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 Gary P. Nunn, which he submitted to this site on Friday 6 October 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Gary P. Nunn who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Gary P. Nunn
This quote was submitted on Friday 6 October 2006.
‘Gene Watson has always been one who has stuck with his country roots and has stood out among the greats.
I had a Texas music radio show in Dallas some time back and I always featured Gene Watson.
He’s from Texas and that gives him a definite head start on all the rest’
Thank you, Gary P. Nunn, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Gary P. Nunn…
Gary P. Nunn began his musical career as a 7th grader in a garage band in Brownfield, Texas, where he was an honour student and all-around athlete.
Upon graduation from night school, Gary P. Nunn attended Texas Tech University and South Plains College while pursuing music on weekends.
In 1968, Gary P. Nunn transferred to University of Texas in Austin and immersed himself in the lively local music scene while studying pharmacy.
In 1972, Michael Martin Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) and Willie Nelson arrived in Austin whereupon the ‘outlaw’ music movement was born. The Lost Gonzo Band was then established.
Gary P. Nunn ended up as the bass player for Michael Martin Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) & Willie Nelson. It was during this time that Gary P. Nunn honed his song-writing skills, his tunes recorded by Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) and Michael Martin Murphey, Rosanne Cash, and David Allan Coe.
Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘London Homesick Blues’ and included the track on ‘Viva Terlingua’ (MCA Records, 1973).
Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Rock Me, Roll Me’ and included the track on ‘Walker’s Collectables’ (MCA Records, 1974).
Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Well of The Blues’ and included the track on ‘Walker’s Collectables’ (MCA Records, 1974).
Michael Martin Murphey recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Rings of Life’ (co-written with Michael Martin Murphey) and included the track on ‘Blue Sky – Night Thunder’ (Epic Records, 1975).
Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Public Domain’ (co-written with Bob Livingston) and included the track on ‘Ridin’ High’ (MCA Records, 1975).
Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Couldn’t Do Nothin’ Right’ (co-written with Karen Brooks) and included the track on ‘It’s A Good Night For Singing’ (MCA Records, 1976).
In 1977, Gary P. Nunn & The Lost Gonzo Band parted company with Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020), an association which lasted for four years and produced six popular albums for MCA Records.
Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Roll On Down The Road’ (co-written with Bob Livingston) and included the track on ‘A Man Must Carry On’ (MCA Records, 1977).
The Lost Gonzo Band produced three albums for MCA Records and Capital Records before disbanding in 1980.
John Starling (Tuesday 26 March 1940 – Thursday 2 May 2019) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Last Thing I Needed’ (co-written with Donna Ciscel Acklin) and included the track on ‘Long Time Gone’ (Sugar Hill Records, 1980).
It was also in 1980 when Gary P. Nunn began to perform under his own name.
Since that time, Gary P. Nunn grew into one of the best known and most popular artists on the Texas music scene.
David Allan Coe recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘London Homesick Blues’ and included the track on ‘Invictus (Means Unconquered)’ (Columbia Records, 1981).
Willie Nelson recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning’ (co-written with Donna Sioux Farar) and included the track on ‘Always On My Mind’ (Columbia Records, 1982).
In 1984, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘Home With The Armadillo’ (Campfire Records, 1984), which was recorded ‘live’ at Austin City Limits and included the following tracks:
‘The Nights Never Get Lonely’ (written by Robert Livingston and Gary P. Nunn)
‘The Last Thing Thing I Needed, The First Thing This Morning’ (written by Donna Sioux Farar and Gary P. Nunn)
‘Tennessee Road’ (written by Eliza Gilkyson)
‘Born Yesterday’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Give Me Some Money’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Austin Pickers’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Kara Lee’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Public Domain’ (written by Robert Livingston and Gary P. Nunn)
‘What I Like About Texas’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Come & Get It (While It’s Not)’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘When The Night Comes’ (written by Jimmy Johnson)
‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘London Homesick Blues’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
In 1987, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘Border States’ (Campfire Records, 1987), which included the following tracks:
‘What I Like About Texas’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘I Taught Her Everything She Knows’ (written by Brian Burns)
‘Too Many Nights In A Roadhouse’
‘The Money’s No Good’ (written by Frank Wood)
‘Lesson To Be Learned From Love’ (written by Rick Fowler, Michael Hearne and Mark Meyers)
‘Think I’ll Go To Mexico’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Town & Country Taverns’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
‘Old Fashioned Love’ (written by George Ensle)
‘Alamogordo’ (written by Kevin Johnson)
‘The Old Home Place’ (written by Kevin Crouch)
‘The Farm’ (written by J. Brown and George Fenton)
In 1989, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘For Old Times Sake’ (Campfire Records, 1989), which included the following tracks:
‘Cuttin’ A Rug (‘Til The Cows Come Home)’
‘If You Don’t Believe I Love You (Ask My Wife)’ (written by Brian Burns)
‘Cut & Putt’ (written by Larry Joe Taylor)
‘Nine Cents Change’ (written by Benny Craig)
‘The Chili Song’ (written by Gary Callahan and Charlie Wright)
‘Pickup Truck, Texas’ (written by Maggie Montgomery)
‘For Old Times Sake’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘The Domino Song’ (written by Frank Hill)
‘I Feel A Party Coming On’ (written by Larry Joe Taylor)
‘Garcias Por Esse’
‘Uncle Bud’ (written by Larry Joe Taylor)
‘The Raggae Armadillo’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
In 1993, Gary P. Nunn & The Sons of The Bunkhouse Band entered into a relationship with Campfire Records, an independent record label based in San Antonio, Texas and saw the release of ‘Totally Guacamole’ (Campfire Records, 1993), which included the following tracks:
‘San Antonio’ (written by Joe Pat Hennen)
‘Why Don’t You Meet Me Down In Corpus’ (written by Larry Taylor)
‘My Kind of Day On Padre’ (written by Larry Taylor)
‘Macho Man From Taco Land’ (written by Rocky Wimberly)
‘Standing On A Piece of The Ryman’ (written by B. Williams)
‘Picking & Grinning’ (written by Tommy Alverson)
‘Bunkhouse Boogie’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Purty Boys’ (written by Janie Alverson and Tommy Alverson)
‘Can’t Get The Hell Out of Texas’ (written by John Hadley and Jim Stafford)
‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ (written by Brian Burns)
‘Nobody But Me’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
‘The Old Rocking Chair (A Song of Inspiraton)’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
Jerry Jeff Walker (Monday 16 March 1942 – Friday 24 October 2020) recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘What I Like About Texas’ and included the track on ‘Viva Luckenbach’ (Rykodisc Records, 1993).
In 1994, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘Road Trip’ (Campfire Records, 1994), which included the following tracks:
‘Guadalupe Days’ (written by Scott Walker)
‘Roadtrip’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Back Into The Swing of Things’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘If You Had A Mind To’
‘Terlingua Sky’ (written by Larry Joe Taylor)
‘Brooksmith, Texas’
‘Siesta Sunday’
‘If Not Us Who, If Not Not Now When?’
‘Corona Con Lima’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘San Antone Homesick’
Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Road-Trip’ (Campfire Records, 1994) benefited from having been recorded in Nashville with musicians from the bands of Trisha Yearwood and Vince Gill, as well as vocal harmonies provided by Hal Ketchum (Thursday 9 April 1953 – Monday 23 November 2020).
On Tuesday 22 October 1996, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘Under My Hat’ (Campfire Records, 1996), which included the following tracks:
‘Under Your Hat’ (written by Kelly Garrett and John Hadley)
‘Way Out In The Country’ (written by Kenny Bill Stinson)
‘Relationship Wrecking Machine’ (written by Daron Stegall, Hank Stegall and Travis Stegall)
‘Friends For Life’ (written by Rick Boyett and David McKnight)
‘Texas Moon’ (written by Jon Ims)
‘Jack of All Trades’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Brother Tumbleweed’ (written by Scott Walker)
‘Find Another Fool’ (written by Brian Burns)
‘Something Monumental’ (written by Ray Austin)
‘Take The A-O Train’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘(I’ve Got) A Long, Long Way To Go’ (written by Davin James)
‘Folk Life’ (written by Kenny Bill Stinson)
On Tuesday 23 March 1999, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘Nobody But Me’ (Campfire Records, 1999), which included the following tracks:
‘Austin Pickers’
‘Nobody But Me’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
