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 2010, 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 Steve Spurgin, which he submitted to this site on Wednesday 10 February 2010.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Steve Spurgin who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Steve Spurgin
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 10 February 2010.
‘Hi Sean – How nice to hear from you.
I will be happy to add something for your use.
Hopefully it will be something that is of value. Everyone who knows Gene has probably already said the same thing I would say, but here goes…
In a musical world that most times seems to have lost its way, it is a comfort to know that someone like Gene Watson is still singing and performing the type of country music that has lasting value.
Not only does he possess one of the finest voices in the real country music genre, he is also one of the nicest and most sincerely likeable people I know’
Thank you, Steve Spurgin, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Steve Spurgin…
Steve Spurgin was born in McKinney, Texas on Thursday 5 June 1947.
Steve Spurgin’s life of music began early, starting with lessons in classical piano at the age of five, moving on to French horn and choral training in school. The performing bug bit in the early 1960s when Steve Spurgin picked up a folk guitar and started entertaining his school mates with the songs of his heroes, including Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot (Thursday 17 November 1938 – Sunday 1 May 2023).
In the summer of 1965, fresh out of high school, the first paying job in music came along and Steve Spurgin launched a professional career that touched on five decades and entered a new century.
After playing folk music in and around Dallas, Texas for a few years, Steve Spurgin moved to the Los Angeles area in the late 1960s, bought a set of drums and spent the next fifteen years providing the backbeat for various rock bands, an electric bluegrass band (way ahead of its time!), Freddy Fender (Friday 4 June 1937 – Saturday 14 October 2006), Mason Williams, The Limeliters and Byron Berline’s cutting-edge country music / Bluegrass music and Sundance, which also included Vince Gill.
During his time in California, Steve Spurgin also did studio session work on the drums, as well as voice-over work on local and national television and radio commercials.
Gene Watson recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (co-written by Jessie D. Mendenhall) and included the track on ‘Old Loves Never Die‘ (MCA Records, 1981); the track reached No.9 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1982.
In 1983, Steve Spurgin moved back to Texas and got into the straight honky tonk scene for a while before grabbing an electric bass and once again joining Bryon Berline, along with Dan Crary and John Hickman, in a band that became California, after adding John Moore on mandolin.
Gene Watson recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘Carmen’ and included the track on ‘Memories to Burn‘ (Epic Records, 1985); the track reached No.32 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1986.
Gene Watson recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘I Saved Your Place’ and included the track on ‘Starting New Memories‘ (Epic Records, 1986).
On Monday 9 May 2011, England’s Hux Records released Gene Watson‘s ‘Memories to Burn‘ (Epic Records, 1985), along with Gene Watson‘s ‘Starting New Memories‘ (Epic Records, 1986), in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as a special 2-for-1 CD set; the 2-for-1 CD set was released worldwide on Tuesday 17 May 2011.
In 1989, Bryon Berline, Dan Crary, John Hickman & Steve Spurgin, known collectively as California, saw the release of ‘Now They Are Four’ (Sugarhill Records, 1989), which included the following tracks:
‘Big Dog’ (written by Byron Berline)
‘Train of Memory’, which was written by Jimbeau Hinson (Wednesday 29 October 1952 – Friday 4 March 2022)
‘Weary Blues from Waitin’, which was written by Hank Williams (Monday 17 September 1923 – Thursday 1 January 1953)
‘Moonlight Motor Inn’ (written by John Penn II)
‘They Don’t Play George Jones on MTV’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking to My Heart)’ (written by Jessie D. Mendenhall and Steve Spurgin)
‘Santa Ana’ (written by Byron Berline and Dennis Fetchet)
‘Leave Me the Way I Am’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Kodak 1955’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Hallelujah Harry’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
Jann Browne recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘Lovebird’ and included the track on ‘Tell Me Why’ (Curb Records, 1989); the track featured harmony vocals from Iris DeMent.
In 1992, Bryon Berline, Dan Crary, John Hickman & Steve Spurgin, known collectively as California, saw the release, on Sugarhill Records, of their album ‘Traveler’ (Sugarhill Records, 1992).
California went on to earn three consecutive IBMA ‘Instrumental Group of The Year’ Awards and travelled over much of the world performing its brand of power bluegrass music before disbanding after a multi-year run.
During all this time, Steve Spurgin pursued his true passion – song-writing. Steve Spurgin spent three years as a Nashville staff writer for The Welk Music Group, and was assigned to Gene Watson and Reba McEntire.
This association saw many of Steve Spurgin’s songs recorded, as well as producing two major country-market hits for Gene Watson; ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (No.9, 1982) and ‘Carmen’ (No.32, 1986).
With a BMI Award in hand, Steve Spurgin then started his own publishing company and began writing songs from the heart, with emphasis on quality and personal style. Those of you familiar with his material will recognise some of the results; songs such as ‘She Always Smelled Like Lilacs’, ‘Muley Was A Railroad Man’, ‘Band of Angels’ and ‘A Walk In The Irish Rain’ have been circulated far and wide. ‘A Walk In The Irish Rain’, in particular, has been recorded by dozens of different artists, both in the United States and in Europe.
