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 2007, 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 George Ducas, which he submitted to this site on Monday 22 January 2007.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to George Ducas who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
George Ducas
This quote was submitted on Monday 22 January 2007.
‘I first learned about Gene and his music in 1995, just before I released my first record, ‘George Ducas’, on Capitol Records.
I remember thinking, and still do to this day, ‘Man, this is the real deal’.
I can’t recall ever hearing anyone who has ever sung country music with more sincerity or authenticity than Gene Watson’
Thank you, George Ducas, for your support of Gene Watson.
About George Ducas…
George Ducas was born George Evnochides in Texas City, Texas on Monday 1 August 1966.
When George was five years old, his parents, an Exxon chemical engineer and an English professor, divorced.
George Ducas moved to San Diego in California with his mother. Bitten by the music bug at the age of ten, George Ducas begged his mother for a guitar and got that guitar for Christmas in 1976.
George Ducas fondly recalls that ‘Willie Nelson’s ‘Red Headed Stranger’ (Columbia Records, 1975) was his ‘best friend’.
In 1977, George Ducas moved back to Houston in Texas to live with his father and stepmother. George Ducas attended Lamar High School and Kinkaid High School. Following high school, George Ducas adopted his maternal grandmother’s maiden name, Ducas.
George Ducas left Houston in Texas to attend Vanderbilt University, graduating in 1989 with a degree in economics; after only working six months at an Atlanta bank, George quit to focus on music full-time.
George Ducas quickly received his first song-writing break after meeting singer / songwriter Radney Foster., who gave George Ducas valuable insight, allowing George to learn the ropes of the country music business and hone his song-writing skills.
Radney Foster and George Ducas teamed up to write ‘Just Call Me Lonesome’, which would become George Ducas’ first recorded song, as well as Radney Foster‘s first Billboard country music Top 10 hit as a solo artist; ‘Just Call Me Lonesome’, which reached No.10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1992, was included on Radney Foster‘s debut album ‘Del Rio TX, 1959’ (Arista Records, 1992).
George Ducas played in Nashville clubs for three years before signing a recording contract with Liberty Records in 1994.
On Monday 12 September 1994, George Ducas saw the release of his self-titled debut album, ‘George Ducas’ (Liberty Records, 1994), which was produced by Richard Bennett, and included four tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Teardrops’ (written by George Ducas and Terry McBride) (No.38, 1994)
‘Lipstick Promises’ (written by George Ducas and Tia Sillers) (No.9, 1994)
‘Hello Cruel World’ (written by George Ducas and Ty Tyler) (No.52, 1995)
‘Kisses Don’t Lie’ (written by George Ducas) (No.52, 1995)
George Ducas’ self-titled debut album, ‘George Ducas’ (Liberty Records, 1994), also included the following tracks:
‘My World Stopped Turning’ (written by George Ducas and Gary Nicholson)
‘Shame On Me’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Waiting & Wishing’ (written by George Ducas and Tia Sillers)
‘In No Time At All’ (written by George Ducas and Kim Richey)
‘Only In My Dreams’ (written by George Ducas)
‘It Ain’t Me’ (written by George Ducas and Tia Sillers)
Personnel involved in the recording of George Ducas’ self-titled debut album, ‘George Ducas’ (Liberty Records, 1994), included the following:
Chad Cromwell and Billy Thomas (drums, percussion)
Mike Brignardello and Larry Marrs (bass)
David Hoffner (piano, synthesizers)
Angelo Petraglia, Richard Bennett, Billy Bremner, George Ducas and Dan Dugmore (guitars)
Bob Alenko, Butch Baldassari, Fred Carpenter, Rob Haines and John Mock (mandolin)
Charlie Derrington (mandola)
John Hedgecloth (mandocello)
Terry Crisp and Dan Dugmore (pedal steel guitar)
Hank Singer (fiddle)
David Davidson, Pamela Sixfin, Christian Teal and Mary Kathryn Van Osdale (violins)
Richard Grosjean (viola)
Deryl Dodd, Jim Lauderdale, Kim Richey and Harry Stinson (harmony vocals)
David Hoffner (strings arrangement)
John Mock (mandolin arrangement)
George Ducas’ self-titled debut album, ‘George Ducas’ (Liberty Records, 1994), reached No.57 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1994.
