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 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 Darrell McCall, which he submitted to this site on Saturday 4 October 2008.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Darrell McCall who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Sean Brady would also like to express a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Tracy Pitcox at Heart of Texas Records in Brady, Texas without whose help this Gene Watson Peer’s Quote from Darrell McCall would not have been possible.
Tracy Pitcox is also a disc jockey at KNEL in Brady, Texas which broadcasts on 95.3 FM & 1490 AM.
Darrell McCall
This quote was submitted on Saturday 4 October 2008.
‘Gene Watson has one of country music’s greatest voices.
He can turn any song into his own and I admire his talent and his ability as a great entertainer’
Thank you, Darrell McCall, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Darrell McCall…
Darrell McCall is a native of New Jasper Township, Greene County, Ohio where he was born on Tuesday 30 April 1940.
When he was fifteen years old, Darrell McCall landed a job as a disc jockey at a local Ohio radio show on Saturday mornings. During this time, Darrell McCall also performed as a musician at dances and other events.
After graduating from high school, Darrell McCall joined the military and was stationed in Kentucky.
In 1958, after his tour of duty was completed, Darrell McCall and his childhood friend, Johnny Paycheck (Tuesday 31 May 1938 – Wednesday 19 February 2003), moved to Nashville.
Darrell McCall and Johnny Paycheck (Tuesday 31 May 1938 – Wednesday 19 February 2003) attempted to record as a duo, but they were unsuccessful.
Darrell McCall then became a studio harmony vocalist, singing on records by Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996), George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) and Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013).
In a short time, Darrell McCall’s studio work led to road work as he played bass and sang harmony for the touring bands of Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996), Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) and Hank Williams Jr.
It was during a recording session in 1959 when Darrell McCall met Buddy Killen (Sunday 13 November 1932 – Wednesday 1 November 2006), a renowned Nashville producer and publisher.
Buddy Killen (Sunday 13 November 1932 – Wednesday 1 November 2006) was sufficiently impressed with Darrell McCall’s abilities and asked him to join a group he was putting together called The Little Dippers, a group which included Hurshel Wayne Wiginton (Saturday 29 January 1938 – Monday 6 March 2017), Delores Dinning and Emily Gilmore.
The Little Dippers enjoyed one major Billboard pop music hit single in 1960, a Top 10 single called ‘Forever’.
In 1961, Darrell McCall signed a solo recording contract with Capitol Records and saw the release of two pop music singles, ‘My Kind of Loving’ and ‘Call The Zoo’, both of which did not chart.
In 1962, Darrell McCall returned to the country music genre when he signed a recording contract with Philips, and saw the release of a non-album single, ‘Dear One’, which was written by John Lawrence Finneran (Monday 10 October 1938 – Sunday 22 July 1973); the track did not chart.
In January 1963, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘A Stranger Was Here’, a non-album single, which was backed by The Milestones; the track, which reached No.17, spent eight weeks on the Billboard country music singles chart.
It was also in 1963 when Darrell McCall sang the theme song for the Martin Ritt-directed movie, ‘Hud’, which starred Paul Newman (Monday 26 January 1925 – Friday 26 September 2008) in the lead role; the theme song was released as a single, but it did not chart on the Billboard country music singles chart.
In 1964, Darrell McCall saw the release of two non-album singles, ‘Keeping My Feet On The Ground’ and ‘Step By Step’, both of which did not chart.
In 1965, Darrell McCall decided to begin an acting career and appeared in numerous films, including ‘Nashville Rebel’, ‘Road To Nashville’ and ‘What Am I Bid’.
During his acting career, Darrell McCall also traveled to the American Southwest to perform in rodeos as a cowboy.
In 1968, Darrell McCall decided to return to recording and joined the roster of Wayside Records, an independent record label.
Between 1968 and 1970, Darrell McCall achieved four Billboard country music hit singles for Wayside Records:
‘I’d Love To Live With You Again’, which was written by Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014) (No.67, 1968)
‘Wall of Pictures’ (written by Richie Johnson and Darrell McCall) (No.60, 1968)
‘Hurry Up’ (written by Darrell McCall) (No.53, 1969)
‘The Arms of My Weakness’ (No.62, 1970)
Gene Watson recorded ‘I’d Love To Live With You Again’, which was written by Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014), and included the track on ‘Beautiful Country‘ (Capitol Records, 1977).
