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 during 2019, 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 Redd Volkaert, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 6 March 2019.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Redd Volkaert who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Redd Volkaert
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 6 March 2019.
‘I first heard of Gene Watson, back in Canada, where I’m from, in the mid 1970s.
Gene had a hit with the song called ‘Paper Rosie‘, which was written by Canadian songwriter, Dallas Harms (Thursday 18 July 1935 – Saturday 12 October 2019).
(Thursday 18 July 1935 – Saturday 12 October 2019)
Dallas (Thursday 18 July 1935 – Saturday 12 October 2019) was a friend of mine and we became friends through the love of the Fender Telecaster; his brother had left him a 1951 Telecaster.
Anyway, that was the first Gene Watson music I had heard and the hook went in instantly.
I still have all of his early albums.
I think Gene is one of the most soulful and creative singers that I have ever heard, and I think I’ve heard a lot of them in my years.
Gene is one of the most underrated singers in country music, or music – period – for that matter.
And, Gene still sings as great as ever!’
Thank you, Redd Volkaert, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Redd Volkaert…
Redd Volkaert was born Justin Redd Volkaert in Canada in 1958, and is an acclaimed singer/songwriter and guitarist.
Redd Volkaert is best known to country music audiences as being the lead guitarist, since 1997, for Merle Haggard‘s band, The Strangers.
In the 1990s, Redd Volkaert undertook recording sessions in Nashville for a number of artists, including Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013), Clinton Gregory, Dale Watson and Lacy J. Dalton.
In the late 1990s, Redd Volkaert also began a career as a solo artist, with the release, on Tuesday 17 March 1998, of ‘Telewacker’ (Hightone Records, 1998), which included the following tracks:
‘Telewacker’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘You’re Still On My Mind’ (written by Luke McDaniel)
‘Reed My Tele’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘She Loves Anything That Swings’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘Tube’n’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘I Hate You’ (written by Leroy Daniels and Dan Penn)
‘It’s A Minor Thing’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘Stumbling’ (written by Zez Confrey)
‘Strangers’, which was written by Liz Anderson (Monday 13 January 1930 – Monday 31 October 2011)
‘Breakneck’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘Home In San Antone’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954)
‘The Buck Stops Here’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘That Girl Who Waits On Tables’
‘Redd, White & Blue’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
In December 1991, Clinton Gregory saw the release of his third album on Step One Records, a record label founded by Ray Pennington and Curtis Potter (Thursday 18 April 1940 – Saturday 23 January 2016); ‘Freeborn Man’ (Step One Records, 1991) included four tracks, which were hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:
‘Play, Ruby, Play’ (written by Troy Seals and Tony Brown) (No.25, January 1992) / this track, which also reached No.20 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks Chart in 1992, was also a video hit on both Country Music Television (CMT) and The Nashville Network (TNN)
‘She Takes The Sad Out of Saturday Night’ (written by Curt Ryle and Billy Henderson) (No.50, 1992)
‘Who Needs It’ (written by J. Mehaffey and Brent Mason) (No.29, 1992)
‘Look Who’s Needing Who’, which was written by Clinton Gregory, Randy Hardison (Saturday 11 March 1961 – Tuesday 4 June 2002) and Kevin Grantt (No.65, 1993)
Clinton Gregory‘s ‘Freeborn Man’ (Step One Records, 1991), also included the following tracks:
‘If A Broken Heart Could Kill’, which was written by Wayland D. Holyfield (Sunday 15 March 1942 – Monday 6 May 2024), Norro Wilson (Monday 4 April 1938 – Thursday 8 June 2017) and Allen Henson
‘Freeborn Man’ (written by Mark Lindsay and Keith Allison)
‘Til This Ring Turns Green’ (written by Mel Holt)
‘The Game Is The Same’, which was written by Ray Pennington (Friday 22 December 1933 – Wednesday 7 October 2020)
‘She Can’t Believe My Eyes (written by Roger Ball)
‘Here’s To You, Tears To Me’ (written by Andrew Wilson Jr.)
