On Tuesday 15 February 2022, Gene Watson reflected on one of his musical heroes, George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013).
‘I have a lot of musical heroes and I’ve talked often about one of the greatest in country music, George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013).
George was raised in Texas, as I was, and his mother played the piano in the Pentecostal Church, so he knew much of the same music I was raised on.
When I broke into the music business, he had me as his opening act on a Canadian tour. After my show, I’d hang by the side of the stage to hear his music and just try to learn from the master. It was a highlight for me every night of that tour, that George would call me back on to the stage as he was closing his set for the night, and we’d sing a Gospel song together to end his show.
Besides the Christmas song, ‘Silver Bells’, that we recorded together, George had asked me to do an entire album of duets with him. He always said I was his favourite ballad singer.
Unfortunately, as things happen like that, our two record labels couldn’t get that together, so we never got to make that album, but I was always honoured that he wanted to do it.
George Jones passed away on 26April 2013, but his music will live on forever.
RIP, Possum’
Source
• Gene Watson on Facebook
Gene Watson‘s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy‘ (Epic Records, 1987), which was released by Epic Records in March 1987, was produced by legendary country music producer, Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015), a man who had been at the control desk of many an album project for fellow country music artist George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013).
Gene Watson‘s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy‘ (Epic Records, 1987) was intended to be a Gene Watson / George Jones duets project, and was the only Gene Watson album, which was produced by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015).
This collaboration between Gene Watson and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) did not happen, due to either time constraints or legal entanglements, or both.
Gene Watson and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) did record a Christmas standard together, ‘Silver Bells’, which was included on ‘Nashville Christmas Album’ (Sony Music, 1991).
Speaking of Gene Watson and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) recording together, there had been plans for them to record ‘Too Gone Too Long’ for their proposed duets album.
However, when it appeared that this project was not going to happen, the track was offered instead to Randy Travis, who turned his performance of the song into one of his biggest hits: ‘Too Gone Too Long’ was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in March 1988.
Gene Watson‘s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy‘ (Epic Records, 1987) was produced by Billy Sherrill (Thursday 5 November 1936 – Tuesday 4 August 2015) and was recorded at Eleven Eleven Sound, Nashville (Recording Engineer: Ron ‘Snake’ Reynolds); the Assistant Engineer was Ed Hudson.
Gene Watson‘s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy‘ (Epic Records, 1987) was mastered by M.C. Rather at Custom Mastering, Nashville.
Gene Watson‘s ‘Honky Tonk Crazy‘ (Epic Records, 1987) reached No.54 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1987.