On Monday 26 September 2005, England’s Hux Records released Gene Watson‘s ‘Beautiful Country‘ (Capitol Records, 1977), along with Gene Watson‘s ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1976), as a special 2-for-1 CD set (HUX 072).
In January 1969, Darrell McCall saw the release, on Wayside Records, of ‘Meet Darrell McCall’ (Wayside Records, 1969); the album, which was produced by Little Ritchie Johnson, was distributed by Mercury Records, and included three tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
‘I’d Love To Live With You Again’, which was written by Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014) (No.67, 1968) / this track was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘Beautiful Country‘ (Capitol Records, 1977)
‘Wall of Pictures’ (written by Richie Johnson and Darrell McCall) (No.60, 1968)
‘Hurry Up’ (written by Darrell McCall) (No.53, 1969)
Darrell McCall’s ‘Meet Darrell McCall’ (Wayside Records, 1969) also included the following tracks:
‘Bury The Bottle With Me’, which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010) and Darrell McCall
‘Marionette’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘First Year’ (written by Richie Johnson and Darrell McCall)
‘I Love You Baby’ (written by Donnie Bowshier)
‘Stranger Was Here’ (written by Bob Forshee)
‘Wrong Kind of Man’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘Blame Me’, which was written by Johnny Paycheck (Tuesday 31 May 1938 – Wednesday 19 February 2003) and Darrell McCall
‘I’d Die To See You Smile’ (written by Darrell McCall)
Personnel involved in the recording of Darrell McCall’s ‘Meet Darrell McCall’ (Wayside Records, 1969) included the following:
Grady Martin (Thursday 17 January 1929 – Monday 3 December 2001), Harold Bradley (Saturday 2 January 1926 – Thursday 31 January 2019) and Ray Edenton (Wednesday 3 November 1926 – Wednesday 21 September 2022) (guitar)
Lloyd Green and Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014) (steel guitar)
Roy Huskey Jr. (Monday 17 December 1956 – Saturday 6 September 1997) and Bob Moore (Wednesday 30 November 1932 – Wednesday 22 September 2021) (bass)
Red Hayes (fiddle, viola)
Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins (Tuesday 18 January 1938 – Sunday 30 January 2022) (piano)
Charlie McCoy (harmonica, organ, vibes
The Nashville Edition, including Joe Babcock, Dolores Edgin, June Page and Hurshel Wayne Wiginton (Saturday 29 January 1938 – Monday 6 March 2017) (vocals)
In 1969, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘Hide & Go Cheat’, a non-album single, which did not chart.
In 1970, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘The Arms of My Weakness’, a non-album single, which reached No.62 on the Billboard country music singles chart.
It was also in 1970 when Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘Sally Bryson’, a non-album single, which did not chart reached No.62 on the Billboard country music singles chart.
In 1971, Darrell McCall’s contract with Wayside Records expired, but Darrell McCall did not sign another recording contract immediately.
Hank Williams Jr. recorded Darrell McCall’s ‘Eleven Roses’ (co-written with Lamar Morris) and included the track on ‘Eleven Roses’ (MGM Records, 1972); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for two weeks in July 1972.
As a consequence of Hank Williams Jr.’s recording of ‘Eleven Roses’, Darrell McCall was signed by Tree International as a professional songwriter.
In 1972, Darrell McCall saw the release of two non-album singles, ‘Jacue Pierre Bordeaux’ and ‘I’ll Break Out Again’, both of which did not chart.
In 1973, Darrell McCall saw the release of two non-album singles, ‘Rainbow At Midnight’ and ‘Goodbye of The Year’, both of which did not chart.
Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996) recorded Darrell McCall’s ‘Eleven Roses’ (co-written with Lamar Morris) and included the track on ‘This Time The Hurtin’s On Me’ (Mercury Records, 1973).
In 1974, Darrell McCall reactivated his recording career when he signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records; his debut single for the label, ‘There’s Still A Lot of Love In San Antone’, reached No.48 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1974.
It was also in 1974 when Darrell McCall saw the release, on Atlantic Records, of a non-album single, ‘Where Is That All’, which did not chart.
In 1975, Darrell McCall saw the release, on Atlantic Records, of two non-album singles, ‘Cold Beer Signs’ and ‘Helpless’, both of which did not chart.