‘The Jukebox Has A 45’ (written by B. Charles and C. McGuyer)
‘I Wish It Was That Easy Going Home’, which was written by Red Lane (Thursday 2 February 1939 – Wednesday 1 July 2015) and Hank Cochran (Friday 2 August 1935 – Thursday 15 July 2010)
Personnel involved in the recording of Clinton Gregory‘s third album, ‘Freeborn Man’ (Step One Records, 1991), included the following:
Bobby All (passed away on Thursday 19 March 2009) and Roger Ball (acoustic guitar)
Jimmy Capps (Thursday 25 May 1939 – Monday 1 June 2020), Brent Mason and Redd Volkaert (lead guitar)
Buddy Emmons (Wednesday 27 January 1937 – Wednesday 29 July 2015) (steel guitar)
Clinton Gregory (fiddle)
Thomas Bailey ‘Bunky’ Keels (Thursday 11 January 1934 – Monday 29 November 2004) (piano)
Jerry Kroon (drums)
Gary Prim (synthesizers)
David Smith (bass guitar)
Clinton Gregory, Jennifer O’Brien and Dennis Wilson (background vocals)
Clinton Gregory‘s ‘Freeborn Man’ (Step One Records, 1991), was produced by Ray Pennington and engineered by Kevin McManus.
On Tuesday 10 October 2000, Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) saw the release of ‘If I Could Only Fly’ (ANTI Records / Epitaph Records, 2000), which included the following tracks:
‘Wishing All These Old Things Were New’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘Honky Tonky Mama’ (written by Merle Haggard) (traditional)
‘Turn To Me’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘If I Could Only Fly’, which was written by Blaze Foley (Sunday 18 December 1949 – Wednesday 1 February 1989)
‘Crazy Moon’, which was written by Merle Haggard and Max D. Barnes (Friday 24 July 1936 – Sunday 11 January 2004)
‘Bareback’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘(Think About A) Lullaby’ (written by Merle Haggard and Theresa Lane Haggard)
‘I’m Still Your Daddy’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘Proud To Be Your Old Man’ (written by Merle Haggard and Abe Manuel Jr.)
‘Leavin’s Getting Harder’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘Thanks To Uncle John’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘Listening (To The Wind)’ (written by Merle Haggard)
Personnel involved in the recording of Merle Haggard‘s ‘If I Could Only Fly’ (ANTI Records / Epitaph Records, 2000) included the following:
Merle Haggard (vocals, guitar)
Biff Adams (drums)
Eddie Curtis (bass)
Floyd Domino and Oleg Schramm (piano)
Norman Hamlet (steel guitar)
Abe Manuel Jr. (guitar, fiddle, mandolin, percussion, piano, accordion, harp, harmony vocals)
Joe Manuel, Randy Mason and Redd Volkaert (guitar)
Don Markham (saxophone, harmony vocals)
Merle Haggard‘s ‘If I Could Only Fly’ (ANTI Records / Epitaph Records, 2000) reached No.26 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2000.
On Tuesday 20 March 2001, Redd Volkaert saw the release of ‘No Stranger To A Tele’ (Hightone Records, 2001), which included the following tracks:
‘No Stranger To A Tele’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘Diminishing Flames’ (written by Norm Hamlet and Redd Volkaert)
‘Before She Made Me Crawl’
‘Big, Big, Love’, which was written by Kenneth Carroll and Wynn Stewart (Thursday 7 June 1934 – Wednesday 17 July 1985)
‘Granny Grunt’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘T’Wango’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘End of The Line’, which was written by Johnny Gimble (Sunday 30 May 1926 – Saturday 9 May 2015) and Bob Wills (Monday 6 March 1905 – Tuesday 13 May 1975)
‘I Forget You Everday’, which was written by Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016)
‘Drewpster’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘Chee-Z’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘Back To Back’
‘Conscience Turn Your Back’, which was written by Johnny Bush (Sunday 17 February 1935 – Friday 16 October 2020)
‘Rubberdance’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
‘3 1/2 Minutes Left’ (written by Redd Volkaert)
On Tuesday 1 May 2001, Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) saw the release of ‘Cabin In The Hills’ (Hag Records, 2001), a Bakersfield-style collection of gospel music, either written or arranged by Merle Haggard, with the exception of Iris Dement’s sublime ‘Shores of Jordan’ and Brumley & Brumley’s ‘This World Is Not My Home’.
