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 2006, 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 Jeanette Williams, which she submitted to this site on Wednesday 22 November 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Jeanette Williams who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Jeanette Williams
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 22 November 2006.
‘Gene Watson is a great singer and a true country music icon’
Thank you, Jeanette Williams, for your support of Gene Watson.
Jeanette Williams was born in North Carolina and raised in Virginia.
Jeanette Williams was one of seven children who grew up in a home filled with music. Jeanette Williams began singing at a young age. Her professional career originated with country music when she was in her early twenties.
In 1989, Jeanette Williams switched to bluegrass music and joined a band called Clearwater. One of the members was Johnny Williams, the man she married two years later in 1991.
Working as singer for Clearwater, Jeanette Williams performed at countless bluegrass festivals in Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, and even in France. During this time, Jeanette Williams earned a number of awards, including four ‘Female Vocalist of The Year’ awards.
In 1994, Jeanette Williams saw the release of her debut solo album, ‘Dreams Do Come True’ (Flyin’ Cloud Records, 1994), which included the following tracks:
‘Walking Where The Ice Is Thin’
‘Foggy Mountain Top’
‘What A Price’
‘Picture In A Tear’
‘Talking With My Lord’
’99 Years’
‘Daddy’
‘Please Remember That I Love You’
‘Gold Watch & Chain’
‘Streets of London’
‘Time Is Like A Teardrop’
‘Bent, Broke & Blue’
Jeanette Williams’ debut solo album, ‘Dreams Do Come True’ (Flyin’ Cloud Records, 1994) featured special guest artists, including Tony Rice (Friday 8 June 1951 – Friday 25 December 2020), Russel Moore, Sammy Shelor, Ronnie Bowman, John Bowman, Ron Pendleton, Wes Tuttle, Tim Jefferson and Johnny Williams.
Since her debut solo release in 1994, Jeanette Williams has quietly become one of the most successful and celebrated women in bluegrass music.
Jeanette Williams’ list of awards, accolades and career highlights continues to grow, as does her adoring fan base.
By 1996, the Clearwater band was renamed Jeanette Williams & Clearwater. It was also in 1996 when Jeanette Williams recorded a second album with her husband, Johnny, simply titled ‘Johnny & Jeanette Williams’.
In 1997, Jeanette Williams saw the release of ‘Blue Ridge Mountain Sun’ with the Clearwater band. The group was also chosen, in 1997 and 1998, to appear at the annual International Bluegrass Music Association conference.
On Tuesday 7 September 1999, Jeanette Williams saw the release of ‘Cherry Blossoms In The Springtime’ (Doobie Shea Records, 1999), which spent nine months on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Album Chart; the album was co-produced by Dan Tyminski and featured contributions from Rob Ickes, Ben Isaacs and Aubrey Haynie.
Jeanette Williams’ ‘Cherry Blossoms In The Springtime’ (Doobie Shea Records, 1999) included the following tracks:
‘Break My Heart’ (written by Irl Hees)
‘Careful of My Heart’ (written by Kelly Green)
‘Cherry Blossoms In The Springtime’
‘Too Late To Say Goodbye’ (written by Dudley Connell)
‘It’s Just A Matter of Time’
‘What Will Become of Me’ (written by Johnny Williams)
‘Leavin’s Heavy On My Mind’
‘Lonely Side of Goodbye’ (written by Randall Hylton)
‘On His Arms I’m Not Afraid’, which was written by Jim Eanes (Thursday 6 December 1923 – Tuesday 21 November 1995)
‘Stripped of My Pride’ (written by Randall Hylton)
‘Your Last Mile’ (written by Johnny Williams)
In support of ‘Cherry Blossoms In The Springtime’ (Doobie Shea Records, 1999), Jeanette Williams and her band increased touring and winning fans from coast to coast in the United States, and internationally, with her powerful songs, angelic voice and warm, sincere personality.
Touring, recording and industry awards have become a mainstay for Jeanette Williams.
The Jeanette Williams Band, which is based in Danville, Virginia boasts the impressive line-up of Johnny Williams (plays guitar, shares vocal and emcee duties and writes most of the band’s original material), Chase Johner (plays mandolin and provides vocals) and Jody King (plays banjo).
A notable highlight for Jeanette Williams was being invited to perform with The Dan Tyminski Band on the IBMA Awards Show in 2000. Jeanette Williams has also been featured in both Bluegrass Unlimited and Bluegrass Now Magazine.
In 2005, Jeanette Williams became a graduate of IBMA Leadership Bluegrass and has been the recipient of a number of awards, including being named Virginia Folk Music Association’s ‘State Champion Female Vocalist’, PICABO ‘Entertainer of The Year’ (on four occasions) and PICABO ‘Female Vocalist’ (on four occasions).
Jeanette Williams has also garnered five nominations for SPBGMA ‘Female Vocalist of The Year’.