It was also in 1975 when Darrell McCall left the roster at Atlantic Records and joined the roster at Columbia Records, where he saw the release of his first single, ‘Pins & Needles (In My Heart)’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954), and reached No.52 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1976.
In 1977, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘Lily Dale’ (Columbia Records, 1977), which included four tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
‘Pins & Needles (In My Heart)’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954) (No.52, 1976)
‘I Come Home To Face The Music’ / this track was released as a single in 1977, but it did not chart
‘Lily Dale’ (written by T. Moore and Billy Jack Wills) (No.32, 1977) / this track, which was a duet with Willie Nelson, was named ‘Best Duet of 1977’ by Cash Box Magazine
‘Dreams of A Dreamer’, which was written by David Hugh ‘Jug’ Brown (Tuesday 28 July 1936 – Tuesday 7 May 2013) (No.35, 1977) / this track was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘Back in the Fire‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1988)
Darrell McCall’s ‘Lily Dale’ (Columbia Records, 1977) also included the following tracks:
‘Every Girl I See’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘It’s My Lazy Day’ (written by Smiley Burnette)
‘Please Don’t Leave Me’ (written by Jesse Ashlock) / this track was a duet with Willie Nelson
‘The Days When You Were Still In Love With Me’, which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 – Saturday 18 October 2014)
‘Tennessee’ (written by Donna Jean Digby)
‘Sad Songs & Waltzes’ (written by Willie Nelson)
In 2008, Darrell McCall’s ‘Lily Dale’ (Columbia Records, 1977) was subsequently re-issued, on CD, by Brady, Texas-based Heart of Texas Records.
In 2005, Gene Watson recorded the Bob Wills’ classic ‘Lily Dale’ (written by T. Moore and Billy Jack Wills); the track was included on the various artists compilation album, ‘Bob Wills: Tribute To Bob’s 100th Birthday’ (Common Ground Records, 2005).
Gene Watson recorded ‘Dreams of A Dreamer’, which was written by David Hugh ‘Jug’ Brown (Tuesday 28 July 1936 – Tuesday 7 May 2013), and included the track on ‘Back in the Fire‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1988).
On Friday 11 November 2016, Morello Records released Gene Watson‘s ‘Back in the Fire‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1988), along with Gene Watson‘s ‘At Last‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1991), as a special ‘2-for-1‘ CD set (WMRLL 66).
In 1979, Gene Watson recorded ‘Sad Songs & Waltzes’ (written by Willie Nelson); the track was intended to be included on Ernest Tubb’s ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979), but it was not included.
First Generation Records, and the tribute album to Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 – Thursday 6 September 1984), was the brainchild of famed session steel guitar player Pete Drake (Saturday 8 October 1932 – Friday 29 July 1988).
Gene Watson‘s recording of ‘Sad Songs & Waltzes’ (written by Willie Nelson) did not see the light of day until Step One Records released their version of this Ernest Tubb set in 1989 as ‘Ernest Tubb Collection’ (Step One Records, 1989).
The Ernest Tubb album was subsequently released as ‘The Legendary Ernest Tubb & Friends’ (Laserlight Records, 1992) in 1992, and ‘Ernest Tubb & Friends’ (Prism Leisure, 2004) in 2004; both releases included Gene Watson‘s two ‘duets’ with Ernest Tubb, ‘Sad Songs & Waltzes’ (written by Willie Nelson), along with ‘Yesterday’s Winner Is A Loser Today’.
In 1978, Darrell McCall saw the release of two non-album singles, ‘Down The Roads of Daddy’s Dreams’ (No.59, 1978) and ‘The Weeds Outlived The Roses’ (No.91, 1978); this latter track also reached No.47 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1978.
Kenny Dale (Wednesday 3 October 1951 – Wednesday 15 July 2020) recorded Darrell McCall’s ‘The Loser’ (co-written with Lamar Morris) and included the track on ‘Red Hot Memory’ (Capitol Records, 1978); the track, which reached No.28 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1978, was subsequently included on Kenny Dale‘s ‘The Very Best of Kenny Dale’ (EMI Records New Zealand, 2000).
