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 2017, 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 Jennifer Brantley, which she submitted to this site on Thursday 2 November 2017.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Jennifer Brantley who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Jennifer Brantley
This quote was submitted on Thursday 2 November 2017.
‘Joe Rucker and I have sung ‘Farewell Party‘, which was written by Lawton Williams (Monday 24 July 1922 – Thursday 26 July 2007), at Wheeling Jamboree and many other venues.
It’s an awesome song, and a favourite older country song!’
Thank you, Jennifer Brantley, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Jennifer Brantley…
Jennifer Brantley was born into a musical family in Florida and began piano lessons when she was six years old.
Jennifer Brantley grew up in California and Mississippi and was first attracted to gospel music, playing and singing in church.
In 1995, Jennifer Brantley experienced her first major appearance, as an opening act to the gospel artists David & The Giants, at Hanford Fox Theatre in Hanford, California.
Later switching to secular country music, Jennifer Brantley recorded her first album, ‘On The Other Side’ (Jennifer Brantley Music, 2001), with the assistance of Tommy Allsup (Tuesday 24 November 1931 – Wednesday 11 January 2017) in 2001, and self-released the project.
Jennifer Brantley’s first album, ‘On The Other Side’ (Jennifer Brantley Music, 2001), included the following tracks:
‘The Other Side’
‘I Need A Place’
‘Did It For You’
‘She Will Survive’
‘That Cowboy Song’
‘You Left Me Crying’
‘Juanita’
‘She’s Just Fine In Her Mind’
‘Why Did It Take So Long’
‘Dream’
In December 2001, Jennifer Brantley moved to Nashville, where she began to build a following in local clubs and to place her tracks on a number of websites, such as mp3.com and garageband.com.
In 2007, Jennifer Brantley was nominated for ‘Americana Female Singer / Songwriter of The Year’ at The Los Angeles Music Awards.
Signing to Mountainside Productions, Jennifer Brantley saw the release, on Tuesday 4 September 2007, of ‘Break Down’ (Mountainside Productions, 2007), which was produced by Bil VornDick (Thursday 9 March 1950 – Tuesday 5 July 2022), and included the following tracks:
‘Break Down’ (written by Jennifer Brantley)
‘Fast Train’, which was written by Jennifer Brantley and Bil VornDick (Thursday 9 March 1950 – Tuesday 5 July 2022)
‘God Knows I Tried’ (written by Jennifer Brantley)
‘Sound of Lonely’
‘Lost Soul Searching’, which was written by Jennifer Brantley and Bil VornDick (Thursday 9 March 1950 – Tuesday 5 July 2022)
‘Nothing Can Take The Place’ (written by Jennifer Brantley)
‘You’re No Good’
‘My Someone’ (written by Jennifer Brantley)
‘Picture This’ (written by Jason Deere and Michael Noble)
‘Silver & Gold’ (written by Michael Lunn and Michael Noble)
‘Did It For You’ (written by Jennifer Brantley)
‘Blonde Girls’, which was written by Jennifer Brantley and Bil VornDick (Thursday 9 March 1950 – Tuesday 5 July 2022)
In 2009, Jennifer Brantley performed a duet, ‘Heart of Stone’, with former RCA Records recording artist, Razzy Bailey (Tuesday 14 February 1939 – Thursday 5 August 2021), a track which was included on Razzy Bailey‘s ‘Damned Good Time’ (Sounds of America Records, 2009).
Jennifer Brantley also appeared with Razzy Bailey (Tuesday 14 February 1939 – Thursday 5 August 2021) on Ernest Tubb’s ‘Midnite Jamboree’, which was broadcast from ‘The Air Castle of The South’, radio station WSM 650 AM, ‘The Home of The Grand Ole Opry’.
On Monday 30 November 2009, Jennifer Brantley saw the release of ‘Heartbroken, Forsaken & Alone’, a previously unreleased track, which had been written by Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) with Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953).
The story behind the song began when Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) was approached in 1958 by Hank Williams’ first wife, Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (Wednesday 28 February 1923 – Tuesday 4 November 1975), who told him that she had found some old lyrics written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) which he never finished writing.
Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (Wednesday 28 February 1923 – Tuesday 4 November 1975) asked Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021), who was a big fan of Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953), to finish writing the lyrics and to come up with a Hank Williams’ style melody for the song.
Although Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) was young at the time, he had already written songs for Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003), Kitty Wells (Saturday 30 August 1919 – Monday 16 July 2012), Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 – Thursday 6 September 1984) and Hawkshaw Hawkins (Thursday 22 December 1921 – Tuesday 5 March 1963), and George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), amongst others.
George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) and Tammy Wynette (Tuesday 5 May 1942 – Monday 6 April 1998) recorded ‘Two Story House’, which was written by Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021), Dave Lindsey and Tammy Wynette, and included the track on ‘Together Again’ (Epic Records, 1980); the track reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1980.
George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) recorded ‘Skip A Rope’, which was written by Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) and Jack Moran) and included the track on ‘Hits I Missed…And One I Didn’t’ (Bandit Records, 2005); the album was produced by Keith Stegall.
The main reasons Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (Wednesday 28 February 1923 – Tuesday 4 November 1975) chose Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) were because she knew that he sang a lot of Hank Williams’ songs on his personal appearances and that he would probably come closer to finishing the song as Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) would have wanted.
Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) waited until he had written more songs for Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003), George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), Bob Dylan, Tammy Wynette (Tuesday 5 May 1942 – Monday 6 April 1998), Tennessee Ernie Ford (Thursday 13 February 1919 – Thursday 17 October 1991) and many others, before he attempted to finish writing the song Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) had started.
In 1974, while Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) was living in Tucson, Arizona he completed the song and mailed it to Acuff-Rose, Hank Williams’ publisher.
Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) sent them a copy of the original Hank Williams lyrics, along with a demo of the song. They had the handwriting checked by a hand writing expert, who concluded that it was indeed Hank Williams’ handwriting.
In June 1974, Fred Rose Music issued a publishing contract on the song, showing the writers as Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) and Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021).
Before Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) moved back to Nashville, Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (Wednesday 28 February 1923 – Tuesday 4 November 1975) died in November 1975.
Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) did not know if Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (Wednesday 28 February 1923 – Tuesday 4 November 1975) ever heard the finished product.
After Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) returned to Nashville, he went to Acuff-Rose and had a meeting about the song. Because of some disagreements, the song was essentially buried until 2009.
In August 2009, Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) met Jennifer Brantley at a guitar pull dinner party in Nashville. After Jennifer Brantley heard the song and Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) heard her voice, it was decided that Jennifer Brantley should record the song.
Jennifer Brantley was therefore the first artist to release ‘Heartbroken, Forsaken & Alone’, a song written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953) and Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021).
On Tuesday 20 July 2010, Jennifer Brantley saw the release of ‘The Little Things’ (Mountainside Productions, 2010), which included the following tracks:
‘The Little Things’
‘They Don’t Make Memories Like They Used To’
‘Heartbroken, Forsaken & Alone’, which was written by Glenn Douglas Tubb (Saturday 29 June 1935 – Saturday 22 May 2021) and Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953)
‘It’s Four In The Morning’, which was written by Jerry Donald Chesnut (Thursday 7 May 1931 – Saturday 15 December 2018)
‘I Ain’t Gonna Change’
‘Try Walking On Water’
‘I Hope It’s Raining’
Jennifer Brantley was a cast member of ‘Nashville Traditions’, a radio show which aired on WSM 650 AM in Nashville, which reached thirty-eight states in the United States, along with parts of Canada; the first show was broadcast on Friday 10 December 2010.
On Friday 19 October 2012, Jennifer Brantley appeared with Clinton Gregory at Nashville Recovery Church, 1600 Elm Hill Pike in Nashville.
On Friday 5 July 2013, Jennifer Brantley saw the release of ‘It’s All Good’ (Blue Room Records, 2013), which included the following tracks:
‘I’m Right Here’
‘I’d Rather Have A Lonely Heart’
‘Somebody’s Somebody’
‘Whiskey California’
‘God, Don’t Ever Change’
‘It’s All Good’
‘Half A Mind’
‘If You Don’t Go To Heaven’
‘Just Hearing A Song’
‘Eddie Stubbs, You’re The Man’
• Visit Jennifer Brantley’s official site at jenniferbrantley.com