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 John Wiggins, which he submitted to this site on Monday 22 July 2013.

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





John Wiggins
This quote was submitted on Monday 22 July 2013.

'My Dad was a huge country music fan.

If there was a show within a one-hundred mile radius of Asheville, NC he took our whole family to it.

That's how I was turned on to Gene Watson.



In the mid-1970s, Gene played a package show at Asheville Civic Centre and the moment I heard him sing 'Paper Rosie', which was written by Dallas Harms (Thursday 18 July 1935 - Saturday 12 October 2019), I was an instant fan.



Then he goes into 'Love in The Hot Afternoon' and completely floors me!

That was about thirty-seven years ago and I'm still a diehard Gene Watson fan!'

Thank you, John Wiggins, for your support of Gene Watson.



About John Wiggins...



John Wiggins was born John Wayne Wiggins on Saturday 13 October 1962 in Nashville, while his sister, Audrey, was born on Tuesday 26 December 1967 in Asheville, North Carolina.

John and Audrey Wiggins were singers since childhood, and their father, Johnny Wiggins, was the 'Singing Bus Driver' on the 1960s tours of Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 - Thursday 6 September 1984).

John Wiggins made his singing debut when he was four years old and, for the next several years, both he and Audrey performed in their father's band.



In the 1980s, John and Audrey Wiggins, along with Clinton Gregory, joined the house band at a North Carolina venue called The Stompin' Ground.



In 1994, John & Audrey Wiggins signed to PolyGram / Mercury Records, shortly before their father died.



Working with producers Jim Cotton and Joe Scaife, John & Audrey Wiggins saw the release, on Tuesday 21 June 1994, of their self-titled debut album, 'John & Audrey Wiggins' (Polygram Records / Mercury Records, 1994), which included four tracks, which were released as singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:

'Falling Out of Love' (written by John Wiggins) (No.47, 1994)

'Has Anybody Seen Amy' (written by Don Henry and Jon Vezner) (No.22, 1994)

'She's In The Bedroom Crying' (written by Chuck Cannon and Jimmy Alan Stewart) (No.58, 1994)

'Memory Making Night' (written by John Wiggins) / this track was released as a single in 1994, but it did not chart

John & Audrey Wiggins' self-titled debut album, 'John & Audrey Wiggins' (Polygram Records / Mercury Records, 1994), also included the following tracks:

'Their Hearts Are Dancing' (written by Tony Haselden)
'If She' (written by Don VonTress)
'If You Had A Heart' (written by John Wiggins and Bobby Carmichael)
'New Mexico' (written by John Wiggins, Michael Garvin and Anthony L. Smith)
'String of Bad Love' (written by Stan Munsey and Jim Sandefur)
'Could You Walk A Mile' (written by J.B. Rudd and Jimmy Alan Stewart)

Personnel involved in the recording of John & Audrey Wiggins' self-titled debut album, 'John & Audrey Wiggins' (Polygram Records / Mercury Records, 1994) included the following:

Eddie Bayers and Lonnie Wilson (drums)
David Briggs and Matt Rollings (piano)
Clyde Carr and Joe Scaife (background vocals)
Costo Davis, Mike Lawler and Randy McCormick (keyboards)
Dan Dugmore and Paul Franklin (steel guitar, Dobro)
Sonny Garrish (steel guitar)
Rob Hajacos (fiddle)
Tony Haselden, Keith Hinton, Reggie Young (Saturday 12 December 1936 - Thursday 17 January 2019) and John Willis (electric guitar)
Gary Lunn (bass guitar)
Billy Joe Walker Jr. (Friday 29 February 1952 - Tuesday 25 July 2017), Biff Watson, Don Potter and Brent Rowan (acoustic guitar)

In 1995, 1996 and 1997, John & Audrey Wiggins received Country Music Association (CMA) nominations for 'Duo of The Year'.