In 1980, Darrell McCall signed a recording contract with Hillside Records, and saw the release of ‘Texas Dance Hall Music’ (Hillside Records, 1980), a project which also featured the vocals of Curtis Potter (Thursday 18 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016) and Ray Sanders; the album included three tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
‘Frauelin’, which was written by Lawton Williams (Monday 24 July 1922 – Thursday 26 July 2007) / this track was released as a single in 1979, but it did not chart
‘Part Time Lover, Full Time Heartache’ / this track was released as a single in 1979, but it did not chart
‘San Antonio Medley’ (No.89, 1980)
Curtis Potter (Thursday 18 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016), Ray Sanders & Darrell McCall’s ‘Texas Dance Hall Music’ (Hillside Records, 1980) also included the following tracks:
‘Soft Rain’
‘Crazy Arms’
‘It’s The Cheating She Loves’
‘One More Rose’
‘Under Your Spell Again’
‘Crazy’
‘Champane Ladies & Blue Ribbon Babies’
‘Beer Drinkin Music’
In 1980, Darrell McCall switched record labels to RCA Records, where he saw the release of a single, ‘Long Line of Empties’, which was produced by Ronnie Milsap, and reached No.43 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1980, and No.56 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1980.
In 1982, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘There’s Still A Lot of Love In San Antone’, a non-album track, which featured guest vocals from Connie Hanson, and reached No.64 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1982.
In 1984, Darrell McCall saw the release, on Indigo Records, of ‘Memphis In May’, a non-album single, which reached No.79 on the Billboard country music singles chart.
In 1986, Darrell McCall saw the release of the highly acclaimed, ‘Reunion’ (BGM Records, 1986), which was recorded at UAR in San Antonio, Texas in 1984, with Darrell McCall’s old backing group, The Tennessee Volunteers, included the following tracks:
‘Waltz Across Texas’
‘There’s Still A Lot of Love In San Antone’
‘I’ll Break Out Again Tonight’, which was written by Sanger D. ‘Whitey’ Shafer (Wednesday 24 October 1934 – Saturday 12 January 2019) and Arthur Leo ‘Doodle’ Owens (Friday 28 November 1930 – Monday 4 October 1999)
‘Dreams of A Dreamer’, which was written by David Hugh ‘Jug’ Brown (Tuesday 28 July 1936 – Tuesday 7 May 2013) / this track was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘Back in the Fire‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1988)
‘Down The Roads of Daddy’s Dreams’
‘Sally Bryson’
‘Eleven Roses’ (written by Darrell McCall and Lamar Morris)
‘It’s The Water’
‘Pins & Needles (In My Heart)’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954) / Darrell McCall’s original recording of this track reached No.52 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1976
‘The Fiddlin’ of Jacques Pierre Bardeaux’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Arthur Leo ‘Doodle’ Owens (Friday 28 November 1930 – Monday 4 October 1999)
Personnel involved in the recording of Darrell McCall & The Tennessee Volunteers’ ‘Reunion’ (BGM Records, 1986) included the following:
Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014) (steel guitar)
Larry Patton (electric bass, acousttic guitar)
Randy Reinhard (piano)
Ron Knuth and Slim Roberts (fiddle)
Wil Cason (electric guitar)
Will Roberts (drums)
Darrell McCall and Mona McCall (harmony vocals)
In 1986, Darrell McCall & Johnny Bush (Sunday 17 February 1935 – Friday 16 October 2020) saw the release of ‘Hot Texas Country’ (Step One Records, 1986), which was produced by Ray Pennington (Friday 22 December 1933 – Wednesday 7 October 2020), and included the following tracks:
‘The Twenty-Fourth Hour’, which was written by Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013)
‘Pick Me Up On Your Way Down’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002)
‘Wait ‘Til The Sun Shines, Nellie’ (written by David Brown, Ralph Bartch and Bill Taylor)
‘You Done Me Wrong’, which was written by Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) and Shirley Jones
‘If You’ll Hold The Ladder’ (written by Buzz Rabin and Sarah Busby)
‘I Can’t See Texas From Here’ (written by George Strait)
‘There’ll Always Be Honky Tonks In Texas’ (written by C. Pierce and B. Bond)
‘Just Ridin’ Through’ (written by Don Cusic)
‘Broken Promise Land’, which was written by Larry Kingston (Sunday 10 August 1941 – Sunday 20 February 2005), Phil Earhart and Terry Fuller
‘Afternoon Rendezvous’ (written by Barbara Wyrick and Terry Woodford) / this track featured guest vocals from Mona McCall
In 2011, Darrell McCall & Johnny Bush‘s ‘Hot Texas Country’ (Step One Records, 1986) was re-issued, on CD, by Brady, Texas-based Heart of Texas Records.
