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 during 2019, 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 Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals) of Diamond Rio, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 16 January 2019.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals) of Diamond Rio, who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals) of Diamond Rio
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 16 January 2019.
‘Gene Watson is one of the few country artists that seem to get better the older he gets.
Thank you, Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals) of Diamond Rio, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals) of Diamond Rio…
Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals) of Diamond Rio was born on Monday 22 May 1961, and became a member of Diamond Rio in 1989.
Diamond Rio is an American country music and Christian country music band, which was founded in 1982 as an attraction for Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, and was originally known as The Grizzly River Boys, then The Tennessee River Boys. The band was founded by Matt Davenport, Danny Gregg and Ty Herndon, the last of whom became a solo country music artist in the mid-1990s.
After undergoing several membership changes in its initial years, the band has consisted of the same six members since 1989: Marty Roe (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Johnson (mandolin, guitar, fiddle, tenor vocals), Jimmy Olander (lead guitar, banjo), Brian Prout (drums), Dan Truman (keyboards) and Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals).
After assuming the name Diamond Rio, the band was signed to Arista Nashville Records and debuted in 1991 with the single ‘Meet In The Middle’, which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 – Monday 7 December 2015), Chapin Hartford and Jim Foster; the track made Diamond Rio the first band ever to send a debut single to No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart (No.1 for two weeks in mid-1991).
Diamond Rio charted thirty-two more singles, on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart, between 1991 and 2006, including the following four tracks, all of which reached No.1:
‘How Your Love Makes Me Feel’ (written by Trey Bruce and Max T. Barnes) (No.1 for three weeks in September / October 1997)
‘One More Day’ (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones) (No.1 for two non-consecrative weeks in March / April 2001)
‘Beautiful Mess’ (written by Sonny LeMaire, Clay Mills and Shane Minor) (No.1 for two non-consecrative weeks in September / October 2002)
‘I Believe’ (written by Skip Ewing and Donny Kees) (No.1 for two weeks in May / June 2003)
Diamond Rio recorded nine studio albums, and four ‘Greatest Hits’ compilations, along with an album of Christmas music.
Three of Diamond Rio‘s albums achieved Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ‘Platinum’ certification in the United States. In addition, Diamond Rio received four ‘Group of The Year’ awards from the Country Music Association (CMA), two ‘Top Vocal Group’ awards from the Academy of Country Music (ACM), and one Grammy Award.
Diamond Rio is known for its vocal harmonies, varied instrumentation, and near-exclusive use of only its own membership on recordings instead of session musicians. Their sound was originally defined by mainstream country music, bluegrass music, and rock influences, but later albums drew more influence from Christian country music and country pop.
In 1982, Matt Davenport and Danny Gregg founded a band at Opryland USA, a former country music-based amusement park in Nashville. The band was first named Grizzly River Boys, after a new river rafting ride at the park, but quickly changed names to Tennessee River Boys due to its members disliking the original name.
Originally intended to promote the park through a one-time television special, the band proved popular enough that it became one of many regular performers there. Matt Davenport, Danny Gregg and Ty Herndon alternated as lead vocalists, with Matt Davenport also playing bass guitar and Danny Gregg on rhythm guitar; completing the line-up were Larry Beard (lead guitar, fiddle, banjo), Mel Deal (steel guitar), Al DeLeonibus (piano) and Ed Mummert (drums).
Ty Herndon left the group in 1983 to compete on the talent show, ‘Star Search’, and became a solo artist for Epic Records between 1995 and the early 2000s.
Ty Herndon was temporarily replaced by Anthony Crawford and then Virgil True before his role was taken over by Marty Roe, who had originally toured nationally with the Christian band Windsong, and worked in the park by doing impersonations of Larry Gatlin.
Following Ty Herndon‘s departure, Al DeLonibus and Ed Mummert quit as well, with Dan Truman (who had previously played in Brigham Young University’s Young Ambassadors) and Jimmy ‘J.J.’ Whiteside taking their places.
Larry Beard quit shortly afterward and ultimately became a session musician, and former Mel McDaniel (Sunday 6 September 1942 – Thursday 31 March 2011) sideman Jimmy Olander took his place.
The band, through the assistance of Bill Anderson‘s drummer Len ‘Snuffy’ Miller, submitted demos to various Nashville record labels with no success.
By 1985, Tennessee River Boys had quit working at Opryland. According to Marty Roe, while the band enjoyed playing at the park, they also felt that their status as a theme park attraction discredited them as ‘real musicians’ to those in the Nashville community.
