ (GRT Records, 1975); Mel Street’s version of the track reached No.13 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1975 / the track was also recorded by Earl Thomas Conley, who included it on ‘Fire & Smoke’ (RCA Victor Records, 1981)
On Tuesday 29 September 2015, Buddy Jewell was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame at Noah’s Event Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
On Sunday 2 April 2017, Buddy Jewell saw the release of an extended play (EP) disc, ‘Reloaded’ (Better Music Nashville, 2017), which included the following tracks:
‘I’m Every Man’
‘I’m There’ / this was an acoustic version
‘I’m There’ / this track was released as a single and reached No.1 on the Power Source Christian Country Chart in 2017
‘Just Enough To Get To Memphis’
‘Diesel Destiny’
On Wednesday 20 February 2019, Buddy Jewell saw the release of ‘Shine On’ (Better Music, 2019), which included the following tracks:
‘I’m One of Them’
‘Hard To Stay Dry’
‘From Now On’
‘Taylor Went Pop’
‘Honeysuckle Wild’
‘Kiss That Girl’
‘Maybe It’s Still There’
‘Let’s Act Single Again’
‘One Can Be A Lot’
‘Collect From Witchita’
‘All Hat, No Cattle’
‘Shine On’
On Thursday 4 April 2019, Buddy Jewell was nominated for, and won, the ‘Male Vocalist of The Year’ award by the ICMA.
• Visit Buddy Jewell’s official site at buddyjewell.com