In the 1990s, Darrell McCall signed with Artap Records and saw the release of three successful album projects; ‘All She Did Was Fall In Love’ (Artap Records, 1992), ‘A Way To Survive’ (Artap Records, 1995) and ‘Pictures Can’t Talk Back’ (Artap Records, 1997).
In 1992, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘All She Did Was Fall In Love’ (Artap Records, 1992), which included the following tracks:
‘A Long Time Ago’, which was written by Merle Kilgore (Thursday 9 August 1934 – Sunday 6 February 2005) and Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996)
‘Let Me Be The First To Go’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002)
‘All She Did Was Fall In Love’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002)
‘Christmas In Cell No.9’
‘Be A Good Girl’
‘Gonna Make A Change’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘Coco Driel’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘Cherie’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘The Man I Used To Be’ (written by Sam Bardin)
‘Lonesome Shade of Blue’ (written by Sam Bardin)
In 1995, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘A Way To Survive’ (Artap Records, 1995), which included the following tracks:
‘Set Me Down Where Country Music Plays’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘Reconsider Leaving Me’ (written by Sam Bardin)
‘Hide & Go Cheat’, which was written by Darrell McCall and Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014)
‘After Texas’ (written by J. Martin Johnson and Bucky Jones)
‘I Guess I’m Getting Tired of Loving You’ (written by Gary Adams)
‘Secret Memories’ (written by Mona McCall and Deejee Overbey) / this track featured guest vocals from Mona McCall
‘Wall of Pictures’ (written by Ritchie Johnson and Darrell McCall)
‘As Long As I’m Dreaming’ (written by Ron Knuth)
‘If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It’, which was written by Rayburn Anthony (1937 – Saturday 21 April 2018), J. Martin Johnson and Melba Montgomery
‘A Way To Survive’, which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010) and Moneen Carpenter
On Monday 1 June 2009, Brady, Texas-based Heart of Texas Records released Darrell McCall’s ‘A Way To Survive’ (Artap Records, 1995), along with Darrell McCall’s ‘All She Did Was Fall in Love’ (Artap Records, 1992), as a special ‘2-for-1’ CD set.
On Sunday 16 April 1995, Darrell McCall saw the release of Ace In The Hole Band’s self-titled album, ‘Ace In The Hole Band’ (Texas World Records, 1995), which featured guest vocals from Darrell McCall and Mel Tillis (Monday 8 August 1932 – Sunday 19 November 2017), and included the following tracks:
‘Returning The Corn’ (written by Rick McRae and Riff Ryder)
‘You’re Something Special To Me’ (written by David Anthony)
‘Mirrors Don’t Lie’, which was written by Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016)
‘What Comes Natural To A Fool’ (written by Ronnie McCown)
‘I’ll Be Waiting Here ‘Til Then’ (written by David Anthony, Benny McArthur and Rick McRae)
‘Texas Bounce’ (written by Gene Elders and Rick McRae)
‘Back In The Swing of Things’ (written by David Anthony and Benny McArthur)
‘The Difference Between Me & Him Is You’ (written by Gary Harrison and Tim Menzies)
‘My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You’, which was written by Lee Ross and Bob Wills (Monday 6 March 1905 – Tuesday 13 May 1975)
‘I’m Ragged, But I’m Right’, which was written by George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013)
On Tuesday 5 November 1996, Germany’s Bear Family Records released ‘Darrell McCall – The Real Deal’ (Bear Family Records, 1996), a comprehensive 5-CD box set of vintage Darrell McCall material, which included the following tracks:
Disc 1
‘This Old Heart’
‘Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got A Heartache)’
