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 2006, 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 Dan Tyler, which he submitted to this site on Tuesday 14 November 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Dan Tyler who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Dan Tyler
This quote was submitted on Tuesday 14 November 2006.
‘Though I have never met him, I have been a Gene Watson fan since I first heard ‘Love In The Hot Afternoon‘.
His amazing voice tells a story and paints a picture like no one else.
Great singers are treasures and Gene Watson is a treasure. Like all masters, he makes it look easy. But I know better! It ain’t easy and Gene’s great talent for interpreting songs is a joy to behold.
May God bless him and keep him singing for many more years’
Thank you, Dan Tyler, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Dan Tyler…
Dan Tyler is a native of McComb, Mississippi where he was born on Wednesday 22 November 1950.
Music has played an important role, for Dan Tyler, all his life.
Dan Tyler was named after the song ‘Danny Boy’ and, when Elvis Presley (Tuesday 8 January 1935 – Tuesday 16 August 1977) came to his hometown of McComb, appearing with Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003), in August 1954, Dan Tyler remembers the excitement of Elvis’ music.
Dan Tyler’s father, Bill, had promoted the concert, through his position at a local radio station.
Dan Tyler grew up in a Southern home, where his parents gave him the encouragement and support which a future songwriter and author needed. Along with his two younger brothers, Bob and Bill, Dan Tyler enjoyed life in the town of McComb.
Dan Tyler’s education lead him to his future careers of both a songwriter and an author. Dan Tyler started writing music around the young age of twelve or thirteen, and learned to play the guitar by ear.
Although he had no musical training, Dan Tyler could naturally write music. Dan Tyler attended McComb High School, where he was the president of his class, a national merit scholar, and was very active in artistic things, such as debate and acting.
While still in high school, Dan Tyler began writing poetry and was captivated by music. Upom graduation in b, Dan Tyler finished third in his class and furthered his education at the University of Mississippi.
While at Ole Miss, Dan Tyler earned his bachelor’s degree in English and also earned his law degree there as well. Dan Tyler was at Ole Miss for a total of seven years and graduated in 1974.
While attending Ole Miss, Dan Tyler met his wife, Adele. They had two children, William and Elise.
Following graduation from law school and a clerkship with a federal magistrate, Dan Tyler and his wife Adele moved to Nashville in order that he could pursue his dream of becoming a professional songwriter.
Since Dan Tyler moved to Nashville in 1976, he has been successful in many different fields of work; he has been a music publisher, an entertainment attorney, a songwriter, and an author.
(Thursday 27 November 1941 – Thursday 7 May 1998)
Success came quickly for Dan Tyler.
Eddie Rabbitt (Thursday 27 November 1941 – Thursday 7 May 1998) enjoyed major Billboard country music chart success with three songs written by Dan Tyler.
Eddie Rabbitt (Thursday 27 November 1941 – Thursday 7 May 1998) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Hearts On Fire’ (co-written with Eddie Rabbitt and Even Stevens) and included the track on ‘Variations’ (Elektra Records, 1978); the track reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1978, and No.9 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1978.
Eddie Rabbitt (Thursday 27 November 1941 – Thursday 7 May 1998) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘The Room At The Top of The Stairs’ (co-written with Even Stevens) and included the track on ‘Variations’ (Elektra Records, 1978).
Eddie Rabbitt (Thursday 27 November 1941 – Thursday 7 May 1998) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Amazing Love’ and included the track on ‘Loveline’ (Elektra Records, 1979).
Wood Newton recorded Dan Tyler’s’ ‘Last Exit For Love’ (co-written with Even Stevens) and included the track on ‘Wood Newton’ (Elektra Records, 1979); the track reached No.52 on the Billboard country music singles chart in late 1978.
Stella Parton recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘The Room At The Top of The Stairs’ (co-written with Even Stevens) and included the track on ‘Love Ya’ (Elektra Records, 1979); the track reached No.36 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1979.
With the responsibilities which came with a new son called William, Dan Tyler was reluctant to give up the practice of law for the vagaries of the music business.
Dan Tyler struggled to balance the demands of practicing law with his love for music.
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Bobbie Sue’ (co-written with Adele Tyler and Wood Newton) and included the track on ‘Bobbie Sue’ (MCA Records, 1982); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in April 1982.
Dan Tyler then left the law profession and established, with Adele acting as his creative and business partner, Intuit Music Group, a music publishing venture. They discovered and produced albums for artists, including Webb Wilder.
