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 Jim Glaser, which he submitted to this site on Friday 10 November 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Jim Glaser who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Jim Glaser
This quote was submitted on Friday 10 November 2006.
‘Whenever I’m tuning up and down the country music radio dial, quite often I’ll hear a voice that I don’t immediately recognise.
But that never happens when I hear a song by Gene Watson.
His voice is so rich and clear, his delivery strong and solidly on pitch (even back in the days when artist’s voices weren’t electronically tuned) that I always stop and listen until he finishes the song.
He’s truly a credit to our industry’
Thank you, Jim Glaser, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Jim Glaser…
Jim Glaser was born James William Glaser in Spalding, Nebraska on Wednesday 16 December 1936.
Jim Glaser was a member of the family group Tompall Glaser (Sunday 3 September 1933 – Tuesday 13 August 2013) & The Glaser Brothers, who began life as session musicians for Marty Robbins (Saturday 26 September 1925 – Wednesday 8 December 1982) and Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003).
In 1962, Jim Glaser & The Americana Folk Trio saw the release of ‘Just Looking For A Home’ (Starday Records, 1962), which included the following tracks:
‘Midnight Special’
‘Boll Weevil’
‘Poor Boy’
‘Erie Canal’
‘The Frozen Logger’
‘Worried Man Blues’
‘Dark As A Dungeon’
‘Tom Dooley’
‘The Riddle Song’
‘The Dying Hobo’
‘Careless Love’
‘Bill Bailey’
The Glaser Brothers provided harmony voices on two major country music hit singles; Marty Robbins’ ‘El Paso’ (No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1959, and the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1959), and Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’, which was written by June Carter Cash (Sunday 23 June 1929 – Thursday 15 May 2003) and Merle Kilgore (Thursday 9 August 1934 – Sunday 6 February 2005) (No.1 for seven weeks on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1963, and No.17 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music singles chart in 1963).
The Glaser Brothers travelled with the Marty Robbins show for three years; some of the first country performers to appear in Las Vegas, Marty Robbins and Tompall Glaser (Sunday 3 September 1933 – Tuesday 13 August 2013) & The Glaser Brothers enjoyed a six-week run at Showboat Casino in 1960.
The Glaser Brothers’ stint on the road with Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 – Friday 12 September 2003) included performances at Steel Pier in Atlantic City and New York City’s prestigious Carnegie Hall.
Jim Glaser & The Glaser Brothers also appeared with Patsy Cline (Thursday 8 September 1932 – Tuesday 5 March 1963), when she made her debut at The Mint Casino in Las Vegas, just weeks before her tragic death, on Tuesday 5 March 1963.
As members of The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for fifteen years, Jim Glaser, Tompall Glaser (Sunday 3 September 1933 – Tuesday 13 August 2013) & The Glaser Brothers, won nearly every group award country music had to offer.
Billboard Magazine presented The Glaser Brothers with an award for being the most awarded group in country music.
Warner Hensley McPherson Jr. (Warner Mack) (Friday 5 April 1935 – Tuesday 1 March 2022) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Sittin’ In An All Night Cafe’ and included the track on ‘The Bridge Washed Out’ (Decca Records, 1965); the track, which reached No.4 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1964, was subsequently included on Warner Mack’s ‘The Prince of Country Blues’ (Pageboy Records, 1982).
Cal Smith (Thursday 7 April 1932 – Thursday 10 October 2013) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Thanks A Lot For Trying Anyway’ and included the track on ‘Goin’ To Cal’s Place’ (Kapp Records, 1967).
Jim Ed Brown (Sunday 1 April 1934 – Thursday 11 June 2015) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘What Does It Take (To Keep A Woman Like You Satisfied)’ and included the track on ‘Just Jim’ (RCA Victor Records, 1967).
Jan Howard (Friday 13 March 1929 – Saturday 28 March 2020) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘You & Me & Tears & Roses’ (co-written with Heinz Bucholz and Karl Goetz) and included the track on ‘This Is Jan Howard Country’ (Decca Records, 1967).
