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 2013, 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 Lee Roy of THE ROYS, which he submitted to this site on Friday 26 July 2013.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Lee Roy of THE ROYS who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Lee Roy of THE ROYS
This quote was submitted on Friday 26 July 2013.
‘Growing up, Mom & Dad always had great music playing around the house, and one of those singers was Gene Watson.
He has always had a very distinctive voice back then and still does today!
Very few singers have made the impact on music as Mr. Watson!
Great songs sung by a great voice equals timeless music!’
Thank you, Lee Roy of THE ROYS, for your support of Gene Watson.
About THE ROYS…
THE ROYS, who are siblings Lee and Elaine Roy, after years of hard work, have firmly established themselves as one of the pre-eminent acts in bluegrass music.
As THE ROYS, they bring immaculate harmonies, impeccable musicianship and strong songwriting to their music, combining a traditional vocal styling with a progressive instrumental attitude to enchant fans around the world.
Proud to continue the ‘family harmony’ sound started by such groups as Hall of Fame inductees The Carter Family, The Louvin Brothers and The Osborne Brothers, THE ROYS revel in exploring new facets of the genre while remaining true to their roots.
Lee and Elaine Roy were born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and were raised across the border in Coal Branch, New Brunswick in Canada, where their early childhood days were filled with music.
Their Grandma LeBlanc played Acadian tunes on her fiddle, while their aunts and uncles joined in. The music was truly ‘Roots’ music.
Lee and Elaine Roy fell in love with that ‘honest’ sound and their harmonies seemed to fit that style of music.
Growing up in a family where guitar pulls were a normal occurrence, Lee Roy became adept on drums, bass and mandolin and joined his first bluegrass music band when he was nine years old.
Elaine Roy learned guitar and began singing at the age of five, making her first on-stage appearance at the tender age of ten.
Though the siblings were keenly aware of each other’s talent, they had no idea that they shared a common hope for the future.
Elaine Roy had always dreamed about going to Nashville and was amazed when she learned that her brother shared that vision as well.
Since making the decision to move to Nashville in 2006, it’s been one success story after another for the duo. Growing up on traditional country music and bluegrass music had given them a strong stylistic base and their sound developed into a blend of bluegrass, country, folk, roots and gospel music that resonates with the listener.
Songs such as the rollicking ‘Workin’ Girl Blues’ and the timeless ‘Beautiful’ earned them a strong following among fans, while helping them forge strong bonds with programmers, talent buyers and critics across the United States.
Telephone lines began to light up with requests for their music and the crowds at their live appearances began to grow.
On Tuesday 31 October 2006, Lee and Elaine Roy saw the release of their self-titled debut album, ‘THE ROYS’ (Pedestral Records, 2006), which was released on Pedestal Records, their own record label, and included the following tracks:
‘You’re On Your Own’ (written by Lee Roy)
‘House Full of Love’ (written by Larry Alderman and Lee Roy)
‘Working Girl Blues’ (written by Lee Roy)
‘There You Go’ (written by Lee Roy and Pebe Sebert)
‘Flying Without Wings’ (written by Larry Alderman and Lee Roy)
‘Little Fool Hearted Me’ (written by Lee Roy and Pebe Sebert)
‘It Better Be Good’ (written by Billy Crain and Lee Roy)
‘Empty Frames’ (written by Lee Roy)
‘Right Back At You’
‘My, Oh My (How Time Flies)’ (written by Deryl Dodd and Lee Roy)
‘A World Without A Trace’
‘A Good Time’ (written by Lee Roy)
On Tuesday 10 June 2008, Lee and Elaine Roy saw the release of ‘Good Days’ (Pedestal Records, 2008), which was released on Pedestal Records, their own record label, and included the following tracks:
‘Workin’ Girl Blues’ (written by Lee Roy and Kenny Royster)
‘Grandpa’s Barn’ (written by Larry Alderman and Lee Roy)
‘Wings’ (written by Dave Brooks, Don Goodman and Kenny Royster)
‘A Name On A Door’
‘We’re Gonna Get There’ (written by Buck Moore)
‘She Won’t Go’ (written by Larry Alderman and Lee Roy)
‘Raining On The Roses’ (written by Leonard Ahlstrom, Ashley Monroe and Buck Moore)
‘Absolutely, Positively, Maybe’ (written by Kenny Royster)
‘D All The Above’ (written by Larry Alderman)
‘There You Go’ (written by Lee Roy and Pebe Sebert)
‘I Only Have Good Days’ (written by Jon Robbin and Julie Zeitlin)
‘The Good Life Paradise’ (written by Lee Roy and Kenny Royster)
In 2009 and 2010, the accolades started rolling in with their wins for Inspirational Country Music (ICM) ‘Duo of The Year’.