For the next number of years, they played at small venues, such as high school auditoriums, and usually worked no more than four concerts a month.
They also competed on ‘Star Search’, but were eliminated in the first round. Frustrated by the sporadic touring schedules, Jimmy ‘J.J.’ Whiteside quit the group and was replaced by Brian Prout, who previously performed in Hot Walker Band and Heartbreak Mountain.
Around 1986, Mel Deal and Danny Gregg both left the group, the latter due to health complications from a serious illness he had developed as a teenager.
They initially chose to operate as a quintet, with Matt Davenport as the sole lead vocalist, and Marty Roe and Brian Prout singing harmony. When this arrangement proved unsuccessful, they found mandolin player Gene Johnson, a former member of the bluegrass group Eddie Adcock’s IInd Generation, which Jimmy Olander was a fan of as a child.
In May 1987, Gene Johnson debuted at a concert in Clewiston, Florida. It was at this time when the band members supplemented their incomes with outside jobs; Gene Johnson continued to work in carpentry, as he had done before joining the band, while Jimmy Olander and Marty Roe mowed lawns, and Brian Prout drove tour buses.
In 1988, the band caught the attention of Keith Stegall, a singer-songwriter, who would later become known primarily for his work as Alan Jackson’s record producer.
Keith Stegall produced demos for Tennessee River Boys, but noted that Matt Davenport could not record the lead vocal and bass parts at the same time, as they would be difficult to separate in the control room.
As a result, Keith Stegall had Marty Roe sing a ‘scratch’ vocal track live with the other musicians, which would then be replaced by Matt Davenport’s voice in post-production.
Upon hearing Marty Roe sing the ‘scratch’ track, Keith Stegall successfully convinced the other members that Marty Roe should be the lead vocalist instead.
In late 1988, due to his discomfort outside the lead role and his wife’s dissatisfaction with his career, Matt Davenport quit the group, becoming the last founding member to leave.
The group quickly had to find a replacement, as they were scheduled to appear on the talk show ‘Nashville Now’ on Monday 23 January 1989.
Alan LeBeouf, who had just left Baillie & The Boys, expressed interest in replacing Matt Davenport, but ultimately declined due to other commitments. They finally chose Dana Williams, a nephew of the bluegrass group Osborne Brothers and former sideman for Jimmy C. Newman (Monday 29 August 1927 – Saturday 21 June 2014), who had been a fan of Tennessee River Boys since Ty Herndon was a member.
Dana Williams officially joined before the appearance on ‘Nashville Now’, but the band still did not have a record deal at this point. They continued to record demos in Brian Prout’s garage with assistance from Monty Powell, who had previously hired Marty Roe and Jimmy Olander for recording jingles, but wanted to produce commercial music.
Monty Powell was a friend of audio engineer Mike Clute, who would later become one of the band’s producers, and songwriters Tim DuBois and Van Stephenson (Wednesday 4 November 1953 – Sunday 8 April 2001).
Tim DuBois was talking with record executive Clive Davis about creating a country music branch of Arista Records called Arista Nashville; Van Stephenson (Wednesday 4 November 1953 – Sunday 8 April 2001) would later sign to the label in 1993 as a member of Blackhawk.
Initially, Tim DuBois was hesitant about signing Tennessee River Boys, as he felt that there were too many popular bands in country music, and he was about to sign both Asleep At The Wheel and Exile.
Tim DuBois expressed interest in signing Marty Roe as a solo artist, but at Monty Powell’s insistence, he agreed to see the band open for George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) at a concert in May 1989, and officially signed them to Arista Nashville Records in 1990.
The band members also decided to choose a new name, as they thought that Tennessee River Boys sounded more suitable for a bluegrass or gospel group than a country music one. Among the names they had chosen were Kilroy & T-Town Mavericks, the latter of which was rejected by Arista executives.
Brian Prout suggested Diamond Rio, after the truck manufacturing company Diamond Reo Trucks. The name had been previously rejected by another country band, Shenandoah, whose lead singer Marty Raybon, who was also a former member of Heartbreak Mountain, gave Brian Prout permission to use the name even though Shenandoah ‘conducted business’ under that name.
On Saturday 4 May 1991, the band performed its first official concert as Diamond Rio, and shared the bill with Wild Rose, whose membership included Brian Prout’s then-wife, Nancy Given Prout.
