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 Bruce Burch, which he submitted to this site on Thursday 30 November 2006.

Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Bruce Burch who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.





Bruce Burch
This quote was submitted on Thursday 30 November 2006.

'To have one of my songs, 'I Catch Myself' (1991 and 2005), recorded by Gene Watson was truly a highlight in my song-writing career.

 

Gene's voice has always been one of those voices that when you heard it you knew it...like an old friend you have always known...and will never forget'

Thank you, Bruce Burch, for your support of Gene Watson.



About Bruce Burch...



Bruce Burch was a native of Gainesville, Georgia where he was born Walter Bruce Burch on Friday 30 January 1953.

Growing up in Gainesville, Georgia Bruce Burch fell in love with country music the moment he heard Kris Kristofferson's 'For The Good Times' in 1972.



After listening to Kris Kristofferson's self-titled album, 'Kristofferson' (Monument Records, 1970), Bruce Burch grabbed a guitar and began learning the songs from the album, and within a couple of months began writing his first song.

Bruce Burch didn't know it at the time, but that moment would be the beginning of a songwriting career in Nashville which would change his life.

In 1975, Bruce Burch graduated from The University of Georgia.

In 1977, Bruce Burch moved to Nashville.

Bruce Burch's first song, 'It's All These Onions (That Are Making Me Cry)', was recorded by Slim Pickens (Sunday 29 June 1919 - Thursday 8 December 1983), but it was never released.



Bruce Burch's first recorded song, which was released in September 1982, was recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys, who included it on 'Christmas' (MCA Records, 1982).



Pake McEntire recorded Bruce Burch's 'I'm Having Fun' (co-written with T. Graham Brown and Verlon Thompson) and included the track on 'Too Old To Grow Up Now' (RCA Victor Records, 1986).



Dave & Sugar recorded Bruce Burch's 'Two Broken Hearts (That Fit Together Perfectly)' (co-written with Vern Dant) and included the track on 'Dave & Sugar' (Dot Records / MCA Records, 1986).



Dave & Sugar recorded Bruce Burch's 'Don't Walk Away', which was co-written with Nelson Larkin (1943 - Monday 18 November 2013) and K. Bell, and included the track on 'Dave & Sugar' (Dot Records / MCA Records, 1986).



Jeff Stevens & The Bullets recorded Bruce Burch's 'Bolt Out of The Blue', which was co-written with Nelson Larkin (1943 - Monday 18 November 2013) and T. Graham Brown, and included the track on 'Bolt of The Blue' (Atlantic America Records, 1986).



Jeff Stevens & The Bullets recorded Bruce Burch's 'Tamed By Love', which was co-written with John Jarrard (Thursday 7 May 1953 - Thursday 1 February 2001) and J. Porter McMeans, and included the track on 'Bolt of The Blue' (Atlantic America Records, 1986).



In 1987, Lane Caudell saw the release of 'Souvenirs' (written by Lane Caudell and Bruce Burch), a non-album track, which was released on 16th Avenue Records.

In 1988, Bruce Burch got his first big break co-writing a couple of Billboard Top 10 country music hit singles, 'Out of Sight & On My Mind' (co-written with Rick Peoples), which was recorded by Billy Joe Royal (Friday 3 April 1942 - Tuesday 6 October 2015) (No.10, 1988), and 'The Last Resort' (co-written with T. Graham Brown and Bruce C. Bouton), which was recorded by T. Graham Brown (No.4, 1988).



Billy Joe Royal (Friday 3 April 1942 - Tuesday 6 October 2015) recorded Bruce Burch's 'Out of Sight & On My Mind' (co-written with Rick Peoples) and included the track on 'The Royal Treatment' (Atlantic America Records, 1987); the track reached No.10 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1988.



T. Graham Brown recorded Bruce Burch's 'The Last Resort' (co-written with T. Graham Brown and Bruce C. Bouton) and included the track on 'Brilliant Conversationalist' (Capitol Records, 1987); the track reached No.4 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1988.



Barbara Mandrell recorded Bruce Burch's 'My Train of Thought' (co-written with Michael Woody) and included the track on 'I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight' (Capitol Records, 1988); the track reached No.19 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1989.



Dan Seals (Sunday 8 February 1948 - Wednesday 25 March 2009) recorded Bruce Burch's 'Water Under The Bridge' (co-written with J.Porter McMeans) and included the track on 'Love On Arrival' (Capitol Records, 1989).



Mark Collie recorded Bruce Burch's 'The Good News & The Bad News' (co-written with Mark Collie) and included the track on 'Hardin County Line' (MCA Records, 1990).



Mark Collie recorded Bruce Burch's 'What I Wouldn't Give' (co-written with Mark Collie and Vip Vipperman) and included the track on 'Hardin County Line' (MCA Records, 1990).



Reba McEntire recorded Bruce Burch's 'Rumor Has It' (co-written with Vern Dant and Larry Shell) and included the track on 'Rumor Has It' (MCA Records, 1990); the track reached No.3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in February 1991.

Bruce Burch landed a job writing songs at Famous Music in Nashville, which was owned by Paramount, and then opened his own publishing company in 1991 - Bruce Burch Publishing.



Gene Watson recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Catch Myself' and included the track on 'At Last' (Warner Bros. Records, 1991).



Collin Raye recorded Bruce Burch's 'Sadly Ever After' (co-written with Mark Collie) and included the track on 'All I Can Be' (Epic Records, 1991).



Reba McEntire recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Wouldn't Go That Far' (co-written with Dana McVicker and Vip Vipperman) and included the track on 'For My Broken Heart' (MCA Records, 1991).