Upon hearing Lee and Elaine Roy’s emotional rendition of the track ‘Coal Minin’ Man’ (written by Lee Roy and Matt Rogers), Sam Passamano Jr. was so impressed that he signed THE ROYS to his Rural Rhythm Records in December 2010.
On Tuesday 22 March 2011, THE ROYS (Lee & Elaine Roy) saw the release of their first album for Rural Rhythm Records, ‘Lonesome Whistle’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2011), which kicked their career into high gear; the album, which debuted at No.7 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart in 2011, earned The ROYS a spot on the Billboard Top 50 Bluegrass Albums of 2011 Chart.
THE ROYS’ first album for Rural Rhythm Records, ‘Lonesome Whistle’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2011), included the following tracks:
‘Coal Minin’ Man’ (written by Lee Roy and Matt Rogers) / this track was No.1 on the Bluegrass Chart in 2011
The lyrics of ‘Coal Minin’ Man’ (written by Lee Roy and Matt Rogers) lent themselves to an acclaimed video, which was shot in Hazard, Kentucky and was directed by Marcel Chagnon.
‘That’s What Makes It Love’ (written by Lee Roy and Morry Trent) / this track featured guest vocals from Ricky Skaggs & The Whites
‘Nothin’ I Can Do About It Now’
‘Right Back At You’
‘Give A Ride To The Devil’
‘Lonesome Whistle’
‘Everything I Ever Wanted’ (written by Lee Roy, Elaine Roy and Steve Dean)
‘My, Oh My, How Time Flies’
‘I Wonder What God’s Thinking’ / this track was named the ICM ‘Inspirational Country Single of The Year’ in 2012
‘Trailblazer’ (written by Elaine Roy, Steve Dean and Bethany Dean) / this track was inspired by Dolly Parton
‘High Road’
THE ROYS’ first album for Rural Rhythm Records, ‘Lonesome Whistle’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2011), was recorded at Ricky Skaggs’ suburban studio and featured members of Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder, along with fiddle player Andy Leftwich, who co-produced the album with Lee and Elaine Roy.
In January 2012, THE ROYS toured Australia, most notably an appearance at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
On Tuesday 28 August 2012, THE ROYS saw the release of a 7-track extended play (EP) disc, ‘New Day Dawning’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2012), which debuted at No.2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart, reached No.1 on Amazon’s Bluegrass Best-Sellers List and reached the Top 15 on the Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s Top 15 Albums Chart.
THE ROYS’ ‘New Day Dawning’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2012) included the following tracks:
‘New Day Dawning’
‘Daddy To Me’
‘Still Standing’ / this track was released as the album’s first single and dominated the weekly and monthly Top 20 Bluegrass Today Chart; Lee and Elaine Roy were subsequently named ICM ‘Bluegrass Artist of The Year’
‘Windin Roads’
‘Grandpa’s Barn’ (written by Larry Alderman and Lee Roy)
‘Living Scrapbook’
‘Fast As We Roll’
On Tuesday 4 June 2013, THE ROYS saw the release of ‘Gypsy Runaway Train’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2013); the album included six ROYS’ originals, along with some of their all-time favourite Bluegrass and country music classics.
THE ROYS’ ‘Gypsy Runaway Train’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2013) included the following tracks:
‘You Can Count On My Love’ (written by Elaine Roy, Lee Roy and Arlis Albritton)
‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’, which was written by Bill Monroe (Wednesday 13 September 1911 – Monday 9 September 1996)
‘Another Minute’ (written by Lee Roy)
‘Born With A Hammer In My Hand’ (written by Shawn Lane and Tim Stafford)
‘I Wonder Where You Are Tonight’, which was written by Johnny Bond (Tuesday 1 June 1915 – Monday 12 June 1978)
‘He Took Your Place’, which was written by Lester Flatt (Friday 19 June 1914 – Friday 11 May 1979) and Earl Scruggs (Sunday 6 January 1924 – Wednesday 28 March 2012)
‘Workin’ On It’ (wriitten by Lee Roy, Arlis Albritton and Josh Thompson)
‘Enough For Me’ (written by Elaine Roy, Lee Roy and Steve Dean)
‘Ramblin’ Fever’, which was written by Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016)
‘What Gives You The Right’ (written by Adam Steffey)
‘Those Memories of You’ (written by Alan O’Bryant)
‘Half of Me’ (written by Elaine Roy)
‘Gypsy Runaway Train’ (written by Lee Roy and Morry Trent)
THE ROYS played some of the top stages in America and beyond, bringing their unique sound to Dollywood, Country Thunder, Tamworth in Australia, Folk Alliance, and Country Music Association (CMA) Music Festival, along with countless bluegrass music festivals.