On Tuesday 28 May 1991, Diamond Rio saw the release of their self-titled debut album, ‘Diamond Rio’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1991), which was produced by Tim DuBois and Monty Powell, and included five tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Meet In The Middle’, which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 – Monday 7 December 2015), Chapin Hartford and Jim Foster (No.1 for two weeks in mid-1991) / this track made Diamond Rio the first band ever to send a debut single to No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart
‘Mirror, Mirror’, which was written by Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard (Thursday 7 May 1953 – Thursday 1 February 2001) and Mark D. Sanders (No.3, 1991)
‘Mama Don’t Forget To Pray For Me’ (written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell) (No.9, 1991)
‘Norma Jean Riley’ (written by Monty Powell, Dan Truman and Rob Honey) (No.2, 1992)
‘Nowhere Bound’ (written by Monty Powell and Jule Medders) (No.7, 1992)
Diamond Rio‘s self-titled debut album, ‘Diamond Rio’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1991), also included the following tracks:
‘This State of Mind’ (written by Michael Puryear and Aaron Tippin)
‘They Don’t Make Hearts (Like They Used To)’ (written by Monty Powell, Sam Mullins and Stan LaGrange)
‘The Ballad of Conley & Billy (The Proof’s In The Pickin’)’ (written by Monty Powell and Jimmy Olander)
‘It’s Gone’, which was written by Herb McCullough (Thursday 18 May 1944 – Tuesday 5 May 2015) and Larry Cordle
‘Pick Me Up’ (written by Monty Powell and Marty Roe)
‘Poultry Promenade’ (written by Jimmy Olander) / this track was an instrumental track, which gave Diamond Rio its first Grammy Award nomination
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s self-titled debut album, ‘Diamond Rio’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1991), included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, backing vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, backing vocals)
Diamond Rio‘s self-titled debut album, ‘Diamond Rio’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1991), reached No.13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1991, and No.83 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1991, and was later certified ‘Platinum’ by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping one million copies in the United States.
In addition, Diamond Rio won the Academy of Country Music’s ‘Top Vocal Group’ award for 1992, an award they would receive again in 1993, 1994 and 1997.
Diamond Rio were also nominated for ‘Top New Vocal Duet or Group’ by the same association in 1992.
On Tuesday 27 October 1992, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘Close To The Edge’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1992), which was produced by Tim DuBois and Monty Powell, and included four tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘In A Week Or Two’ (written by James House and Gary Burr) (No.2, 1992)
‘Oh Me, Oh My, Sweet Baby’ (written by Michael Garvin and Tom Shapiro) (No.5, 1993) / the original version of this track was recorded by George Strait, who included it on ‘Beyond The Blue Neon’ (MCA Records, 1989)
‘This Romeo Ain’t Got Julie Yet’ (written by Jimmy Olander and Eric Silver) (No.13, 1993)
‘Sawmill Road’, which was written by Sam Hogin (1950 – Monday 9 August 2004), Dan Truman and Jim McBride (No.21, 1993)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Close To The Edge’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1992) also included the following tracks:
‘It Does Get Better Than This’ (written by Robert Ellis Orrall and Billy Spencer)
‘Calling All Hearts (Come Back Home)’ (written by Monty Powell, Kent Blazy and Royal Wade Kimes)
‘I Was Meant To Be With You’ (written by Tim DuBois, Monty Powell, Debi Cochran and Marty Roe)
‘Old Weakness (Coming On Strong)’ (written by Monty Powell and Chapin Hartford)
‘Demons & Angels’, which was written by Judy Rodman and Ronnie Samoset (1947 – Sunday 29 July 2018)
‘Nothing In This World’ (written by Jimmy Olander and Eric Silver)
‘Close To The Edge’ (written by Gene Johnson and Carl Jackson)
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘Close To The Edge’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1992) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar)
Brian Prout (drums, percussion)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Close To The Edge’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1992) reached No.24 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1992, and No.87 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1992.
On Tuesday 12 October 1993, Giant Records released ‘Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles’ (Giant Records, 1993), a tribute album to American rock band, Eagles; one of the included tracks was ‘Lyin’ Eyes’, which was written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey (Saturday 6 November 1948 – Tuesday 19 January 2016, and was performed by Diamond Rio (Gene Johnson, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, Marty Roe, Dan Truman and Dana Williams).
