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Here's a bit of the new bio written by renowned music critic, Robert K. Oermann:
This masterful country stylist has been thrilling audiences for more than 30 years. The depth of emotion in his singing, his brilliant phrasing, his jaw-dropping range and the power in the lyrics he chooses are all factors in the awe he inspires in both fans and his musical peers. Gene Watson’s tally of 73 charted titles, 23 top-10 hits and five number-one records has led to membership in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. Radio listeners are still transfixed whenever classics like “Farewell Party,” “Fourteen Carat Mind” or “Love in the Hot Afternoon” are played.
Now, at an age when most people are contemplating retirement, Gene Watson has made the record of a lifetime. In a Perfect World is a towering reminder of what great country music is supposed to sound like. Guest artists on this new album of 8 brand new songs and 3 classic covers are Vince Gill, Joe Nichols, Mark Chesnutt, Lee Ann Womack, Rhonda Vincent and Connie Smith.
But it’s not the guests who are the power behind In a Perfect World. It is the soulful sound of Gene Watson’s voice. There is no studio trickery here. This is a man who can stand and deliver in the studio, flawlessly.
“I’m old school,” he says without apology. “With me, it’s so important to do the vocals at the same time the musicians are playing, live. I’m adamant about that. I mean, if one of those players hits a good lick, it will inspire me to sing a good lick. Sometime I think I’m out of date because I stick with that. But that’s all I have ever known as far as recording. In so many ways, I’m so elementary, so basic.”
And so inspiring. Gene Watson admired the songs of Tim Mensy so much that he included five of them on In a Perfect World and asked the songwriter for an autographed photo. Mensy’s inscription on the picture says it all:
“Gene – Thanks for teaching us how to sing.”