In 2013, THE ROYS made their European debut with shows in Germany, England and Denmark.
THE ROYS (Lee and Elaine Roy) have also performed the National Anthem for fans of NASCAR, NFL and Major League Baseball.
THE ROYS (Lee and Elaine Roy) have also hosted numerous radio shows, including the legendary ‘Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree’ and 650AM WSM’s popular ‘Guest Artist Series’.
THE ROYS’ debut appearance at The Ryman Auditorium’s Springer Mountain Farms’ ‘Bluegrass Nights At The Ryman Series’, in Nashville, was a rousing success; they were also prominently featured in the PBS television special ‘Pa’s Fiddle: Charles Ingalls, American Fiddler’.
In 2014, THE ROYS (Lee and Elaine Roy) saw the release of ‘Bluegrass Kinda Christmas’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2014), which was produced by Lee and Elaine Roy, and included the following tracks:
‘Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy’, which was written by Buck Owens (Monday 12 August 1929 – Saturday 25 March 2006) and Don Rich (Friday 15 August 1941 – Wednesday 17 July 1974)
‘Santa Train’ (written by Emory Gordy Jr. and Patty Loveless)
‘With Bells On’ (written by Dolly Parton)
‘If We Make It Through December’, which was written by Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016)
‘Christmas Time’s A Comin’, which was written by Benjamin Franklin ‘Tex’ Logan Jr. (Monday 6 June 1927 – Friday 24 April 2015)
‘Bluegrass Kinda Christmas’ (written by Steve Dean, Elaine Roy and Lee Roy)
‘There’s A New Kid In Town’, which was written by Don Cook, Claude Putnam Jr. and Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 – Tuesday 9 May 1989)
‘Winter Wonderland’ (written by Felix Bernard and Dick Smith)
‘O, Holy Night’
‘Santa & The Kids’, which was written by Sue Lane and Charley Pride (Friday 18 March 1934 – Saturday 12 December 2020)
Lonesome River Band recorded Lee Roy’s ‘Hurting With My Broken Heart’ (co-written with Brandon Rickman) and included the track on ‘Turn On A Dime’ (Mountain Home Records, 2014).
On Monday 6 February 2017, THE ROYS (Lee and Elaine Roy) saw the release of ‘The View’ (Rural Rhythm Records, 2017), which included the following tracks:
‘No More Lonely’ (written by Steve Dean, Elaine Roy and Lee Roy)
‘Those Boots’ (written by Jeneé Fleenor and Lee Roy)
‘Heaven Needed Her More’ (written by Lee Roy and Josh Thompson)
‘Sometimes’ (written by Steve Dean, Elaine Roy and Lee Roy)
‘Live The Life You Love’ (written by Lee Roy and Keesy Timmer)
‘The View’ (written by Bill Anderson, Elaine Roy and Lee Roy)
‘No More Tears Left To Cry’ (written by Steve Dean, Elaine Roy and Lee Roy)
‘Northern Skies’ (written by Lee Roy)
‘Black Gold’ (written by Daniel Patrick, Lee Roy and Clint White)
‘Mended Wings’ (written by Steve Dean, Elaine Roy and Lee Roy)
‘Mandolin Man’ (written by Larry Alderman and Lee Roy)
THE ROYS (Lee and Elaine Roy) have shared the stage with an outstanding array of artists, including George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013), Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Lady A, Doyle Lawson, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Rhonda Vincent, Chris Young, Sara Evans, James Dee (J.D.) Crowe (Friday 27 August 1937 – Friday 24 December 2021), The Oak Ridge Boys, Janie Fricke, Dailey & Vincent, Neal McCoy and Collin Raye.
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