On Tuesday 19 July 1994, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘Love A Little Stronger’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994), which was produced by Michael D. Clute, Tim DuBois and Monty Powell, and included four tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Love A Little Stronger’ (written by Chuck Jones, Billy Crittenden and Gregory Swint) (No.2, 1994)
‘Night Is Fallin’ In My Heart’, which was written by Dennis Linde (Thursday 18 March 1943 – Friday 22 December 2006) (No.9, 1994)
‘Bubba Hyde’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Gene Nelson) (No.16, 1995)
‘Finish What We Started’ (written by Monty Powell and Michael Noble) (No.19, 1995)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Love A Little Stronger’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994) also included the following tracks:
‘You Ain’t In It’ (written by Tim Menzies and Shawn Camp)
‘Down By The Riverside’ (written by Monty Powell, Marty Roe and Jule Medders)
‘Wild Blue Yonder’ (written by Karen Taylor-Good and Lisa Aschmann)
‘Gone Out of My Mind’, which was written by Eugene David Dobbins (Monday 19 March 1934 – Sunday 23 November 2008), Michael Huffman and Bob Morrison
‘Appalachian Dream’ (written by Jimmy Olander) / this track was an instrumental track
‘Kentucky Mine’ (written by Monty Powell, Jimmie Lee Sloas and Dale Oliver)
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘Love A Little Stronger’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994) included the following:
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo)
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Brian Prout (drums)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Love A Little Stronger’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994) reached No.13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1994, No.100 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1994, and No.7 on the Canadian RPM Country Albums Chart in 1994, and was certified ‘Platinum’ by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of one million copies in the United States in 1994.
On Tuesday 27 September 1994, BNA Records released ‘Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album’ (BNA Records, 1994), a tribute album to American country music artist, Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 – Tuesday 9 May 1989); one of the included tracks was ‘Ten Feet Away’, which was written by Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 – Sunday 11 January 2004), Troy Seals and Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015), and was performed by Diamond Rio.
On Tuesday 11 October 1994, Arista Nashville Records released ‘Mama’s Hungry Eyes: A Tribute To Merle Haggard’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994), a tribute album to American country music artist, Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016); one of the included tracks was ‘Workin’ Man Blues’ (written by Merle Haggard), which was performed by Jed Zeppelin (Lee Roy Parnell, Diamond Rio and Steve Wariner), and reached No.48 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1994.
Arista Nashville Records’ ‘Mama’s Hungry Eyes: A Tribute To Merle Haggard’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1994) reached No.22 on the Canadian RPM Country Albums Chart in 1994, and No.52 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1994.
On Tuesday 27 February 1996, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘IV’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996), which was produced by Michael D. Clute, Monty Powell, Diamond Rio and Tim DuBois, and included four tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Walkin’ Away’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Annie Roboff) (No.2, 1995)
‘That’s What I Get For Lovin’ You’ (written by Neil Thrasher and Kent Blazy) (No.4, 1996)
‘It’s All In Your Head’, which was written by Van Stephenson (Wednesday 4 November 1953 – Sunday 8 April 2001), Reese Wilson and Tony Martin (No.15, 1996)
‘Holdin’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Kelly Garrett) (No.4, 1996)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘IV’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996) also included the following tracks:
‘She Misses Him On Sunday The Most’ (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones) / this track was released as a single in Germany only
‘She Sure Did Like To Run’ (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Walt Aldridge)
‘Who Am I?’ (written by Randy Albright and Debi Cochran)
‘Love Takes You There’ (written by John Nance Sharp, Mary Ann Kennedy and Christopher Morris)
‘Is That Askin’ Too Much’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Donny Lowery)
‘Just Another Heart’, which was written by Skip Ewing and Tim Johnson (Friday 29 January 1960 – Sunday 21 October 2012)
‘Big’ (written by Jimmy Olander) / this track was an instrumental track
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘IV’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘IV’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996) reached No.14 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1996, No.92 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1996, and No.4 on the Canadian RPM Country Albums Chart in 1996.