Skeeter Davis (Wednesday 30 December 1931 – Sunday 19 September 2004) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘What Does It Take (To Keep A Man Like You Satisfied)’ and included the track on ‘What Does It Take’ (RCA Victor Records, 1967); the track reached No.5 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1967, and No.21 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart in 1967.
Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 – Wednesday 13 February 2002) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Money Cannot Make The Man’ and included the track on ‘Love of The Common People’ (RCA Victor Records, 1967).
Liz Anderson (Monday 13 January 1930 – Monday 31 October 2011) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Thanks A Lot For Tryin’ Anyway’ and included the track on ‘Liz Anderson Sings Her Favourites’ (RCA Victor Records, 1968).
Glen Campbell (Wednesday 22 April 1936 – Tuesday 8 August 2017) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Woman, Woman’ (co-written with Jimmy Payne) and included the track on ‘Hey, Little One’ (Capitol Records, 1968).
Jan Howard (Friday 13 March 1929 – Saturday 28 March 2020) recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Thanks A Lot For Tryin’ Anyway’ and included the track on ‘Count Your Blessings, Woman’ (Decca Records, 1968).
Lloyd Green recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Woman, Woman’ (co-written with Jimmy Payne) and included the track on ‘Mr. Nashville Sound’ (Chart Records, 1968).
The Glaser Brothers enjoyed a number of their own hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart; ‘Rings’ reached No.7 in 1971, while ‘Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)’ (written by Kris Kristofferson) reached No.2 in 1981.
In 1973, The Glaser Brothers disbanded and stayed apart for six years.
Connie Smith recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Thanks A Lot For Tryin’ Anyway’ and included the track on ‘That’s The Way Love Goes’ (Columbia Records, 1974).
Between 1968 and 1977, Jim Glaser saw the release of a number of non-album tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
‘God Help You Woman’ (No.32, 1968) / this track also reached No.24 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1968
‘Please Take Me Back’ (No.40, 1969)
‘I’m Not Through Loving You’ (No.52, 1969)
‘Molly’ (No.53, 1969)
‘I See His Love All Over You’ (No.67, 1973)
‘Fool Passin’ Through’ (No.68, 1974)
‘Forgettin’ ‘Bout You’ (No.51, 1974)
‘One, Two, Three (Never Gonna Fall In Love Again)’ (No.88, 1975)
‘Woman, Woman’ (written by Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne) (No.43, 1975) / this track, which also reached No.46 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1975, was released in the United Kingdom in 1983
‘She’s Free, But She’s Not Easy’ (No.66, 1976)
‘Chasin’ My Tail’ (No.88, 1977)
‘Don’t Let My Love Stand In Your Way’ (No.86, 1977)
By 1979, Jim Glaser was still looking for the right break, when he met Don Tolle, a pop promotion man for A&M Records.
Don Tolle wanted to develop his own record label, but it would be 1982 before he could muster enough financial backing to launch Noble Vision Records.
Jim Glaser, however, did well as a backing vocalist, appearing on Sylvia‘s ‘Drifter’ (No.1 for one week in April 1981) and Ronnie McDowell’s ‘Watchin’ Girls Go By’ (No.4, 1981).
Jim Glaser was the first artist signed to Don Tolle’s Noble Vision Records and saw the release, in 1983, of ‘Man In The Mirror’ (Noble Vision Records, 1983), which included six tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
‘When You’re Not A Lady’ (written by Pat McManus) (No.16, 1983)
‘You Got Me Running’ (written by Parker McGee) (No.28, 1983)
‘Man In The Mirror’ (written by Tony Arata) (No.17, 1983)
‘If I Could Only Dance With You’ (written by Pat McManus) (No.10, 1984)
‘You’re Gettin’ To Me Again’ (written by Woody Bomar and Pat McManus) (No.1 for one week in September 1984)
‘Let Me Down Easy’ (written by Morris Dollison and John Michael) (No.16, 1984)
Jim Glaser’s ‘Man In The Mirror’ (Noble Vision Records, 1983) also included the folowing tracks:
‘Pretend’ (written by Tony Arata)
‘Woman, Woman’ (written by Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne)
‘I’d Love To See You Again’ (written by John Michael)
‘Close Friends’ (written by Bryan Cole and Jimmy O’Neil)
‘Stand By The Road’ (written by Tony Arata)
‘The Lights of Albuquerque’ (written by Bucky Jones, Dickey Lee and Bob McDill)
In 1984, Jim Glaser was voted ‘Top New Male Vocalist of The Year’ by the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
In 1984, Jim Glaser saw the release, on Noble Vision Records, of a non-album single, ‘Let Me Down Easy’ (written by John Michael and Larry Lafferty).