Terry McBride & The Ride recorded George Ducas’ ‘Teardrops’ (co-written with Terry McBride) and included the track on ‘Terry McBride & The Ride’ (MCA Records, 1994).
Radney Foster recorded George Ducas’ ‘Never Say Die’ (co-written with Radney Foster) and included the track on ‘Labor of Love’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1995).
Radney Foster recorded George Ducas’ ‘Everybody Gets The Blues’ (co-written with Radney Foster) and included the track on ‘Labor of Love’ (Arista Nashville Records, 1995).
Gary Allan recorded George Ducas’ ‘Send Back My Heart’ (co-written with John David) and included the track on ‘Used Heart for Sale’ (Decca Records, 1996).
Due to a restructuring of Liberty Records, George Ducas was transferred to Capitol Records Nashville, where he saw the release, on Tuesday 14 January 1997, of ‘Where I Stand’ (Capitol Records Nashville, 1997), which included two tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Every Time She Passes By’ (written by George Ducas and Michael P. Heeney) (No.57, 1996)
‘Long Trail of Tears’ (written by George Ducas and Michael P. Heeney) (No.55, 1997)
George Ducas’ ‘Where I Stand’ (Capitol Records Nashville, 1997) also included the following tracks:
‘I’m Pretending’ (written by Buddy Miller and Julie Miller)
‘You’re Only My Everything’ (written by George Ducas and Michael P. Heeney)
‘You Could’ve Fooled Me’ (written by Tommy Lee James and Dennis Morgan)
‘Tricky Moon’ (written by George Ducas and Tia Sillers)
‘Stay The Night’ (written by George Ducas and Tia Sillers)
‘The Invisible Man’ (written by George Ducas and Michael P. Heeney)
‘Heartaches & Dreams’ (written by George Ducas and Kostas)
‘I’d Be Lying’ (written by Rick Bowles, Josh Leo and Terry McBride)
George Ducas’ ‘Where I Stand’ (Capitol Records Nashville, 1997) did not chart on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 1997, and George Ducas parted with Capitol Records shortly thereafter.
However, George Ducas continued to perform, headlining and opening shows for a number of country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Toby Keith (Saturday 8 July 1961 – Monday 5 February 2024), Mary Chapin Carpenter, Diamond Rio, The Mavericks and Faith Hill.
The Chicks recorded George Ducas’ ‘Never Say Die’ (co-written with Radney Foster) and included the track on ‘Wide Open Spaces’ (Monument Records, 1998).
Radney Foster recorded George Ducas’ ‘Just Call Me Lonesome’ (co-written with Radney Foster) and included the track on ‘Are You Ready for The Big Show?’ (Dualtone Records, 2001).
George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) recorded George Ducas’ ‘Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)’, which was co-written with Keith Anderson, Kent Blazy, Amanda Williams and Kim Williams (Saturday 28 June 1947 – Thursday 11 February 2016), and included the track on ‘The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001’ (Bandit Records, 2001); the track, which featured guest vocals from Garth Brooks, reached No.24 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2001.
Garth Brooks recorded George Ducas’ ‘Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)’, which was co-written with Keith Anderson, Kent Blazy, Amanda Williams and Kim Williams (Saturday 28 June 1947 – Thursday 11 February 2016), and included the track on ‘Scarecrow’ (Capitol Nashville Records, 2001); the track, which featured guest vocals from George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), reached No.24 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2001.
Radney Foster recorded George Ducas’ ‘A Real Fine Place To Start’ (co-written with Radney Foster) and included the track on ‘Another Way to Go’ (Dualtone Records, 2002).
Trisha Yearwood recorded George Ducas’ ‘Gimme The Good Stuff’ (co-written with Angelo Petraglio and Hillary Lindsey) and included the track on ‘Jasper County’ (MCA Records, 2005).