‘Pour Beer In My Face’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
‘You Wouldn’t Know Me’ (written by Shake Russell)
‘There’s Just Tonight’
‘Georgia Rose’ (written by Walter Hyatt)
‘Kara Lee’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Colorado River’
‘Texas Lonesome’ (written by Jim Lunsford)
‘Tennessee Road’ (written by Lisa Gilkyson)
‘You Can’t Get There From Here’ (written by The Red Willow Band)
‘Darling, I’ll Love You Always’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
‘The Money’s No Good’ (written by Frank Wood)
On Tuesday 17 October 2000, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘It’s A Texas Thing’ (Campfire Records, 2000), which included the following tracks:
‘Taking Bob Back To Tulsa’
‘Red Neck Riviera’ (written by Thomas Michael Riley)
‘It’s A Texas Thing’
‘Tonight I Just Wanna Have Fun’
‘First Things First’ (written by Thomas Michael Riley)
‘It’s About To Get Western’ (written by Michael Blakey and Larry Nye)
‘He Never Came Back From Mexico’ (written by Brian Burns)
‘Dear John Letter Lounge’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
‘First Forget’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘Honking Out Some Hank’
‘Cow Pasture Pool’ (written by Thomas Michael Riley)
‘Hands On The Wheel’ (written by Bill Callery)
‘Here’s To Horses’ (written by Michael Blakey)
On Tuesday 25 May 2004, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘Something For The Trail’ (Smith Entertainment Records, 2004), which included the following tracks:
‘Perfectly Normal’ (written by Thomas Michael Riley)
‘Waltz With The Devil’ (written by David McKnight)
‘Hard Partyin’ Country Darlin’ (written by Michael Martin Murphey)
‘Second Thoughts’
‘Hillbilly, Hog-Ridin’, Road-Runnin’ Man’ (written by John Hadley)
‘Don’t Get Me Started’ (written by David McKnight and Gary P. Nunn)
‘West Texas Swang Thang’ (written by Mike McAdoo)
‘Two-Steppin’ Time of Night’ (written by Travis Stegall)
‘Going Nowhere Fast’ (written by Thomas Michael Riley)
‘King of The World’ (written by Travis Stegall)
‘One Night Stand’ (written by John Hadley and Wally Wilson)
‘A Little Piece of Mind’ (written by Cardwell and Rick)
‘Cowboy At Heart’
‘Something For The Trail’ (written by David McKnight and Gary P. Nunn)
On Tuesday 16 September 2008, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘What I Like About Texas – Greatest Hits’ (Campfire Records, 2008), which included the following tracks:
‘What I Like About Texas’
‘Austin Pickers’
‘Nobody But Me’
‘The Old Rocking Chair’
‘Think I’ll Go To Mexico’
‘Roadtrip’
‘Guadalupe Days’
‘Friends For Life’
‘The Chill Song’
‘Public Domain’
‘Terlingua Sky’
‘Corona Con Lima’
‘Why Don’t You Meet Me Down In Corpus’
‘My Kind of Day On Padre’
‘Macho Man From Taco Land’
‘London Homesick Blues / Home With The Armadillo’
‘(I’ve Got) A Long, Long Way To Go’
‘Take The A-O Train’ (Instrumental)
On Tuesday 15 June 2010, Gary P. Nunn saw the release of ‘Taking Texas To The Country’ (Campfire Records, 2010), which was produced by Tommy Detamore, and included the following tracks:
‘Deja Vu’ (written by Steven Kundert)
‘The Girl Just Loves To Dance’ (written by Shake Russell)
‘A Two-Step Away’ (written by Levi Mullen)
‘Denver’ (written by Jerry Abbott and Curt Ryle)
‘Down To Louisiana’ (written by Levi Mullen)
‘Mexican Boulevard’ (written by Michael Halvorsen)
‘It’s Not Love’ (written by Gary P. Nunn)
‘I’m Not That Kind of Guy’ (written by Levi Mullen)
‘Lonesome Lone Star Blues’ (written by Johnny Divine and Gary P. Nunn)
‘The Likes of Me’ (written by Levi Mullen)
‘One State of Mind’ (written by Steven Kundert)
‘Taking Texas To The Country’ (written by Levi Mullen and Gary P. Nunn)
‘The Rest of My Life’ (written by Steve K. Nunn)
Chris Stapleton recorded Gary P. Nunn’s ‘Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning’ (co-written with Donna Sioux Farar) and included the track on ‘From A Room: Volume 1’ (Mercury Nashville Records, 2017); the track reached No.37 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2017.
Gary P. Nunn enjoys near folk status in Texas and has been described as a pioneer of Texas country music.
Gary P. Nunn has appeared on countless programs, including ‘Nashville Now’, TNN’s ‘Texas Connection’, music videos and special appearances on The Nashville Network (TNN), Austin City Limits and Texas Ranger’s Baseball games (singing The National Anthem).
Gary P. Nunn is well known and respected in the Nashville music community and was honoured there at a reception at BMI for his contributions as a writer and publisher. Gary P. Nunn has resisted offers to relocate in Nashville preferring to promote the growing music industry in Texas.
Gary P. Nunn has been described as everything from ‘a pioneer of Texas country music’ to ‘a part of the fabric of contemporary Texas culture’ to ‘the mule that pulls the Texas country music wagon’.
• Visit Gary P. Nunn’s official site at garypnunn.com