On Tuesday 5 April 2005, The Jeanette Williams Band saw the release of ‘Get In The Boat’ (Bell Buckle Records, 2005), which included the following tracks:
‘Get In The Boat’, which was written by Tom T. Hall (Monday 25 May 1936 – Friday 20 August 2021)
‘Will Your Name Be Called’
‘Are You Trusting In Sweet Jesus’ (written by Bonita Jamison)
‘When The Harvest Has Come’ (written by Mark Mathewson)
‘Father’s Hand’ (written by Jeanette Williams)
‘Golden River’
‘Come Morning’ (traditional)
‘There’s Only One’ (traditional)
‘Consider The Lilies’
‘Got My Walking Shoes On’
‘Mama’s Sunday Ride’, which was written by Tom T. Hall (Monday 25 May 1936 – Friday 20 August 2021)
‘Lost Highway’ / this track featured guest vocals from Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953)
‘Is Your Heart Right With God’ (written by Norman Wright)
On Tuesday 5 April 2005, The Jeanette Williams Band saw the release of ‘Too Blue’ (Bell Buckle Records, 2005), which included the following tracks:
‘Too Blue’ (written by Daniel Irl Hees)
‘I Ought To Know You’
‘What You Gonna Do’
‘Stormy Waters’ (traditional)
‘Just One Year Ago’
‘Don’t Tell Me Stories’ (written by Lynn Morris)
‘Things I Wish I’d Said’ (written by Jeanette Williams)
‘Squirrel Tail’
‘Feeling Mighty Fine’ (traditional)
‘Carolina Time’ (written by Patrick McDougal)
‘I Want To Go Where No One Knows Me’
‘Mountain Way of Life’
‘The Blind Beggar’ (written by Becky Buller)
‘Love Grown Cold’ (written by Lynn Morris)
With more than ten SPBGMA nominations, and three wins for ‘Female Vocalist of The Year’, in 2009, 2012 and 2013, two IBMA Awards (2006 and 2009 ‘Recorded Event of The Year’, with the Daughters of Bluegrass), two songwriting awards (2007 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest, and 2008 IAMA Songwriting Contest), and over twenty years of performance experience in bluegrass and bluegrass gospel, Jeanette Williams expanded her repertoire to include her early influences of classic country music, blues, roots and rock ‘n’ roll.
In 2008, Jeanette Williams saw the release of ‘Thank You For Caring’ (Blue Circle Records, 2008), which included the following tracks:
‘Enough of You’ (written by Jeanette Williams)
‘Bad Money’ (written by Brandon Rickman)
‘Break The Chain’ (written by Larry Shell and Tim Stafford)
‘Thank You For Caring’, which was written by Tom T. Hall (Monday 25 May 1936 – Friday 20 August 2021) / this track featured guest lead vocals from George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013)
‘Your Memory Wins Again’ (written by Skip Ewing, Mike Geiger and Woody Mullis)
‘Dreamer’ (written by Shannon Slaughter)
‘I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know’ (written by Cecil A. Null) / this track was a duet with Michelle Nixon
‘Alone’ (written by Ryan Roberts)
‘Blue Days, Sleepless Nights’
‘Through The Eyes of A Child’ (written by John Finney)
‘That’s The Bottom Line’
‘Either Way I’m Going Home’ (written by Tim Stafford)
‘Everything’s Blue’
‘I Will Survive’ (written by Dino Fekaris)
Personnel involved in the recording of Jeanette Williams’ ‘Thank You For Caring’ (Blue Circle Records, 2008) included the following:
Johnny Williams, Tim Stafford and Tony Rice (guitar)
Steven Fraleigh and Aubrey Haynie (fiddle)
Tony Mabe (banjo)
Jacob Eller (bass)
Josh Pickett (quicksilver guitar)
A portion of the profits from the sale of Jeanette Williams’ ‘Thank You for Caring’ (Blue Circle Records, 2008) went to the American Red Cross for their relief efforts.
On Tuesday 18 February 2014, Jeanette Williams saw the release of the first single from her solo project on Nashville’s Off Row Records.
The Bonnie Raitt classic, ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ (written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin), received rave reviews from fans, as well as from the writers.
Mike Reid offered support and praise for Jeanette Williams’ performance by saying ‘Jeanette Williams is a wonderful artist. She’s not trying to sell you anything. Her intent is pure; just the music, sung with an ethereally gorgeous voice deeply felt. She made this song her own. I love it’
The complete project, which was produced by Nashville veteran Bruce Dees, was released in Spring 2015. With a variety of classic and original material, the contemporary flavour of the release thrilled Jeanette Williams’ existing fans, and welcomed a brand new audience who had not had the opportunity to hear her work.
In 2019, Johnny & Jeanette Williams saw the release of ‘Thirty Years Later’ (Johnny & Jeanette Williams / Grass Tank Music, 2019), which included the following tracks:
‘How Long Has It Been’
‘Take Me Back Home’
‘Fathers Hand’
‘River of Tears’
‘Gray Pony’
‘I Don’t Worry’
‘The One I Left Behind’
‘Could It Be’
‘In His Arms’
‘Gone For So Long’
• Visit Jeanette Williams’ official site at jeanettewilliams.com