George Fox recorded Bruce Burch's 'Wastin' Time' (co-written with Bill Caswell) and included the track on 'Spice of Life' (Warner Music Canada, 1991).



Doug Stone recorded Bruce Burch's 'The Warmest Winter' and included the track on 'The First Christmas' (Epic Records, 1992).



Wayne Newton recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Know So' (co-written with Steve Dean) and included the track on 'Moods & Memories' (Curb Records, 1992).



Wayne Newton recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Was Losing You' and included the track on 'Moods & Memories' (Curb Records, 1992).



Wayne Newton recorded Bruce Burch's 'Old Loves Never Die' and included the track on 'Moods & Memories' (Curb Records, 1992).



Wayne Newton recorded Bruce Burch's 'The Music That We Made' (co-written with Lewis Anderson) and included the track on 'Moods & Memories' (Curb Records, 1992).



Wayne Newton recorded Bruce Burch's 'Play It Again, Sam' (co-written with Vip Vipperman and Freddy Weller) and included the track on 'Moods & Memories' (Curb Records, 1992).

Reba McEntire recorded Bruce Burch's 'It's Your Call' (co-written with Liz Hengber and Shawna Harrington-Burkhart) and included the track on 'It's Your Call' (MCA Records, 1992); the track reached No.5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in July 1993.



Cleve Francis recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Was Losing You' and included the track on 'Walkin' (Liberty Records, 1993).



Aaron Tippin recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Promised You The World' (co-written with Aaron Tippin and Vern Dant) and included the track on 'Call of The Wild' (RCA Records, 1993).



Faith Hill recorded Bruce Burch's 'I've Got This Friend' (co-written with Vern Dant and Faith Hill) and included the track on 'Take Me As I Am' (Warner Bros. Records, 1993); this track featured guest vocals from Larry Stewart.



John Anderson recorded Bruce Burch's 'You Can't Keep A Good Memory Down' (co-written with Michael Murrah and Roger Murrah) and included the track on 'You Can't Keep A Good Memory Down' (MCA Records, 1994).



Aaron Tippin recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Got It Honest' (co-written with Aaron Tippin and Marcus Franklin Johnson) and included the track on 'Lookin' Back At Myself' (RCA Records, 1994).



Rhett Akins recorded Bruce Burch's 'Carolina Line' (co-written with Rhett Akins and Vern Dant) and included the track on 'Somebody New' (Decca Nashville Records, 1996).

In 1996, Bruce Burch started work at EMI Publishing as Creative Director.  Bruce Burch was able to work with the classic song catalogues of a number of songwriters, including Kris Kristofferson, Tony Joe White (Friday 23 July 1943 - Wednesday 24 October 2018), Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton, Mac Davis (Wednesday 21 January 1942 - Tuesday 29 September 2020), and many others.

Bruce Burch has enjoyed much success as a Georgia songwriter, but it's taken many years to achieve it and it's taken long hours and hard work to sustain before getting his big break.  Bruce Burch worked in the creative end of the business as a songwriter, the business end as a publisher and creative director.



Aaron Tippin recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Got It Honest' (co-written with Aaron Tippin and Marcus Franklin Johnson) and included the track on 'Greatest Hits...& Then Some' (RCA Records, 1997).



Billy Dean recorded Bruce Burch's 'Big Sister' (co-written with Billy Dean) and included the track on 'Real Man' (Capitol Records, 1998).



George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 - Friday 26 April 2013) recorded Bruce Burch's 'This Wanting You' (co-written with T. Graham Brown and Bruce C. Bouton) and included the track on 'Cold Hard Truth' (Asylum Records, 1999).



Ricky Van Shelton recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Was Losing You' and included the track on 'Fried Green Tomatoes' (Audium Records, 2000).



Kelly Lang recorded Bruce Burch's 'Single Mother' (co-written with Kelly Lang) and included the track on 'It's About Time' (Destiny Row Records, 2004).

In 2005, Bruce Burch had an opportunity to co-create and direct the University of Georgia Music Business Program.  Bruce Burch's mission was to provide leaders for the 'new' entertainment industry.

Bruce Burch served as National Trustee for Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy for almost two years, served on the executive board for The John Jarrard (Thursday 7 May 1953 - Thursday 1 February 2001) Foundation, and was a board member of the Music and Entertainment Industry Education Association.



Gene Watson re-recorded Bruce Burch's 'I Catch Myself' and included the track on 'Gene Watson: Then & Now' (Koch Records Nashville, 2005).

In August 2010, Bruce Burch became the director for the Joel A. Katz Music & Entertainment Business Program at Kennesaw State University; Bruce also became Executive in Residence at Brenau University.

Bruce Burch has done an outstanding job through the contributions he has made and continues to make for Georgia music.  Bruce Burch's contributions will be felt by many future generations.



Gene Watson & Rhonda Vincent recorded Bruce Burch's 'This Wanting You' (co-written with T. Graham Brown and Bruce C. Bouton) and included the track on 'Your Money & My Good Looks' (Upper Management Music, 2011).



Loretta Lynn (Thursday 14 April 1932 - Tuesday 4 October 2022) recorded Bruce Burch's 'Wine Into Water' (co-written with T. Graham Brown and Ted Hewitt) and included the track on 'Full Circle' (Legacy Recordings, 2016).

As well as being a legendary songwriter within the country music genre, Bruce Burch was also Creative Director at EMI Music Publishing for seven years and was Vice President of the publishing division at Sho-Bud Music Inc.

Bruce Burch was Administrative Director of the UGA Music Business Certificate program at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.

Bruce Burch passed away at 4:00am on the morning of Saturday 12 March 2022.

Bruce Burch
(Friday 30 January 1953 - Saturday 12 March 2022)

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