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 Bradley Walker, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 14 March 2007.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Bradley Walker who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Bradley Walker
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 14 March 2007.
'When it comes to classic country singers who can still really cut it after so many years, Gene Watson always stands out, to me.
Gene's music and his style is a big influence on my singing'
Thank you, Bradley Walker, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Bradley Walker...
Bradley Walker had already performed on The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, appeared on national television and sung at some of America’s leading bluegrass festivals prior to the release of his highly acclaimed debut album 'Highway of Dreams' (Rounder Records, 2006).
Bradley Walker was hailed as 'simply one of the greatest young country singers alive'.
Bradley Walker belongs to a tradition which includes such outstanding country music stylists as Vern Gosdin (Sunday 5 August 1934 - Tuesday 28 April 2009), Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 - Wednesday 6 April 2016), Mel Street (Monday 21 October 1935 - Saturday 21 October 1978), Gene Watson, George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 - Friday 26 April 2013), Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 - Saturday 19 July 1975) and Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 - Tuesday 9 May 1989).
Carl Jackson, who has worked with everyone from Emmylou Harris to Glen Campbell (Wednesday 22 April 1936 - Tuesday 8 August 2017), and whose resume includes recording sessions with Ricky Skaggs, Jim & Jesse, Garth Brooks and Vince Gill, amongst others, reserves extra praise for Bradley Walker, who he considers to be 'a special person, as well as a talent'.
Rounder Records co-founder Ken Irwin also had high praise for Bradley Walker; the fact that Bradley Walker drove alone from his hometown of Athens, Alabama to Nashville for the recording sessions for his debut album, 'Highway of Dreams' (Rounder Records, 2006), is itself a wonder.
Bradley Walker was born with muscular dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair his entire life. Bradley Walker is, however, as fiercely independent as he is musically gifted. Bradley Walker built his own home in Alabama, designing it for maximum mobility and comfort.
Bradley Walker is also completely at ease in his customised van and has been working a day job ever since his high-school graduation, in addition to singing and travelling to festivals regularly.
Bradley Walker's parents, Tom Walker and Sherl Putman, both loved music deeply.
The radio played constantly at home and they always had plenty of records around. Tom Walker sometimes sang and Sherl Putman once worked in a record shop.
Bradley Walker was born in 1978 and was singing not long afterward. When he was three years old, Bradley's parents took him to a local concert featuring The Oak Ridge Boys. Backstage, the tot sang 'Elvira', which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 - Friday 14 January 2022) to the quartet, beginning a friendship which lasts to this day.
Trips to Nashville were common. When he was ten years old, Bradley Walker's family brought him to The Oak Ridge Boys' fan club party. This time, Bradley sang 'Elvira', which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 - Friday 14 January 2022) with the quartet. The group were so impressed that, the following year, in March 1989, Bradley Walker was invited to appear on the national cable show 'Nashville Now' with The Oak Ridge Boys.
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded 'Elvira', which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 - Friday 14 January 2022) and included the track on 'Fancy Free' (MCA Records, 1981); the track was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in May / June 1981, and reached No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1981.
The Country Music Association (CMA) and Academy of Country Music (ACM) both named 'Elvira', which was written by Dallas Frazier (Friday 27 October 1939 - Friday 14 January 2022) as 'Single of The Year' in 1981; the track also netted The Oak Ridge Boys their only Grammy Award as a country music act.
In 1996, after he graduated from high school, Bradley Walker started out playing dance halls. It was around this time when Bradley Walker began to gain a deep love of bluegrass music.
Bradley Walker and Ray Edwards formed Trinity Mountain Boys with brothers Tim, Scotty and Kirk Terry, the nephews of fiddler Gordon Terry; the band debuted at a bluegrass festival staged in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1998.
Former Sawyer Brown member Bobby Randall spotted Bradley Walker at a bluegrass festival and asked him to come to Nashville to sing song demos. This was Bradley Walker’s introduction to the recording studio.
In 1999, The Trinity Mountain Boys self-produced their album 'Breaking New Ground'.
In 2001, Atlanta-based bluegrass group Lost Horizon invited Bradley Walker to become its lead singer, so he began commuting to Georgia for rehearsals. The group took second place at the SPBGMA convention in Nashville that year and then Lost Horizon was invited to Los Angeles to appear on The Jerry Lewis Telethon - Jerry Lewis (Tuesday 16 March 1926 - Sunday 20 August 2017).
As a result, Bradley Walker's circle of musical friends widened and he was soon sharing the stage with bands such as IIIrd Tyme Out, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and Lonesome River Band.
In 2002, the members of IIIrd Tyme Out invited Bradley Walker to appear with them at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Bradley Walker sang the Jimmy Martin (Wednesday 10 August 1927 - Saturday 14 May 2005) classic 'Drink Up & Go Home' and drew a standing ovation.
Bradley Walker has since been on The Grand Ole Opry several more times as the guest of Alecia Nugent and country music artists, including Vince Gill and Mark Wills.
It was also in 2002 when Bradley Walker went to work at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in northern Alabama, where he took up the position of material analyst there, supporting warehouse inventory and purchasing.
In September 2005, Bradley Walker was honoured when Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine published a feature story, headlining him as 'The Next Great Voice of Bluegrass Music'. The Nashville Scene once hailed him as 'the best singer in bluegrass today not yet signed to a record deal'.
Bradley Walker came to many listeners' attention as a result of 'When It Comes Down To Us (It's All Up To You)'; the track, which was written by Carl Jackson, was a duet with Alecia Nugent, and was included on Alecia Nugent's 'A Little Girl…A Big Four Lane' (Rounder Records, 2006).