On Saturday 9 August 1997, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘Greatest Hits’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1997), which was produced by Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio; this collection was Diamond Rio‘s first ‘greatest hits’ compilation, and included the following tracks:
‘How Your Love Makes Me Feel’ (written by Trey Bruce and Max T. Barnes) (No.1 for three weeks in September / October 1997) / this track was new to this compilation
‘Meet In The Middle’, which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 – Monday 7 December 2015), Chapin Hartford and Jim Foster (No.1 for two weeks in mid-1991) / this track made Diamond Rio the first band ever to send a debut single to No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart
‘Mirror, Mirror’, which was written by Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard (Thursday 7 May 1953 – Thursday 1 February 2001) and Mark D. Sanders (No.3, 1991)
‘Mama, Don’t Forget To Pray For Me’ (written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell) (No.9, 1991)
‘Norma Jean Riley’ (written by Monty Powell, Dan Truman and Rob Honey) (No.2, 1992)
‘In A Week Or Two’ (written by James House and Gary Burr) (No.2, 1992)
‘Love A Little Stronger’ (written by Chuck Jones, Billy Crittenden and Gregory Swint) (No.2, 1994)
‘Night Is Fallin’ In My Heart’, which was written by Dennis Linde (Thursday 18 March 1943 – Friday 22 December 2006) (No.9, 1994)
‘Bubba Hyde’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Gene Nelson) (No.16, 1995)
‘Walkin’ Away’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Annie Roboff) (No.2, 1995)
‘It’s All In Your Head’, which was written by Van Stephenson (Wednesday 4 November 1953 – Sunday 8 April 2001), Reese Wilson and Tony Martin (No.15, 1996)
‘Holdin’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Kelly Garrett) (No.4, 1996)
‘She Misses Him On Sunday The Most’ (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones) / this track was released as a single in Germany only, and was originally included on Diamond Rio‘s ‘IV’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1996)
‘Imagine That’ (written by Bryan White, Derek George and John Tirro) (No.4, 1997) / this track was new to this compilation
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘Greatest Hits’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1997), included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Greatest Hits’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1997) reached No.8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1997, and No.75 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1997.
On Tuesday 19 May 1998, Rebel Records released Ralph Stanley & Friends’ ‘Clinch Mountain Country’ (Rebel Records, 1998); one of the included tracks was ‘How Can We Thank Him For What He’s Done’, which featured harmony vocals from Diamond Rio (Dana Williams, Gene Johnson and Marty Roe), along with a recitation by Ralph Stanley (Friday 25 February 1927 – Thursday 23 June 2016).
On Tuesday 28 July 1998, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘Unbelievable’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1998), which was produced by Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio, and included three tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘You’re Gone’ (written by Jon Vezner and Paul Williams) (No.4, 1998)
‘Unbelievable’ (written by Al Anderson and Jeffrey Steele) (No.2, 1998)
‘I Know How The River Feels’ (written by Amy Powers and Steven Dale Jones) (No.33, 1999) / this track was also recorded by Ty Herndon, who included it on ‘Living In A Moment’ (Epic Records, 1996)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Unbelievable’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1998) also included the following tracks:
‘Two Pump Texaco’ (written by Neil Thrasher and Michael Dulaney)
‘Miss That Girl’ (written by Kenny Mims and Jeff Pennig)
‘What More Do You Want From Me?’ (written by Mark D. Sanders and Bob Regan)
‘Long Way Back’, which was written by Bill Rice (Wednesday 19 April 1939 – Saturday 28 October 2023) and Sharon Rice
‘I Thought I’d Seen Everything’ (written by Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange and Huey Lewis)
‘Hold Me Now’ (written by Tommy Sims and Gordon Kennedy)
‘(I Will) Start All Over Again’ (written by Will Jennings and Annie Roboff)
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘Unbelievable’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1998) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards, string arrangements)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Additional musicians involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘Unbelievable’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1998) included the following:
John Catchings (cello)
David Davidson (violin)
Carl Marsh (string arrangements, conductor)
Kathryn Plummer and Kris Wilkinson (viola)
Michael Wyatt (percussion)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Unbelievable’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1998) reached No.9 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1998, No.70 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 1998, and No.2 on the Canadian RPM Country Albums Chart in 1998.
On Tuesday 6 February 2001, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘One More Day’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2001), which was produced by Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio, and included four tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart:
‘Stuff’ (written by Tim Owens and Kelly Garrett) (No.36, 2000)
‘One More Day’ (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones) (No.1 for two non-consecutive weeks in March / April 2001) / this track also reached No.6 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Chart in 2001, and No.29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2001
‘Sweet Summer’ (written by Neil Thrasher and Michael Dulaney) (No.18, 2001)
‘That’s Just That’ (written by Tim Owens and Kelly Garrett) (No.42, 2001)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘One More Day’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2001) also included the following tracks:
‘I’m Already Gone’ (written by Phil Vassar and Annie Roboff)
‘I Could Do It With My Eyes Closed’ (written by Neil Thrasher and Trey Bruce)
‘Til The Heartache’s Gone’, which was written by Jeffrey Steele, Al Anderson and John A. Hobbs (Saturday 11 February 1928 – Wednesday 12 June 2019)
‘Here I Go Fallin’ (written by Jeffrey Steele and Chris Farren)
‘I Think I Love You’ (written by Steve Bogard and Marv Green)
‘Hearts Against The Wind’ (written by John David Souther)
‘You Make Me Feel’ (written by Skip Ewingand Bob DiPiero)
‘The Love of A Woman’, which was written by Mark Alan Springer, Arthur John Masaracchia (known professionally as A.J. Masters) (Wednesday 20 December 1950 – Monday 12 January 2015) and Thomas Cain
‘I’m Trying’ (written by Darrell Scott and Tia Sillers) / this track was a duet with Chely Wright
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘One More Day’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2001) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Chely Wright (duet vocals on ‘I’m Trying’)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘One More Day’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2001) reached No.5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2001, and No.36 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 2001.
