On Monday 19 February 2024, Gene Watson reflected on a photo of The Wilburn Brothers, which brought back old memories of these great country music talents.
‘I saw this photo of The Wilburn Brothers – Doyle Wilburn (Monday 7 July 1930 – Saturday 16 October 1982) and Teddy Wilburn (Monday 30 November 1931 – Monday 24 November 2003) – and it brought back old memories of these great talents.
They were so good to me, way before I had a big record label, in the early 1960s.
They gave me my first performance on The Grand Ole Opry, when they gave up one of their own spots, to allow me to sing. I was nervous to step on that circle at the Ryman Auditorium.
After the Opry, we walked over to the Midnight Jamboree, where they introduced me to Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 – Thursday 6 September 1984).
At that time, there was hardly anyone bigger than him in the music business, and I couldn’t believe he was talking to me.
It was a night I’ll never forget’
Source
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Gene Watson / Ernest Tubb Music Connection
In 1979, when Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 – Thursday 6 September 1984) saw the release of ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979), the initial release was issued on LP as ‘The Legend & The Legacy, Volume 1’.
Ernest Tubb’s ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979) was released on First Generation Records, but due to legal issues, was withdrawn and released on Cachet Records, a record label based in Canada.
In 1977 and 1978, producer and pedal steel guitarist Pete Drake (Saturday 8 October 1932 – Friday 29 July 1988) brought Ernest Tubb and his then current line-up of The Texas Troubadours into his recording studio, Pete’s Place in Nashville, to record basic tracks.
Unknown to Ernest Tubb, Pete Drake later secretly brought in other famous country music singers and musicians to overdub vocals and instruments to the already recorded tracks.
Special guests on Ernest Tubb’s ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979) included the following artists:
• Chet Atkins (Friday 20 June 1924 – Saturday 30 June 2001)
• Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003)
• Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016)
• Loretta Lynn (Thursday 14 April 1932 – Tuesday 4 October 2022)
• Willie Nelson
• Johnny Paycheck (Tuesday 31 May 1938 – Wednesday 19 February 2003)
• Ferlin Husky (Thursday 3 December 1925 – Thursday 17 March 2011)
• Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002)
• George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013)
• Marty Robbins (Saturday 26 September 1925 – Wednesday 8 December 1982)
• Conway Twitty (Friday 1 September 1933 – Saturday 5 June 1993)
• Charlie Rich (Wednesday 14 December 1932 – Tuesday 25 July 1995)
Pete Drake (Saturday 8 October 1932 – Friday 29 July 1988) intended to have two editions of Ernest Tubb’s ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979) released, hence the ‘Volume 1’ title but, as a result of poor distribution and sales, the album quickly went out of print.
Subsequent re-issues of Ernest Tubb’s ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979) on CD included additional tracks.
In 1989, Step One Records released Ernest Tubb’s ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979) as ‘The Ernest Tubb Collection’ (Step One Records, 1989), a 2-CD set; Gene Watson contributed guest vocals to two tracks, ‘Sad Songs & Waltzes’ (written by Willie Nelson) and ‘Yesterday’s Winner Is A Loser Today’, which was written by Jesse Rodgers (5 March 1913 – Tuesday 4 December 1973), Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 – Thursday 6 September 1984) and Jimmy Skinner (27 April 1909 – Sunday 28 October 1979).
Ernest Tubb’s ‘The Legend & The Legacy’ (First Generation Records, 1979) was re-issued again on the 20th anniversary of its release, in 1999, by First Generation Records in a limited run.