BJ Thomas (Friday 7 August 1942 – Saturday 29 May 2021) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘The Whole World’s In Love When You’re Lonely’ (co-written with J Fred Knobloch) and included the track on ‘Shining’ (Columbia Records, 1984).
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Modern Day Romance’ (co-written with Kix Brooks) and included the track on ‘Brothers, Partners & Friends’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1985); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in September 1985.
Kenny Rogers (Sunday 21 August 1938 – Friday 20 March 2020) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Twenty Years Ago’ and included the track on ‘They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To’ (RCA Records, 1986); the track reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1986.
Marie Osmond recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘I Know The Feeling’ (co-written with J Fred Knobloch) and included the track on ‘I Only Wanted You’ (Capitol Records, 1986); the album was re-issued by Curb Records in 1990.
S-K-O (a trio of songwriters comprising of Thom Schuyler, J Fred Knobloch and Paul Overstreet) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Baby’s Got A New Baby’ (co-written with J Fred Knobloch) and included the track on ‘Schuyler, Knobloch & Overstreet (MTM Records, 1986); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in March 1987.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Turn of The Century’ and included the track on ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume 2’ (MCA Records, 1989); the track reached No.27 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1989.
Paul Overstreet recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Homemaker’ (co-written with Paul Overstreet) and included the track on ‘Sowin’ Love’ (RCA Records, 1989).
In 1989, Dan Tyler needed a break from the demands of the music business, so he and his family, which now included a daughter, Elise, moved to McComb. As a result, Dan Tyler rediscovered his ability and desire to write songs by himself.
Joni Harms recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘I Need A Wife’ and included the track on ‘Hometown Girl’ (Capitol Records, 1990).
Glen Campbell (Wednesday 22 April 1936 – Tuesday 8 August 2017) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Somebody’s Doin’ Me Right’ (co-written with J Fred Knobloch and Paul Overstreet) and included the track on ‘Unconditional Love’ (Capitol Records, 1991).
In 1991, the Tyler family returned to Nashville, with Dan Tyler now committed to writing songs closer to his heart.
Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 – Tuesday 9 May 1989) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Somebody’s Doin’ Me Right’ (co-written with J Fred Knobloch and Paul Overstreet); the track was included on ‘Kentucky Bluebird’ (RCA Records, 1991) and, when released as a single, reached No.15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1992.
After twenty years in the country music business, Dan Tyler decided to write a fiction novel from his experiences; ‘Music City Confidential’ was released in the Fall of 1996 and was Dan Tyler’s first novel to be published.
Dan Tyler’s ‘Music City Confidential’ was released by Eggman Publishing in Nashville; the novel was an insider’s fictional take on the colourful country music industry and, despite limited distribution, the book sold over 2,000 hardback copies.
LeAnn Rimes recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘The Light In Your Eyes’ and included the track on ‘Blue’ (Curb Records, 1996); the track reached No.5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1997.
Joni Harms recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘A Woman Knows’ and included the track on ‘Cowgirl Dreams’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1998).
In the late 1990s, Dan Tyler was deeply involved musically with his son, William Tyler, and his band, Lifeboy, helping them secure a recording contract with Sire Records.
Although the album Lifeboy recorded for Sire Records was never released and the band are now inactive, William Tyler has continued in the music business, establishing himself as an important young musician and songwriter.
William Tyler has played with the seminal Nashville group, Lambchop, and also with David Berman & The Silver Jews.
In the first decade of the 21st century, Dan Tyler’s Intuit Music Group worked with a variety of recording artists, including Billy Ray Reynolds, David St. Romain, Marna Taylor, Levi Sims and the Louisiana soul band, Coffee.
Eddy Arnold (Wednesday 15 May 1918 – Thursday 8 May 2008) recorded Dan Tyler’s ‘Too Life’ and included the track on ‘Seven Decades of Hits’ (Curb Records, 2000).
In 2002, through his own Intuit Music Group, Dan Tyler saw the release of a series of albums, including ‘I Hope’ (Intuit Music Group, 2003), ‘True Blue’ (Intuit Music Group, 2005) and ‘Better Living’ (Intuit Music Group, 2006).
In 2010, Tompkins Square released a solo record on William Tyler, ‘Behold The Spirit’ (Tompkins Square, 2010). A further album, ‘Impossible Truth’ (Merge Records, 2013), on Merge Records, was released in 2013.
• Visit Dan Tyler’s official site at dantyler.net