On Tuesday 23 July 2002, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘Completely’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2002), which was produced by Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio, and included four tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart:
‘Beautiful Mess’ (written by Sonny LeMaire, Clay Mills and Shane Minor) (No.1 for two non-consecutive weeks in September / October 2002)
‘I Believe’ (written by Skip Ewing and Donny Kees) (No.1 for two weeks in May / June 2003)
‘Wrinkles’, which was written by Ronny Scaife (1947 – Wednesday 3 November 2010) and Neil Thrasher (No.16, 2003)
‘We All Fall Down’ (written by Arlis Albritton and Steven Dale Jones) (No.45, 2004)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Completely’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2002) also included the following tracks:
‘Big Ol’ Fire’ (written by Michael Lunn)
‘Something Cool’, which was written by L. David Lewis and Kim Williams (Saturday 28 June 1947 – Thursday 11 February 2016)
‘The Box’ (written by Chris Wallin and Nicole Witt)
‘Completely’ (written by Diane Warren)
‘A Better Idea’ (written by Marty Dodson and Tom Shapiro)
‘If You’d Like Some Lovin’ (written by David Ball and Tommy Polk) / the original version of this track was recorded by David Ball, who included it on ‘Starlite Lounge’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1996)
‘You’ll Find Me’ (written by Tommy Conners and D. Vincent Williams)
‘Rural Philharmonic’ (written by Jimmy Olander) / this track was an instrumental track
‘Make Sure You’ve Got It All’ (written by Bill Anderson and Steve Wariner) / this track was also recorded by Collin Raye, who included it on ‘The Walls Came Down’ (Epic Records, 1998)
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘Completely’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2002) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, vibraphone, 12-string guitar, Danelectro, Dobro, sampling)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards, piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Nashville String Machine (strings, arranged and conducted by Carl Marsh)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Completely’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2002) reached No.3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2002, and No.23 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 2002.
In 2004, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘Can’t You Tell’ (written by Eric Silver and Joleen Belle), a non-album track, which was released by Arista Nashville Records, and was produced by Diamond Rio and Michael D. Clute; the track reached No.43 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2005.
In 2005, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘One Believer’, a non-album track, which was released by Arista Nashville Records; the track reached No.42 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2005.
On Tuesday 9 May 2006, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘Greatest Hits, Volume 2’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2006), which was produced by Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio, and included the following tracks:
‘God Only Cries’, which was written by Tim Johnson (Friday 29 January 1960 – Sunday 21 October 2012) (No.30, 2006) / this track was newly recorded for this collection
‘Beautiful Mess’ (written by Sonny LeMaire, Clay Mills and Shane Minor) (No.1 for two non-consecutive weeks in September / October 2002)
‘One More Day’ (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones) (No.1 for two non-consecutive weeks in March / April 2001) / this track also reached No.6 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Chart in 2001, and No.29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2001
‘Sweet Summer’ (written by Neil Thrasher and Michael Dulaney) (No.18, 2001)
‘Redneck Love Gone Bad’ (written by Bobby G. Taylor and Shannon Lawson) / this track was newly recorded for this collection, but it was not released as a single
‘Over You’ (written by Jason Sellers, Michael Dulaney and Steven Dale Jones) / this track was newly recorded for this collection, but it was not released as a single
‘Unbelievable’ (written by Al Anderson and Jeffrey Steele) (No.2, 1998)
‘You’re Gone’ (written by Jon Vezner and Paul Williams) (No.4, 1998)
‘That’s What I Get For Lovin’ You’ (written by Neil Thrasher and Kent Blazy) (No.4, 1996)
‘Wrinkles’, which was written by Ronny Scaife (1947 – Wednesday 3 November 2010) and Neil Thrasher (No.16, 2003)
‘I Believe’ (written by Skip Ewing and Donny Kees) (No.1 for two weeks in May / June 2003)
‘Meet In The Middle’, which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 – Monday 7 December 2015), Chapin Hartford and Jim Foster (No.1 for two weeks in mid-1991) / this track made Diamond Rio the first band ever to send a debut single to No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart
‘In God We Still Trust’ (written by Rob LeClair, Bill Nash and Kim Nash) / this track was newly recorded for this collection, but it was not released as a single
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘Greatest Hits, Volume 2’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2006) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘Greatest Hits, Volume 2’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2006) reached No.12 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2006, and No.62 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in 2006.