‘Lonely River Rhine’
‘Heart To Heart Talk’
‘Polka On The Banjo’
‘Fallen Angel’
‘Five Brothers’
‘North To Alaska’
‘My Kind of Lovin’
‘My Girl’
‘Beyond Imagination’
‘What’ll I Do (Call The Zoo)’
‘Loneliness’
‘I Gotta Have You’
‘Dear One’
‘Up To My Ears In Tears’
‘I’ve Been Known’
‘For Your Sweet Love’
‘A Stranger Was Here’
‘I’m A Little Bit Lonely’
‘I Can Take His Baby Away’
‘More Than Likely’
‘Huckleberry Queen’
‘A Man Can Change’
‘Hud’
‘No Place To Hide’
‘Keeping My Feet On The Ground’
‘Got My Baby On My Mind’
‘Step By Step’
‘Hello World’
Disc 2
‘The Marionette’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘I Love You, Baby’
‘I’d Love To Live With You Again’, which was written by Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014)
‘I’d Die To See You Smile’
‘Wrong Kind of Man’
‘Blame Me’
‘Hurry Up’
‘Wall of Pictures’ (written by Ritchie Johnson and Darrell McCall)
‘Tiny Ribbons’
‘Big Oak Tree’
‘Bury The Bottle With Me’
‘A Stranger Was Here’
‘Wedding Band’
‘Hide & Go Cheat’
‘New Rich Friend’
‘The First Year’
‘Likes of Polly’
‘Yours & His’
‘Don’t Tell My Wife’
‘The Right To Do Wrong’
‘Sally Bryson’
‘The Arms of My Weakness’
‘Heart of Dixie’
‘The Loser’
‘The Fiddlin’ of Jacques Pierre Bardeaux’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Arthur Leo ‘Doodle’ Owens (Friday 28 November 1930 – Monday 4 October 1999)
‘I’ll Break Out Again Tonight’
‘Mixing Memories’
Disc 3
‘It’s The Water’
‘Rainbow At Midnight’
‘Eleven Roses’ (written by Darrell McCall and Lamar Morris)
‘Goodbye of The Year’
‘I Still Want You’
‘Warm Red Wine (You’re My Sunshine)’
‘The Man You’re Most Likely To Forget’
‘This Time I Won’t Cheat On Her Again’
‘A Loser Never Had A Better Friend’
‘Here We Go Again’
‘There’s Still A Lot of Love In San Antone’
‘A Texas Honky Tonk’
‘Yours & His’
‘I Am Love’
‘Where Is All That Love You Talked About’
‘If You Don’t Know Your Roses’
‘The Genuine Healer of Time’
‘It’s The Water’
‘Never Some Night’
‘Eleven Roses’ (written by Darrell McCall and Lamar Morris)
‘Champagne Ladies & Blue Ribbon Babies’
‘Letting Her Be Free’
‘Face To The Wall’
‘Cold Beer Signs & Country Songs’
‘If You Don’t Believe I Love You’
‘She’ll Keep Bringin’ All Her Love To Me’
‘Helpless’
Disc 4
‘Pins & Needles (In My Heart)’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954) (No.52, 1976)
‘Every Girl I See’
‘Waltz of The Angels’
‘I Just Destroyed The World’, which was written by Willie Nelson and Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013)
‘Tennessee’
‘I Come Home To Face The Music’
‘Are You Teasing Me’
‘Sad Songs & Waltzes’ (written by Willie Nelson)
‘The Days When You Were Still In Love With Me’
‘Dreams of A Dreamer’, which was written by David Hugh ‘Jug’ Brown (Tuesday 28 July 1936 – Tuesday 7 May 2013) (No.35, 1977)
‘It’s My Lazy Day’
‘It’s Been So Long Darlin’
‘Lily Dale’
‘Please Don’t Leave Me’
‘Half Beered Up & Drinkin’
‘The Weeds Outlived The Roses’
‘An Old Memory’s Arms’
‘Down The Roads of Daddy’s Dreams’
‘Love Didn’t Drive My Good Woman Wild’
‘Willie’
‘It Took Us All Night Long To Say Goodbye’
‘Long Line of Empties’
‘I Wonder Which One of Us Is To Blame’
‘Married Women’
‘Afternoon Rendezvous’
‘Just Ridin’ Through’
Disc 5
‘Sourwood Mountain
‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’
‘Strange Little Melody’
‘Picture On The Wall’
‘Cindy’
‘Rosewood Casket’
‘I’ll Cry Again Tomorrow’
‘If You’ve Got The Money, I’ve Got The Time’
‘Oh, Lonesome Me’
‘Heartbreak Avenue’
‘Peace In The Valley’
‘Release Me’
‘Answer To Anymore’
‘Ages & Ages Ago’
‘Under Your Spell Again’
‘Sweet Dreams’
‘Accidentally On Purpose’
‘Dear One’
‘I Can Take His Baby Away’
‘Another Day, Another Dollar’
‘A Stranger Was Here’
‘There’s Still A Lot of Love In San Antone’
‘Helpless’
‘It’s The Water’
‘Eleven Roses’ (written by Darrell McCall and Lamar Morris)