Noble Vision Records was unable to replicate this success and was taken over by MCA Records, but this relationship lasted only a short time.
In 1985, Jim Glaser saw the release of ‘Past The Point of No Return’ (MCA Records, 1985), which included three tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard country music singles chart:
‘I’ll Be Your Fool Tonight’ (written by Tony Arata) (No.54, 1985)
‘In Another Minute’, which was written by Curly Putnam (Thursday 20 November 1930 – Sunday 30 October 2016) and M. Kosser (No.27, 1985)
‘If I Don’t Love You’ (written by F.O. Knipe) (No.53, 1986)
Jim Glaser’s ‘Past The Point of No Return’ (MCA Records, 1985) also included the following tracks:
‘Merry-Go-Round’ (written by John Michael)
‘Those Days’ (written by Frank Myers)
‘Tough Act To Follow’
‘The Love of My Woman’
‘Early Morning Love’
‘You Were Gone Before You Said Goodbye’
‘Past The Point of No Return’
‘It’s Not Easy’
In 1985, Jim Glaser saw the release, in the United Kingdom, of ‘The Very Best of Jim Glaser’ (Country Store Music Company, 1985), which included the following tracks:
‘The Love of My Woman’
‘Early Morning Love’
‘You Were Gone Before You Said Goodbye’
‘I’ll Be Your Fool Tonight’ (written by Tony Arata) (No.54, 1985)
‘Past The Point of No Return’
‘In Another Minute’, which was written by Curly Putnam (Thursday 20 November 1930 – Sunday 30 October 2016) and M. Kosser (No.27, 1985)
‘It’s Not Easy’
‘If I Don’t Love You’ (written by F.O. Knipe) (No.53, 1986)
‘Merry-Go-Round’ (written by John Michael)
‘Those Days’ (written by Frank Myers)
‘Tough Act To Follow’
In 1986, Jim Glaser saw the release of ‘Everybody Knows I’m Yours’ (United States: MCA Records, 1986 / Canada: Noble Vision Records, 1986), which included the following tracks:
‘The Tender Side’
‘Just Another Rainy Day Love’
‘The Lights of Albuquerque’ (written by Bucky Jones, Dickey Lee and Bob McDill)
‘Patchwork Heart’
‘Lovin’ You’s Become A Habit With Me’, which was written by Paul Craft (Friday 12 August 1938 – Saturday 18 October 2014) and Bill Caswell
‘It’s Really Comin’ Down’
‘Waltzing Through A Rock & Roll Life’ (written by C. Jones, M. Lantrip and C. Hamilton)
‘Don’t Let Her See Me Fall’ (written by Tony Arata)
‘Love Has Found A Heart’ (written by M.P. Heeney)
‘Everybody Knows I’m Yours’ (written by D. Hanner)
Geordie Jack & Caledonia recorded Jim Glaser’s ‘Who Were You Thinkin’ Of’ and included the track on ‘Scotch On The Rocks’ (Zoe Records, 2000).
On Monday 2 April 2007, Jim Glaser saw the release of ‘Me & My Dream’ (Solitaire Records, 2007), which included the following tracks:
‘She’s Free But She’s Not Easy’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘If I Had You To Love Over Again’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘Mason-Dixon Line’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘Happy Hour Blues’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘Don’t Say Love’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘I See His Love All Over You’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘United Airlines’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘When Will It Be My Turn’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘Who Were You Thinkin’ Of’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘Georgia Sunshine’ (written by Jim Glaser)
‘Hard Times’ (written by Jim Glaser)
On Saturday 6 April 2019, Jim Glaser passed away, following a heart attack; Jim Glaser was 81 years old.
• Visit Jim Glaser’s official site at jimglaser.com