Following the release of ‘Greatest Hits, Volume 2’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2006), Diamond Rio exited Arista Nashville Records’ roster.
On Tuesday 9 October 2007, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘A Diamond Rio Christmas: The Star Still Shines’ (Word Records, 2007), which was produced by Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio, and included the following tracks:
‘The Star Still Shines’ (written by John Colgin, Don Poythress and Michael Puryear)
‘Winter Wonderland’ (written by Dick Smith and Felix Bernard)
‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)’, which was written by Mel Tormé (Sunday 13 September 1925 – Saturday 5 June 1999) and Robert Wells (Sunday 15 October 1922 – Monday 28 September 1998)
‘Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow’, which was written by Sammy Cahn (Wednesday 18 June 1913 – Friday 15 January 1993) and Jule Styne (Sunday 31 December 1905 – Tuesday 20 September 1994)
‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ (Public Domain)
‘Sleigh Ride’ (written by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish)
‘Christmas Time Is Here’, which was written by Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (Tuesday 17 July 1928 – Friday 6 February 1976) and Lee Mendelson
‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’, which was written by Buck Ram (Thursday 21 November 1907 – Tuesday 1 January 1991), Walter Kent and Kim Gannon
‘Christmas Time’s A-Comin’, which was written by Benjamin Franklin ‘Tex’ Logan Jr. (Monday 6 June 1927 – Friday 24 April 2015)
‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ (Public Domain)
‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’, which was written by Ralph Blane (26 July 1914 – Monday 13 November 1995) and Hugh Martin (11 August 1914 – Friday 11 March 2011)
‘Christmas Is Coming – From A Charlie Brown Christmas’, which was written by Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (Tuesday 17 July 1928 – Friday 6 February 1976)
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘A Diamond Rio Christmas: The Star Still Shines’ (Word Records, 2007) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, string arrangements, programming)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (keyboards, piano, string arrangements)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, background vocals)
Diamond Rio‘s ‘A Diamond Rio Christmas: The Star Still Shines’ (Word Records, 2007) reached No.28 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums Chart in 2007, No.56 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2007, and No18 on the Billboard Top Holiday Albums Chart in 2007.
On Saturday 23 February 2008, Diamond Rio saw the release of ’16 Biggest Hits’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2008), which included the following tracks:
‘How Your Love Makes Me Feel’ (written by Trey Bruce and Max T. Barnes) (No.1 for three weeks in September / October 1997)
‘Walkin’ Away’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Annie Roboff) (No.2, 1995)
‘Holdin’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Kelly Garrett) (No.4, 1996)
‘Meet In The Middle’, which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 – Monday 7 December 2015), Chapin Hartford and Jim Foster (No.1 for two weeks in mid-1991) / this track made Diamond Rio the first band ever to send a debut single to No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart
‘Unbelievable’ (written by Al Anderson and Jeffrey Steele) (No.2, 1998)
‘Beautiful Mess’ (written by Sonny LeMaire, Clay Mills and Shane Minor) (No.1 for two non-consecutive weeks in September / October 2002)
‘One More Day’ (written by Bobby Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones) (No.1 for two non-consecutive weeks in March / April 2001) / this track also reached No.6 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Chart in 2001, and No.29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2001
‘Love A Little Stronger’ (written by Chuck Jones, Billy Crittenden and Gregory Swint) (No.2, 1994)
‘Oh Me, Oh My, Sweet Baby’ (written by Michael Garvin and Tom Shapiro) (No.5, 1993)
‘Mirror, Mirror’, which was written by Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard (Thursday 7 May 1953 – Thursday 1 February 2001) and Mark D. Sanders (No.3, 1991)
‘You’re Gone’ (written by Jon Vezner and Paul Williams) (No.4, 1998)
‘Nowhere Bound’ (written by Monty Powell and Jule Medders) (No.7, 1992)
‘Norma Jean Riley’ (written by Monty Powell, Dan Truman and Rob Honey) (No.2, 1992)
‘In A Week Or Two’ (written by James House and Gary Burr) (No.2, 1992)
‘I Believe’ (written by Skip Ewing and Donny Kees) (No.1 for two weeks in May / June 2003)
‘This Romeo Ain’t Got Julie Yet’ (written by Jimmy Olander and Eric Silver) (No.13, 1993)
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ’16 Biggest Hits’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2008) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, tenor vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (lead vocals, acoustic guitar)
Dan Truman (keyboards, piano, organ)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals)
Diamond Rio‘s ’16 Biggest Hits’ (Arista Nashville Records, 2008) reached No.63 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in late August 2007.