‘Lone Star Beer’ (commercial)
‘Coors Beer’ (commercial 1)
‘Coors Beer’ (commercial 2)
‘Coors Beer’ (commercial 3)
‘Coors Beer’ (commercial 4)
‘Corrs Beer’ (commercial 5)
‘Bad Mouthin’
‘This I Gotta See’
On Tuesday 30 September 1997, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘Pictures Can’t Talk Back’ (Artap Records, 1997), which included the following tracks:
‘Pictures Can’t Talk Back’, which was written by Johnny Paycheck (Tuesday 31 May 1938 – Wednesday 19 February 2003) / this track featured guest vocals from Johnny Paycheck
‘Nothing To Lose But The Blues’ (written by Danny Groah, Brent Mason and Randy Mason)
‘I’ve Just Lost My Favourite Girl’
‘Just Ask Me For A Lifetime (I’ll Be There)’ (written by Guyanne McCall)
‘Farm Boy Blues’ (written by Danny Groah, Brent Mason and Randy Mason)
‘While I Dream of San Antone’ (written by Mona McCall) / this track featured guest vocals from Mona McCall
‘So Easy To Forgive Her’, which was written by Dicky Overbey (Monday 11 May 1942 – Saturday 4 October 2014)
‘Jeannie In A Bottle’
‘Will You Ever Know’ (written by Guyanne McCall)
‘Country Girl’, which was written by Roy Drusky (Sunday 22 June 1930 – Thursday 23 September 2004) and Dan McCann
In 1997, Terry Awards honoured Darrell McCall with its prestigious ‘Living Legend Award’ in Fort Worth, Texas.
In 1998, Darrell McCall was inducted into The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Austin.
In late 2004, Darrell McCall joined the roster of Heart of Texas Records, a record label based in Brady, Texas and saw the release of ‘Old Memories & Wine’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2004), which was produced by Justin Trevino, and afforded Darrell McCall, for the first time in his career, the opportunity to select both the material and the musicians.
Darrell McCall’s ‘Old Memories & Wine’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2004) included the following tracks:
‘Old Memories & Wine’
‘Mary Dear’
‘On This Mountain Top’ (written by Jimmy Carroll)
‘I Miss You Already (& You’re Not Even Gone)’, which was written by Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996)
‘The Deepening Snow’, which was written by Harlan Howard (Thursday 8 September 1927 – Sunday 3 March 2002)
‘April First’ (written by Carlette Watson)
‘Divorce Me C.O.D.’, which was written by Cliffie Stone (Thursday 1 March 1917 – Saturday 17 January 1998) and Merle Travis (Thursday 29 November 1917 – Thursday 20 October 1983)
‘When Your House Is Not A Home’
‘I Feel Like Crying’ (written by Werly Fairburn)
‘May Time My Lady’
‘The French Song’ (written by Larry Vincent)
‘Answer The Phone’
In 2006, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘The Essential Darrell McCall’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2006), which included the following tracks:
‘Helpless’
‘Down The Road of Daddy’s Dreams’
‘The Fiddlin’ of Jacques Pierre Bordeaux’, which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 – Friday 14 January 2022) and Arthur Leo ‘Doodle’ Owens (Friday 28 November 1930 – Monday 4 October 1999)
‘It Took Us All Night Long To Say Goodbye’
‘It’s The Water’
‘I’ll Break Out Again Tonight’
‘Mixing Memories’
‘There’s Still A Lot of Love In San Antone’
‘The Loser’
‘Married Women’
‘I Wonder Which One of Us Is To Blame’
‘Long Line of Empties’
‘Willie B’
‘Eleven Roses’ (written by Darrell McCall and Lamar Morris)
‘Face To The Wall’ / this track was a duet with Justin Trevino
At the time of the acquisition of this Gene Watson ‘Peer’s Quote’, in October 2008, Darrell McCall, along with his wife, Mona McCall, an accomplished vocalist in her own right, continued to tour and perform on a regular basis.
Mona McCall is also part of Darrell McCall’s touring band, where she contributes guitar and vocals – Darrell & Mona McCall reside close to Brady in Texas.
