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 2014, 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 Hal Bynum, which he submitted to this site on Sunday 2 March 2014.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Hal Bynum who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Rebecca Bynum without whom this Gene Watson ‘Peer’s Quote’ from Hal Bynum would not have been possible.
Hal Bynum
This quote was submitted on Sunday 2 March 2014.
‘Nobody sings better than Gene Watson, not now and not in the past’
Thank you, Hal Bynum, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Hal Bynum…
Hal Bynum, who was born Harold L. Bynum in Texas on Saturday 29 September 1934, was a country music songwriter of great stature and popular appeal, and made his mark on country music long ago.
Hal Bynum composed a number of acclaimed country music tracks, including the following:
• ‘Lucille’, which was recorded by Kenny Rogers (Sunday 21 August 1938 – Friday 20 March 2020)
• ‘Chains’, which was recorded by Patty Loveless
• ‘Papa Was A Good Man’, which was recorded by Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003)
• ‘There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang’, which was recorded by Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002)
• ‘Nobody’s Fool’, which was recorded by Jim Reeves (Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964)
• ‘The Old, Old House’, which was recorded by George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), Bill Monroe (Wednesday 13 September 1911 – Monday 9 September 1996) and Ralph Stanley (Friday 25 February 1927 – Thursday 23 June 2016)
Hal Bynum was also a songwriter, who was associated with the Outlaw country movement of the 1970s.
Hal Bynum’s discography included a number of albums, including ‘It’s My Time’ (Vision Records, 1995), ‘If I Could Do Anything’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1998), and ‘The Promise’ (Beauregard Records, 2002).
In 1977, Hal Bynum received Songwriter Awards from the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) for ‘Song of The Year’ for ‘Lucille’, which was co-written with Roger D. Bowling (Sunday 3 December 1944 – Sunday 26 December 1982).
Hal Bynum’s autobiographical book, ‘The Promise’ (Beauregard Books, 2002), which was published in 2002, and was also the title of his 2002 album for Beauregard Records, described his upbringing in rural west Texas and his work as a songwriter in the Nashville music business.
Hal Bynum was also known for his spoken word recordings. Both his book and the album of the same name were released on Hal Bynum’s Beauregard Books / Records label.
George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘The Old, Old House’ (co-written with George Jones) and included the track on ‘I Wish Tonight Would Never End’ (United Artists Records, 1963).
Johnny & Jonie Mosby recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Strawberry Wine’, which was co-written with Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004), and included the track on ‘Mr. & Mrs. Country Music’ (Columbia Records, 1965).
Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Man, Man, Mister Sandman’ (co-written with Wynn Stewart) and included the track on ‘Something Pretty’ (Capitol Records, 1968).
Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ (co-written with Jim Kandy) and included the track on ‘For The Good Times’ (Columbia Records, 1970).
Jim Reeves (Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Nobody’s Fool’; the track, which was subsequently included on ‘Jim Reeves Writes You A Record’ (RCA Victor Records, 1970) and ‘The Best of Jim Reeves: Volume 4’ (RCA Victor Records, 1979), reached No.10 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1970, and No.4 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1970.
Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Papa Was A Good Man’ and included the track on ‘A Thing Called Love’ (Columbia Records, 1972); the track reached No.16 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1972.
Charlie Rich (Wednesday 14 December 1932 – Tuesday 25 July 1995) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Papa Was A Good Man’ and included the track on ‘I Do My Swinging At Home’ (Harmony Records, 1973).
In 1973, Stoney Edwards (Tuesday 24 December 1929 – Saturday 5 April 1997) saw the release, on Capitol Records, of ‘You’re A Believer’ (written by SK Dobbins), a non-album single, which reached No.54 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1973; the ‘b’ side of this single was ‘She’s Helping Me Get Over You’, which was written by Hal Bynum and Arthur Leo ‘Doodle’ Owens (Friday 28 November 1930 – Monday 4 October 1999).
Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Oklahoma Sunshine’ (co-written with Bud Reneau) and included the track on ‘The Ramblin’ Man’ (RCA Records, 1974).
Bill Monroe (Wednesday 13 September 1911 – Monday 9 September 1996) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘The Old, Old House’, which was co-written with George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), and included the track on ‘The Weary Traveler’ (MCA Records, 1976).
Kenny Rogers (Sunday 21 August 1938 – Friday 20 March 2020) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Lucille’, which was co-written with Roger D. Bowling (Sunday 3 December 1944 – Sunday 26 December 1982), and included the track on ‘Kenny Rogers’ (United Artists Records, 1977); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for two weeks in April 1977, and also reached No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1977.
Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Lucille’, which was co-written with Roger Bowling (Sunday 3 December 1944 – Sunday 26 December 1982), and included the track on ‘Ol’ Waylon’ (RCA Victor Records, 1977).
Ed Bruce (Friday 29 December 1939 – Friday 8 January 2021) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Ain’t No Good Chain Gang’, which was co-written with Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004), and included the track on ‘The Tennessean’ (Epic Records, 1977).
Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang’, which was co-written with Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004), and included the track on ‘I Would Like To See You Again’ (Columbia Records, 1978); the track, which was a duet with Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002), reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1978.
Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang’, which was co-written with Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004), and included the track on ‘I’m Always On A Mountain When I Fall’ (MCA Records, 1978).
Gene Watson recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Have A Good Day’, which was co-written with Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004), and included the track on ‘No One Will Ever Know‘ (Capitol Records, 1980).
Ray Stevens recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘One More Last Chance’ (co-written with Bud Reneau) and included the track on ‘One More Last Chance’ (RCA Victor Records, 1981); the track reached No.33 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1981.
Brenda Lee recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘I Know A Lot About Love’ (co-written with Bruce Channel) and included the track on ‘Only When I Laugh’ (MCA Records, 1981).
The Wilburn Brothers – Doyle Wilburn (Monday 7 July 1930 – Saturday 16 October 1982) and Teddy Wilburn (Monday 30 November 1931 – Monday 24 November 2003) – recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Hands’ (co-written with Don Wayne) and included the track on ‘Stars of The Grand Ole Opry’ (First Generation Records, 1981).
Roger D. Bowling (Sunday 3 December 1944 – Sunday 26 December 1982) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Lucille’ (co-written with Roger Bowling) and included the track on ‘Then I’ll Stop Loving You’ (NSD Records, 1984).
Curtis Potter (Thursday 18 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016) recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Oklahoma Sunshine’ (co-written with Bud Reneau) and included the track on ‘Down In Texas Today’ (Step One Records, 1984); the album was re-issued by Heart of Texas Records in 2006.
Patty Loveless recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘Chains’ (co-written with Bud Reneau) and included the track on ‘Honky Tonk Angel’ (Epic Records, 1988); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in March 1990.
Suzy Bogguss recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘As If I Didn’t Know’, which was co-written with Mel Tillis (Monday 8 August 1932 – Sunday 19 November 2017), and included the track on ‘Moment of Truth’ (Liberty Records, 1990).
In 1995, Hal Bynum saw the release of ‘It’s My Time’ (Vision Records, 1995), which was produced by Bud Reneau and Rebecca Bynum, and included the following tracks:
‘If I Could Do Anything I Wanted To’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘I Turned Your Picture To The Wall’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘In God We Trust’ (written by Hal Bynum and K. Ward)
‘The Old, Old House’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘Home’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘The Comeback’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘As If I Didn’t Know’, which was written by Hal Bynum and Mel Tillis (Monday 8 August 1932 – Sunday 19 November 2017)
‘Everything’s Different Now’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘The Pistol’ (written by Hal Bynum, D. Wayne and D. Tubb)
‘There’ll Be Love’ (written by Hal Bynum)
Personnel involved in the recording of Hal Bynum’s ‘It’s My Time’ (Vision Records, 1995) included the following:
Steve Thomas (drums, bass, guitar)
Catherine Styron and Ron Oates (keyboard)
Mickey Raphael (harmonica)
Buddy Spicher and Jimmy Mattingly (violin)
Ben Keith and Mike Cass (steel guitar)
John Wesley Ryles, Richard Law, Donna Ulisse and Susan Jack (background vocals)
In 1998, Hal Bynum saw the release of ‘If I Could Do Anything’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1998), which included the following tracks:
‘If I Could Do Anything I Wanted To’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘Last Summer’
‘A Lover’s Prayer’
‘Home’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘I Wanta Be’
‘A Parable About Mirrors’
‘Meeting In Reno’
‘A Leap of Understanding’
‘The Pistol’ (written by Hal Bynum, D. Wayne and D. Tubb)
‘There’ll Be Love’ (written by Hal Bynum)
In 2002, Hal Bynum saw the release of ‘The Promise’ (Beauregard Records, 2002), which was produced and arranged by David Hoffner, included the following tracks:
‘The Promise’(written by Hal Bynum)
‘An Old Man’s Prayer’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang’, which was written by Hal Bynum and Dave Kirby (Sunday 10 July 1938 – Saturday 17 April 2004) / this track was a duet with Tommy Cash
‘Two Women’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘Russell C. Skidmore, Coal Miner & Soldier, Retired’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘The Strange Disappearance of Lyla’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘Love At First Sight & Forever’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘The Change (A Kind of A Christmas Carol)’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘Tryin’ To Lose Weight’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘Fathers & Sons’ (written by Hal Bynum)
‘Winter Beaches’ (written by Hal Bynum)
Hal Bynum’s ‘The Promise’ (Beauregard Records, 2002) was co-produced by Rebecca Bynum for Hal Bynum Productions.
Amber Digby recorded Hal Bynum’s ‘If You Were Me’, which was co-written with Jerry Donald Chesnut (Thursday 7 May 1931 – Saturday 15 December 2018), and included the track on ‘Here Come The Teardrops’ (Heart of Texas Records, 2006).
On Thursday 2 June 2022, Hal Bynum passed away; he was 87 years old. Hal Bynum had suffered a stroke and had been fighting Alzheimer’s.
(Saturday 29 September 1934 – Thursday 2 June 2022)