On Tuesday 22 September 2009, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘The Reason’ (Word Records, 2009), which was produced by Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio, and included two tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart:
‘God Is There’ (written by Bernie Herms, Jimmy Olander and Marty Roe) / this track, which was released as a single in 2009, but did not chart, was nominated for ‘Song of The Year’ and ‘Country Recorded Song of The Year’
‘This Is My Life’ (written by Jimmy Olander, Marty Roe and Matthew West) / this track was released as a single in 2010, but it did not chart
Diamond Rio‘s ‘The Reason’ (Word Records, 2009) also included the following tracks:
‘The Reason’ (written by Joe Beck, Jimmy Olander and Marty Roe)
‘Reaching For Me’ (written by Michael Boggs and Chad R. Cates)
‘Into Your Hands’ (written by Chris Eaton, Jimmy Olander and Marty Roe)
‘Just Love’ (written by Chris Eaton, Jimmy Olander and Marty Roe)
‘Moments of Heaven On Earth’, which was written by Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 – Monday 7 December 2015) and Dan Truman
‘My God Does’ (written by Sarah Buxton, Bob DiPiero and Craig Wiseman)
‘Wherever I Am’ (written by Jimmy Olander, Marty Roe and Matthew West)
‘What Are We Gonna Do Now’ (written by Joe Beck, Chaz Bosarge and Dana Williams)
‘In God We Still Trust’ (written by Rob LeClair, Bill Nash and Kim Nash)
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio‘s ‘The Reason’ (Word Records, 2009) included the following:
Gene Johnson (mandolin, background vocals)
Jimmy Olander (acoustic guitar, electric guitar)
Brian Prout (drums)
Marty Roe (acoustic guitar, lead vocals)
Dan Truman (piano)
Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals)
At the 41st GMA Dove Awards, Diamond Rio‘s ‘The Reason’ (Word Records, 2009) won a Dove Award for ‘Country Album of The Year’.
Diamond Rio‘s ‘The Reason’ (Word Records, 2009) reached No.41 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2009, and No.17 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums Chart in 2009.
On Sunday 13 February 2011, Diamond Rio‘s ‘The Reason’ (Word Records, 2009) won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album’.
On Friday 18 September 2015, Diamond Rio saw the release of ‘I Made It’ (Rio Hot Records, 2015), which included the following tracks:
‘I Love This Song’ (written by Jeffrey Steele and Marcel Chagnon)
‘Ride The Range’ (written by Bobby Terry and Catt Gravitt)
‘I Made It’ (written by Jimmy Olander, Josh Shilling and Michael Dulaney)
‘I Can’t Think of Anything But You’ (written by Skip Ewing, David Fertitta and Allan Dennis Rich)
‘Crazy Life’ (written by Peter Kevin Fisher)
‘Beckett’s Back Forty Acres’ (written by Ashley Gorley, Matthew Rossi and Hugh Bryan Simpson)
‘Lay Your Lovin’ On Me’ (written by Ben Hayslip and Jimmy Yeary)
‘Findin’ My Way Back Home’ (written by Craig Wiseman and Chris Stapleton)
‘If You’re Willing’ (written by Jason Sellers and Stewart Harris)
‘I’ll Wait For You’ (written by Shane Minor, Shannon Brown and Joshua Stevens)
‘Walking By Beauty’ (written by Patrick Jason Matthews and Jason White) / this was a bonus track, which featured guest vocals from Joshua Bell, and benefited do Terra Healing Hands Foundation
Personnel involved in the recording of Diamond Rio’s ‘I Made It’ (Rio Hot Records, 2015) included the following:
Marty Roe (lead vocals, Kazoo)
Gene Johnson (vocals, mandolin)
Dana Williams (vocals, bass)
Jimmy Olander (guitars)
Dan Truman (piano, keys)
Brain Prout (drums)
On Friday 15 April 2016, Marie Osmond saw the release of ‘Music Is Medicine’ (OliveMe Records, 2016); one of the included tracks was ‘I’d Love To Be Your Last’ (written by Rivers Rutherford, Sam Tate and Annie Tate), which featured guest vocals from Diamond Rio’s Marty Roe.
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• Visit Diamond Rio’s official site at diamondrio.com