In 2008, Darrell McCall saw the re-issue, on CD, by Brady, Texas-based Heart of Texas Records, of ‘Lily Dale’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2008), which was originally released by Columbia Records in 1977.
The original version of Darrell McCall’s ‘Lily Dale’ (Columbia Records, 1977) included four tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
‘Pins & Needles (In My Heart)’ (No.52, 1976)
‘I Come Home To Face The Music’ / this track was released as a single in 1976, but it did not chart
‘Lily Dale’ (written by T. Moore and Billy Jack Wills) (No.32, 1977) / this track, which was a duet with Willie Nelson, was named ‘Best Duet of 1977’ by Cash Box Magazine
‘Dreams of A Dreamer’, which was written by David Hugh ‘Jug’ Brown (Tuesday 28 July 1936 – Tuesday 7 May 2013) (No.35, 1977)
The original version of Darrell McCall’s ‘Lily Dale’ (Columbia Records, 1977) also included the following tracks:
‘Every Girl I See’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘It’s My Lazy Day’ (written by Smiley Burnette)
‘Please Don’t Leave Me’ (written by Jesse Ashlock) / this track was a duet with Willie Nelson
‘The Days When You Were Still In Love With Me’, which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 – Saturday 18 October 2014)
‘Tennessee’ (written by Donna Jean Digby)
‘Sad Songs & Waltzes’ (written by Willie Nelson)
‘Pins & Needles (In My Heart)’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954)
In 2009, Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘Keeping With Tradition’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2009), which included the following tracks:
‘Fast As I Can Crawl’
‘What Do You Know About Heartaches?’
‘Hello Out There’
‘The Fall’
‘Speak Well of Me’, which was written by Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010) / this track was also recorded by Gene Watson, who included it on ‘Sometimes I Get Lucky‘ (MCA Records, 1983)
‘That’s The Way I Feel’
‘Are You Ever Coming Back To Your Memories?’
‘Wall of Tears’
‘Most of All’
‘I’ll Never Love No One But You’
‘You’re Still Mine’
‘The Kind of Love’
On Friday 15 January 2010, Curtis Potter (Thursday 16 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016), Tony Booth & Darrell McCall saw the release of ‘The Survivors’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2012), which included the following tracks:
‘Wasted Words’, which was written by Don Gibson (Tuesday 3 April 1928 – Monday 17 November 2003)
‘Your Memory Is Killing Me’ (written by Guyanne McCall)
‘Case of Sorrow’
‘You Can’t Take It With You’
‘My Confession’, which was written by Bob Wills (Monday 6 March 1905 – Tuesday 13 May 1975)
‘Forever Yours’
‘Down At Ginny’s’ (written by Guyanne McCall)
‘There She Goes’
‘I’ll See You In My Dreams Tonight’
‘Whiskey Man’ (written by Darrell McCall)
‘Love Don’t Care’
‘It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)’
In 2011, Joe Paul Nichols saw the release of ‘Friends In High Places’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2011); one of the included tracks was ‘Waltz of The Angels’ (written by Dick Reynolds and Jack Rhodes), which was a duet with Darrell McCall.
On Saturday 15 September 2012, Tony Booth, Darrell McCall & Curtis Potter (Thursday 16 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016) saw the release of ‘The Survivors II’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2012), which included the following tracks:
‘Kissing Your Picture’
‘Love Don’t See That Side of You’
‘I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name’
‘Darling, Are You Ever Coming Home’
‘She’ll Keep Bringing All Her Love To Me’
‘Lucky Me’ (written by Dave Lindsey and Ernie Rowell)
‘I Saw My Castles Fall Today’
‘May Time My Lady’
‘Touch My Heart’
‘I’ll Keep On Loving You’
‘If This Was Texas’
‘Who Am I’
Dallas Wayne recorded Darrell McCall’s ‘Eleven Roses’ (co-written with Lamar Morris) and included the track on ‘Songs The Jukebox Taught Me’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2016); the track featured guest vocals from Darrell McCall and Mona McCall.
Dan Herrell recorded Darrell McCall’s ‘Eleven Roses’ (co-written with Lamar Morris) and included the track on ‘Where Were You (When I Was Leaving)’ (Dan Herrell Independent Release, 2021); the album was produced by Curt Ryle.
• Visit Darrell McCall’s official site at darrellmccallcountry.com