Sara Evans recorded George Ducas’ ‘A Real Fine Place To Start’ (co-written with Radney Foster) and included the track on ‘Real Fine Place’ (RCA Nashville Records, 2005); the track was No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart for two weeks in September 2005, and reached No.38 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 2005.
Randy Rogers Band recorded George Ducas’ ‘Kiss Me In The Dark’ (co-written with Radney Foster) and included the track on ‘Just A Matter of Time’ (Mercury Nashville Records, 2006), which was produced by Radney Foster; the track reached No.43 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs & Tracks Chart in 2006.
During the latter part of 2007, George Ducas opened shows for Sara Evans.
Randy Rogers Band recorded George Ducas’ ‘Lonely Too Long’ (co-written with Randy Rogers) and included the track on ‘Randy Rogers Band’ (Mercury Nashville Records, 2008), which was produced by Radney Foster.
Eli Young Band recorded George Ducas’ ‘Always The Love Songs’ (co-written with David Lee Murphy) and included the track on ‘Jet Black & Jealous’ (Universal South Records, 2008); the track reached No.11 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2008.
In September 2008, George Ducas was signed by WhiteStar Entertainment, but the record label folded before any material could be released.
Josh Thompson recorded George Ducas’ ‘Won’t Be Lonely Long’ (co-written with Josh Thompson and Arlis Albritton) and included the track on ‘Way Out Here’ (Columbia Nashville Records, 2010); the track reached No.25 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2010.
On Tuesday 24 August 2010, George Ducas saw the release of an extended play (EP) disc, ‘Volume Up, Windows Down’ (Propel Records, 2010), which included the following tracks:
‘Twang Thang’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Never Goes Away’ (written by George Ducas, Jon Henderson and Randy Rogers)
‘Cowtown’ (written by Jim Beavers and George Ducas)
‘Amnesia’ (written by George Ducas and Jason Matthews)
‘Pure Blue Heartache’ (written by Chip Boyo and George Ducas)
‘Breakin’ Stuff’ (written by Richard Brodock, George Ducas and Keith Thompson)
On Tuesday 29 October 2013, George Ducas saw the release of ‘4340’ (Loud Ranch Records, 2013), on a newly created independent record label, Loud Ranch Records, which included the following tracks:
‘Cowtown’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Come Down’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Ain’t That Crazy’ (written by George Ducas)
‘White Lines & Road Signs’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Lovestruck’ (written by George Ducas)
‘This One’s Gonna Hurt’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Breakin’ Stuff’ (written by George Ducas)
‘All Kinds of Crazy’ (written by George Ducas)
‘I Need To Love You’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Amnesia’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Gimme Back My Honky Tonk’ (written by George Ducas)
‘Your Song’ (written by George Ducas)
In 2019, George Ducas saw the release of ‘Yellow Rose Motel’ (Loud Ranch Records, 2019), which included the following tracks:
‘Don’t Leave Her Lonely’ (written by George Ducas and Jacob Lyda)
‘Country Badass’ (written by Jeremy Crady and George Ducas)
‘Baby Mama’ (written by Jeremy Crady and George Ducas)
‘Eastwood’ (written by George Ducas and Jacob Lyda)
‘I’m All In’ (written by Neal Coty, George Ducas and Jon Henderson)
‘Old Timers’ (written by George Ducas and Joey Green)
‘Unlove You’ (written by George Ducas, Zack Hollcroft and Trent Summar)
‘I Got This’ (written by George Ducas and Jeff Silvey)
‘Why Start Now’ (written by George Ducas and Jeff Silvey)
‘Cold Bud’ (written by George Ducas and Greg Hudik)
‘Preachers & Pushers’ (written by Jeremy Crady and George Ducas)
‘Yellow Rose Motel’ (written by Jeremy Crady and George Ducas)
Throughout his career, George Ducas has continued to use a wide range of influences in his music, from Willie Nelson and Buck Owens (Monday 12 August 1929 – Saturday 25 March 2006), to The Rolling Stones and John Lee Hooker.
George Ducas is married to his college sweetheart, Caroline; together they have two beautiful children, Grace and William.
• Visit George Ducas’ official site at georgeducas.com