Odd Jarle Hanssen recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘Carmen’ and included the track on ‘I Know This Feeling’ (Odd Jarle Hanssen Music, 1993).
In 1994, after winning the prestigious ‘New Folk’ Award at Kerrville Folk Festival, Steve Spurgin began concentrating on a solo approach to his career and became one of the most distinctive and enjoyable singer / songwriters that Texas could boast.
During his career, Steve Spurgin has seen the release of a number of highly acclaimed albums, one of which was ‘Distant Faces’ (Sierra Records / Hollywood Records, 1997), which included the following tracks:
‘Muley Was A Railroad Man’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘She Always Smelled Like Lilacs’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Moonlight Motor Inn’ (written by John Penn II)
‘Lovebird’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘The 2:10 Deadwood Train’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Coffin Eddie’ (written by John Penn II)
‘Line ‘Em In’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Sidney’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘The Irish Sea Trilogy’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘A Farmer’s Son’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Sweet Sunny South’ (Public Domain / traditional)
Gene Watson re-recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘Speak Softly (You’re Talking To My Heart)’ (co-written by Jessie D. Mendenhall) and included the track on ‘The Good Ole Days‘ (Step One Records, 1997).
On Tuesday 6 April 2004, Steve Spurgin saw the release of ‘Tumbleweed Town’ (Tricopolis Records, 2004), which included Steve’s distinctive version of ‘Carmen’ (written by Steve Spurgin).
Gene Watson recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘Carmen’ and included the track on ‘Memories to Burn‘ (Epic Records, 1985); the track reached No.32 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1986.
Steve Spurgin’s ‘Tumbleweed Town’ (Tricopolis Records, 2004) also included the following tracks:
‘Going Back to San Antone’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Tumbleweed Town’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Blue Hollow Road’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Bullet Bob’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘San Jacinto Farewell’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Grandma’s Remedy’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Mexico Love’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘It’s A Great Place To Be (If You’re Lonesome)’ (written by Dennis ‘Cannonball’ Caplinger and Steve Spurgin)
‘If L.A. Was A Lady’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Look At What You’ve Done’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘The Talking Cigarette Blues’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘They Don’t Play George Jones On MTV’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
Red Steagall recorded Steve Spurgin’s ‘Muley Was A Railroad Man’ and included the track on ‘The Wind, The Wire & The Rail’ (Wildcatter Records, 2006).
In 2011, Steve Spurgin saw the release of ‘Past Perfect’ (Blue Night Records, 2011), which included the following tracks:
‘Fire On The Kettle’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘The Walkin’ Boss’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Collar To The Wind’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘I Guess She’ll Never Know’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Sasquatch’ (written by John Malcolm Penn)
‘This Might Be The Year’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Run Away Home’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘The Lights of Reno’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Kodak 1955’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘The Last Armadillo Waltz’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
‘Song For A Winter’s Night’, which was written by Gordon Lightfoot (Thursday 17 November 1938 – Sunday 1 May 2023)
‘Gettin’ Outta Here Alive’ (written by Steve Spurgin)
Personnel involved in the recording of Steve Spurgin’s ‘Past Perfect’ (Blue Night Records, 2011) included the following:
Uwe Krüger (acoustic guitar)
Jens Krüger (banjo, guitar)
Rusty Holloway (double bass)
Steve Spurgin (guitar)
Adam Steffey (mandolin)
Rob Ickes (resonator guitar)
On Monday 9 May 2011, England’s Hux Records released Gene Watson‘s ‘Memories to Burn‘ (Epic Records, 1985), along with Gene Watson‘s ‘Starting New Memories‘ (Epic Records, 1986), in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as a special 2-for-1 CD set; the 2-for-1 CD set was released worldwide on Tuesday 17 May 2011.
In 2012, Steve Spurgin saw the release of ‘Folk Remedies’ (Blue Night Records, 2012), which included the following tracks:
‘Whiskey Town’
‘Long Gone’
‘The Wall Came Tumbling Down’
‘God Bless Those Desert Rats’
‘Visions of Plenty’
‘The Only Thing I Learned’
‘The Sound of A Distant Thunder’
‘Sunset On The Sierra’
‘If I Never See Ireland Again’
‘The Big Payoff’
‘The Children of The Sea’
‘Carolina In The Fall’
In 2015, Steve Spurgin saw the release of ‘Solo Flight’ (Blue Night Records, 2015), which included the following tracks:
‘Church Street Blues’
‘A Long Time Back’
‘Darcy Farrow’
‘Evangelina’
‘The Light’s Still On At Trixie’s’
‘Roadside Stand’
‘Let ‘Er Run’
‘The Sky & The Cross’
‘I Miss My Mary Tonight’
‘Sweet Allis Chalmers’
‘Sing Me A Song About Home’
‘Larimer Street’
‘Strange’
‘Lay This Old Guitar Down’
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