Merle Haggard‘s ‘Cabin In The Hills’ (Hag Records, 2001) was self-produced and was released on Merle Haggard‘s own label, Hag Records; Merle Haggard was joined on Dobro and steel guitar by Norman Hamlet, and on vocals by Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 – Sunday 28 October 2007) and Bonnie Owens (Tuesday 1 October 1929 – Monday 24 April 2006).
Merle Haggard‘s ‘Cabin In The Hills’ (Hag Records, 2001) included the following tracks:
‘Life’s Railway To Heaven’, which was written by W.S. Stevenson (1900 – 1978) and Charlie Tillman
‘A Cabin In The Hills’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘What Will It Be Like’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘Farther Along’ (Public Domain)
‘Precious Lord, Take My Hand’
‘Apart For A While’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘Love Lifted Me’ (written by Merle Haggard) (traditional)
‘Shores of Jordan’ (written by Iris DeMent)
‘Lord, Don’t Give Up On Me’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘This World Is Not My Home’, which was written by Albert Edward Brumley (Sunday 29 October 1905 – Tuesday 15 November 1977) (traditional)
Personnel involved in the recording of Merle Haggard‘s ‘Cabin In The Hills’ (Hag Records, 2001) included the following:
Merle Haggard (vocals, guitar)
Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 – Sunday 28 October 2007), Bonnie Owens (Tuesday 1 October 1929 – Monday 24 April 2006), Ray McDonald and Theresa Lane Haggard (vocals)
Biff Adam (drums)
Doug Colosio (keyboards)
Eddie Curtis (bass)
Norm Hamlet (Dobro, pedal steel guitar)
Abe Manuel Jr. (guitar, harmonica)
Joe Manuel and Redd Volkaert (guitar)
Don Markham (trumpet)
Randy Mason (drums, guitar)
On Tuesday 6 November 2001, Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) saw the release of ‘Roots, Volume 1’ (ANTI Records, 2001), which was produced by Merle Haggard, and included the following tracks:
‘Always Late With Your Kisses’, which was written by Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975) and Blackie Crawford
‘More Than My Old Guitar’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got The Time’, which was written by Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975) and Jim Beck
‘Look What Thoughts Will Do’, which was written by Jim Beck, Little Jimmy Dickens (Sunday 19 December 1920 – Friday 2 January 2015), Dub Dickerson, Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975) and Richard Duncan James
‘My Baby’s Just Like Money’, which was written by Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975)
‘Honky Tonkin’, which was written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953)
‘Runaway Mama’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘I’ll Sign My Heart Away’, which was written by Hank Thompson (Thursday 3 September 1925 – Tuesday 6 November 2007)
‘I’ve Got A Tender Heart’ (written by Merle Haggard)
‘The Wild Side of Life’ (written by Arlie Carter and William Warren)
‘Take These Chains From My Heart’, which was written by Fred Rose (Floyd Jenkins) (24 August 1898 – Wednesday 1 December 1954) and Hy Heath (1890 – 1965)
‘I Want To Be With You Always’, which was written by Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975) and Jim Beck
Personnel involved in the recording of Merle Haggard‘s ‘Roots, Volume 1’ (ANTI Records, 2001) included the following:
Merle Haggard (vocals, guitar)
Theresa Lane Haggard (background vocals, percussion)
Norman Hamlet (steel guitar)
Abe Manuel Jr. (fiddle, mandolin, background vocals)
Billy McGill, Chester Smith (Saturday 29 March 1930 – Friday 8 August 2008), Norman Stevens – the guitarist for Lefty Frizzell (Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975), one of Merle Haggard‘s major influences – and Redd Volkaert (guitar)
Doug Colosio (piano)
Eddie Curtis (bass)
Johnnie Barber and Brooks Liggatt (drums)
Merle Haggard‘s ‘Roots, Volume 1’ (ANTI Records, 2001) reached No.47 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2001, and No.26 on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart in 2001.
On Tuesday 21 May 2002, Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) saw the release of ‘The Peer Sessions’ (Audium Records, 2002), which was produced by Merle Haggard, and on which he revisited many of music publisher Peer Music’s best-loved songs.
Fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member, Roy Horton (5 November 1914 – Tuesday 23 September 2003), worked with Merle Haggard in selecting which compositions from Ralph S. Peer’s extensive library to choose from, and the pair came up with twelve songs from the pens of Jimmie Rodgers (8 September 1897 – Friday 26 May 1933), Jimmie Davis (11 September 1899 – Sunday 5 November 2000), Floyd Tillman (Tuesday 8 December 1914 – Friday 22 August 2003) and Tommy Duncan (Wednesday 11 January 1911 – Tuesday 25 July 1967), among others.
Merle Haggard‘s ‘The Peer Sessions’ (Audium Records, 2002) included the following tracks:
‘Peach Picking Time In Georgia’, which was written by Jimmie Rodgers (8 September 1897 – Friday 26 May 1933) and Clayton McMichen
‘If It’s Wrong To Love You’ (written by Bonnie Dodd and Charles Mitchell)
‘Sweethearts Or Strangers’, which was written by Jimmie Davis (11 September 1899 – Sunday 5 November 2000) and Lou Wayne
‘Put Me In Your Pocket’, which was written by Wilbert Lee ‘Pappy’ O’Daniel (11 March 1890 – Sunday 11 May 1969)
‘Anniversary Blue Yodel’, which was written by Jimmie Rodgers (8 September 1897 – Friday 26 May 1933) and Doc Watson (Saturday 3 March 1923 – Tuesday 29 May 2012)
‘Shackles & Chains’, which was written by Jimmie Davis (11 September 1899 – Sunday 5 November 2000)
‘Miss The Mississippi & You’, which was written by Jimmie Rodgers (8 September 1897 – Friday 26 May 1933) and Bill Halley
‘It Makes No Difference Now’, which was written by Jimmie Davis (11 September 1899 – Sunday 5 November 2000) and Floyd Tillman (Tuesday 8 December 1914 – Friday 22 August 2003)
‘Whippin’ That Old T.B.’, which was written by Jimmie Rodgers (8 September 1897 – Friday 26 May 1933)
‘Hang On To The Memories’, which was written by Jimmie Davis (11 September 1899 – Sunday 5 November 2000)
‘I Love You So Much It Hurts’, which was written by Floyd Tillman (Tuesday 8 December 1914 – Friday 22 August 2003)
‘Time Changes Everything’, which was written by Bob Wills (Monday 6 March 1905 – Tuesday 13 May 1975) and Tommy Duncan (Wednesday 11 January 1911 – Tuesday 25 July 1967)
Personnel involved in the recording of Merle Haggard‘s ‘The Peer Sessions’ (Audium Records, 2002) included the following:
Merle Haggard (vocals, guitar)
Biff Adams (drums)
Owen Bradley (Thursday 21 October 1915 – Wednesday 7 January 1998) and Oleg Schramm (piano)
Eddie Curtis (bass)
Norm Hamlet (Dobro, pedal steel guitar)
The Anita Kerr Singers (background vocals)
Abe Manuel Jr. (guitar, accordion, fiddle, harmonica, vocal harmony)
Joe Manuel (bass, guitar)
Don Markham (saxophone, trumpet)
Grady Martin (Thursday 17 January 1929 – Monday 3 December 2001), Randy Mason, Redd Volkaert and Pete Wade (guitar)
Harald ‘Hal’ Rugg (Tuesday 21 July 1936 – Tuesday 9 August 2005) (pedal steel guitar)
Buddy Spicher (fiddle)
In 2004, Redd Volkaert saw the release of ‘For The Ladies’ (Hightone Records, 2004), which included the following tracks:
‘No Stranger To A Tele’
‘She Loves Anything That Swings’ (written by Redd Volkaert) / this track was a ‘live’ recording
‘Twango’
‘You’re Still On My Mind’
‘The Buck Stops Here’
‘Truck Drivin’ Man’
‘Home In San Antone’
‘Chee-Z’
‘Back To Back’
‘Breakneck’
‘It’s A Minor Thing’
‘Telewacker’ / this track was a ‘live’ recording