On Tuesday 12 September 2006, Bradley Walker saw the release of his debut album, 'Highway of Dreams' (Rounder Records, 2006), which was produced by highly acclaimed producer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Carl Jackson, and which included the following tracks:
'Life Or Love', which was written by Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011) and Gary Cotton
Musicians
Clay Hess (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Ron Block (banjo)
Randy Kohrs (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Carl Jackson and Rhonda Vincent (background vocals)
'When I'm Hurtin' (written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell)
Musicians
Clay Hess and Andy Falco (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Ron Block (banjo)
Randy Kohrs (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Larry Cordle and Rhonda Vincent (background vocals)
'Love's Tombstone' (written by Carl Jackson and Jenny Yates)
Musicians
Clay Hess and Carl Jackson (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Ron Block (banjo)
Randy Kohrs (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Larry Cordle and Rhonda Vincent (background vocals)
'Payin' Your Dues' (written by Chris Austin and Carl Jackson)
Musicians
Clay Hess and Andy Falco (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Ron Stewart (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Jim Van Cleve (fiddle)
Russell Moore (background vocals)
'If I Hadn't Reached For The Stars' (written by Carl Jackson)
Musicians
Clay Hess and Carl Jackson (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Vince Gill and Sonya Isaacs (background vocals)
'Price of Admission' (written by Glenn Garrett and Craig Market)
Musicians
Clay Hess (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Ron Block (banjo)
Randy Kohrs (Dobro)
Jim Van Cleve (fiddle)
Carl Jackson and Alecia Nugent (background vocals)
'He Carried Her Memory' (written by Jim McBride and Jerry Salley)
Musicians
Clay Hess (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddles)
Jerry Salley and Alecia Nugent (background vocals)
'A Little Change' (written by Carl Jackson, Mike Ward and Jared Ashley)
Musicians
Clay Hess and Carl Jackson (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Carl Jackson and Sonya Isaacs (background vocals)
'Lost At Sea' (written by Shawn Camp)
Musicians
Clay Hess and Carl Jackson (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Carl Jackson and Cia Cherryholmes (background vocals)
'Shoulda Took That Train' (written by Mike Ward and Ken Williams)
Musicians
Clay Hess (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Ron Stewart (banjo)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Vince Gill (background vocals)
'I Never Go Around Mirrors', which was written by Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 - Saturday 19 July 1975) and Sanger D. 'Whitey' Shafer (Wednesday 24 October 1934 - Saturday 12 January 2019)
Musicians
Clay Hess (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Randy Kohrs (Dobro)
Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Brandon Hickman and Alecia Nugent (background vocals)
'We Know Where He Is' (written by Shawn Camp and Buddy Cannon)
Musicians
Clay Hess (acoustic guitar)
Kevin Grantt (bass)
Tony Creasman (drums)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Rob Ickes (Dobro)
Jim Van Cleve (fiddles)
Carl Jackson and Cia Cherryholmes (background vocals)
On Friday 23 September 2016, Bradley Walker saw the release of 'Call Me Old-Fashioned' (Gaither Music Group / Farmhouse Recordings, 2016), which was produced by Rory Lee Feek, and included the following tracks:
'Why Me' (written by Kris Kristofferson)
'Call Me Old-Fashioned' (written by Dave Turnbull and Jerry Salley)
'I Count My Blessings', which was written by Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011) and Ronnie Brown
'Sing Me To Heaven' (written by Shawn Camp and Buddy Cannon)
'Don't Give Up On Me' (written by Rory Lee Feek and Jimmy Yeary)
'The Toolbox' (written by Dennis Duff)
'Pray For God' (written by Craig Monday, Phil O'Donnell and Chris Wallin)
'In The Time That You Gave Me' (written by Shawn Camp and Dennis Morgan) / this track was a duet with Joey Marie Martin Feek (Wednesday 10 September 1975 - Friday 4 March 2016)
'The Right Hand of Fellowship' (written by Larry Cordle and Leslie Satcher)
'His Memory Walks On Water' (written by Erin Enderlin and Irene Kelley)
'I Feel Sorry For Them', which was written by Bradley Walker, Rory Lee Feek and Tim Johnson (Friday 29 January 1960 - Sunday 21 October 2012)
'Sinners Only' (written by Craig Monday and Chris Wallin)
'With His Arms Wide Open' (written by Austin Cunningham)
'Sweet Beulah Land' (written by Squire Parsons) / this track featured guest vocals from The Isaacs
On Friday 6 October 2017, Bradley Walker saw the release of 'Blessed: Hymns & Songs of Faith' (Gaither Music Group, 2017), which included the following tracks:
'Amazing Grace' / this track featured guest vocals from from Carl Jackson and Val Storey
'Family Bible' / this track featured guest vocals from The Oak Ridge Boys
'Angel Band' / this track featured guest vocals from Alison Krauss and Buddy Cannon
'I Will Someday' / this track featured guest vocals from The Isaacs
'Drifting Too Far From The Shore' / this track featured guest vocals from Vince Gill and Sonya Isaacs Yeary
'I'll Fly Away' / this track featured guest vocals from Ben Isaacs and Mike Rogers
'Cast The First Stone' / this track featured guest vocals from John Bowman and Rebecca Bowman Isaacs
'The Old Rugged Cross' / this track featured guest vocals from Jimmy Fortune and Ben Isaacs
'Because He Lives' / this track featured guest vocals from Charlotte Ritchie and Ben Isaacs
'Say Something' / this track featured guest vocals from Sonya Isaacs Yeary and Ben Isaacs
'Victory In Jesus' / this track featured guest vocals from Ben Isaacs and Mike Rogers
'One Day At A Time' / this track featured guest vocals from Rhonda Vincent and Ben Isaacs
'Who Will Sing For Me' / this track featured guest vocals from Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White
• Visit Bradley Walker's official site at bradleywalker.com