On Tuesday 22 April 1997, John & Audrey Wiggins saw the release of their second album, 'The Dream' (Mercury Records, 1997), which was produced by Dann Huff, and included one track, which was a hit single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart:

'Somewhere In Love' (written by Kerry Kurt Phillips and Chuck Leonard) (No.49, 1997)

John & Audrey Wiggins' second album, 'The Dream' (Mercury Records, 1997), also included the following tracks:

'Once You've Loved Somebody' (written by Thom McHugh and Bruce Miller)
'I Can Sleep When I'm Dead' (written by Leslie Satcher and Max T. Barnes)
'Little Bitty Pieces' (written by John Wiggins)
'Crazy Love', which was written by Norman Russell 'Rusty' Young (Saturday 23 February 1946 - Wednesday 14 April 2021)
'Were You Ever Really Mine' (written by Tim Menzies and Gary Harrison)
'Be Still My Heart' (written by Gordon Kennedy and Randy Thomas)
'Party Down' (written by Michael Garvin, Anthony L. Smith and P.R. Battle)
'Going With My Heart' (written by John Wiggins)
'If A Train Left For Memphis', which was written by George Teren, Don Pfrimmer (Thursday 9 September 1937 - Monday 7 December 2015) and Tim Buppert
'The Dream', which was written by Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011) and Clive Williams / this track featured Johnny Wiggins performing 'Honeymoon With The Blues' in 1962, complete with a spoken introduction by Ernest Tubb (Monday 9 February 1914 - Thursday 6 September 1984)

Personnel involved in the recording of John & Audrey Wiggins' second album, 'The Dream' (Mercury Records, 1997), included the following:

Bruce C. Bouton and Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
Mike Brignardello (bass guitar)
Joe Chemay (bass guitar, background vocals)
Stuart Duncan and Larry Franklin (fiddle)
John A. Hobbs (Saturday 11 February 1928 - Wednesday 12 June 2019) (piano, keyboards)
Dann Huff (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, gut string guitar, bouzouki)
Kim Keyes (background vocals)
Paul Leim (drums, percussion)
Terry McMillan (Monday 12 October 1953 - Friday 2 February 2007) (percussion)
Steve Nathan (keyboards)
Michael Omartian (piano, accordion)
Don Potter, Billy Joe Walker Jr. (Friday 29 February 1952 - Tuesday 25 July 2017) and Biff Watson (acoustic guitar)
Matt Rollings (piano)
Joe Spivey (fiddle, mandolin)
Lonnie Wilson (drums)
Curtis Wright (background vocals)



Following the release of John & Audrey Wiggins' 'John & Audrey Wiggins' (Polygram Records / Mercury Records, 1994) and 'The Dream' (Mercury Records, 1997), John Wiggins found work as an acclaimed songwriter in Nashville.



David Ball recorded John Wiggins' 'Nobody Told Me' (co-written with Gary Cotton) and included the track on 'Freewheeler' (Wildcatter Records, 2004).



Joe Nichols recorded John Wiggins 'Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off' (co-written with Gary Hannan) and included the track on 'Joe Nichols: III' (Universal South Records, 2005); the track was No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in 2005.



Nancy Hays recorded John Wiggins' 'Spread A Little Love Around', which was co-written with Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011), and included the track on 'Get In Line' (BBRD Records, 2005).



Joe Nichols recorded John Wiggins 'Who Are You When I'm Not Looking' (co-written with Earl Bud Lee) and included the track on 'Real Things' (Universal South Records, 2007).



Randy Houser recorded John Wiggins' 'Anything Goes' (co-written with Brice Long) and included the track on 'Anything Goes' (Universal South Records, 2008); the track reached No.16 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2008.



Gene Watson recorded John Wiggins' 'Still They Call Me Love', which was co-written with Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011), and included the track on 'A Taste of The Truth' (Shanachie Records, 2009).



Blake Shelton recorded John Wiggins' 'Who Are You When I'm Not Looking' (co-written with Earl Bud Lee) and included the track on the Extended Play (EP) disc, 'All About Tonight' (Reprise Nashville Records, 2010); the track was No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart for one week in March 2010.



Ken Mellons recorded John Wiggins' 'Still They Call Me Love', which was co-written with Harley Allen (Monday 23 January 1956 - Wednesday 30 March 2011), and included the track on 'Rural Route' (Ken Mellons Self Release, 2010).





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