On Tuesday 14 December 2004, Merle Haggard (Tuesday 6 April 1937 – Wednesday 6 April 2016) saw the release of ‘Unforgettable’ (Capitol Records, 2004), which was produced by Freddy Powers (Tuesday 13 October 1931 – Tuesday 21 June 2016), and on which Merle Haggard tackled material from the American popular songbook, pre-rock & roll vocal pop standards, including the following tracks:
‘As Time Goes By’, which was written by Herman Hupfeld (1 February 1894 – Friday 8 June 1951)
‘Gypsy’, which was written by William Gordon ‘Billy’ Reid (19 September 1902 – Thursday 12 December 1974)
‘Unforgettable’, which was written by Irving Gordon (14 February 1915 – Sunday 1 December 1996)
‘Stardust’, which was written by Irving Gordon (14 February 1915 – Sunday 1 December 1996) and Mitchell Parish (Tuesday 10 July 1900 – Wednesday 31 March 1993)
‘I Can’t Get Started’, which was written by Vernon Duke (10 October 1903 – Thursday 16 January 1969) and Ira Gershwin) (6 December 1896 – Wednesday 17 August 1983)
‘Still Missing You’, which was written by Freddy Powers (Tuesday 13 October 1931 – Tuesday 21 June 2016)
‘Pennies From Heaven’, which was written by John Francis Burke (3 October 1908 – Tuesday 25 February 1964) and Arthur Johnston (10 January 1898 – Saturday 1 May 1954)
‘Cry Me A River’ (written by Arthur Hamilton)
‘I’ll Get By (As Long As I Have You)’, which was written by Frederick Emil Ahlert (19 September 1892 – Tuesday 20 October 1953) and Roy Kenneth Turk (20 September 1892 – Friday 30 November 1934)
‘You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You’, which was written by Russ Morgan (29 April 1904 – Thursday 7 August 1969), Larry Stock (1896 – Friday 4 May 1984) and James Cavanaugh
‘What Love Can Do’ (written by Merle Haggard and Theresa Lane Haggard)
‘Goin’ Away Party’, which was written by Cindy Walker (Saturday 20 July 1918 – Thursday 23 March 2006)
Personnel involved in the recording of Merle Haggard‘s ‘Unforgettable’ (Capitol Records, 2004) included the following:
Merle Haggard (vocals, guitar)
Biff Adam, Terry Domingue and Larrie Londin (Friday 15 October 1943 – Monday 24 August 1992) (drums)
Gary Church (trombone)
Eddie Curtis, B.B. Morse and Leland Sklar (bass)
Floyd Domino, Oleg Schramm, Catherine Styron and Bobby Wood (piano)
Johnny Gimble (Sunday 30 May 1926 – Saturday 9 May 2015) (fiddle)
Abe Manuel (accordion, fiddle, guitar)
Joe Manuel, Clint Strong, Redd Volkaert and Mike Wheeler (guitar)
Don Markum (saxophone, trumpet)
Randy Mason and Freddy Powers (Tuesday 13 October 1931 – Tuesday 21 June 2016) (drums, guitar)
Joe Reed (bass)
Bruce McBeth and Rose Katai (violin)
Soo Kyong Kim (viola)
Kevin Price (cello)
On Tuesday 16 September 2008, Redd Volkaert saw the release of ‘Reddhead’ (Telehog Records, 2008), which included the following tracks:
‘Reddline Fever’
‘Jackhammer Rock’ (written by Eddie Beethoven)
‘Goosebumps’
‘Is Anything Alright’
‘Call The Pound’
‘I Know How I’d Feel’
‘The Letter’, which was written by Wayne Carson (Monday 31 May 1943 – Monday 20 July 2015)
‘Raisin’ The Dickens’, which was written by Buddy Emmons (Wednesday 27 January 1937 – Wednesday 29 July 2015)
‘We Need To Talk’
‘End of The Line’ (written by James Robert Wills)
‘Just Because I Don’t Care’
‘Send It Back’
‘Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line’
‘I’ll Break Out Tonight’, which was written by Arthur Leo ‘Doodle’ Owens (Friday 28 November 1930 – Monday 4 October 1999)
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