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 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 Tom Kimmel, which he submitted to this site on Monday 7 January 2013.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Tom Kimmel who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Tom Kimmel
This quote was submitted on Monday 7 January 2013.
'I'm humbled even to be asked for a quote about Gene, but here goes.
Gene Watson is an inspiration to me and to my whole generation of Nashville based artists and writers.
He shows us all that the music never stops, and that making music is more than a job.
It's a calling, and those of us who are called know that means living it heart and soul'
Thank you, Tom Kimmel, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Tom Kimmel...
Tom Kimmel is a singer, songwriter, entertainer, poet and teacher; Tom Kimmel is all of these things and more than their sum.
Since 1980, dozens of Tom Kimmel’s compositions have been recorded by a host of major artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 - Friday 12 September 2003), Joe Cocker (Saturday 20 May 1944 - Monday 22 December 2014), Shawn Colvin and Randy Travis.
Tom Kimmel's songs have been featured in many films, from 'Twins' to 'Serendipity' and 'Runaway Bride', and in television shows from 'Captain Kangaroo' and 'Touched By An Angel' to 'Dawson’s Creek'.
An award-winning artist in his own right, Tom Kimmel has seen the release of seven solo albums, published a book of poems and led songwriting workshops and classes around the country and in Europe.
In 1987, Tom Kimmel saw the release of '5 To 1' (Mercury Records, 1987), a critically acclaimed album, which included the following tracks:
'That's Freedom' (written by Jeanne Anne Chapman and Tom Kimmel)
'Shake' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'Tryin' To Dance' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'A To Z' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'True Love' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'Heroes' (written by Jennifer Kimball and Tom Kimmel)
'On The Defensive' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'Violet Eyes' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'No Tech!' (written by Kim Kimmel and Tom Kimmel)
'5 To 1' (written by Tom Kimmel)
In December 1989, Tom Kimmel saw the release of 'Circle Back Home' ( Polydor Records / Polygram Records, 1989), another critically acclaimed album, which included the following tracks:
'Always' (written by Tom Kimmel and Doug Sisemore)
'Swept Away' (written by Rick Beresford, Kenny Greenberg and Tom Kimmel)
'A Small Song' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'Skintight' (written by Tom Kimmel and Eddie Schwartz)
'Bon Vivant' (written by Jennifer Kimball and Tom Kimmel)
'Face To Face' (written by Tom Kimmel and Doug Sisemore)
'Grace Under Pressure' (written by John Jorgenson and Tom Kimmel)
'On The Front Line' (written by Jennifer Kimball and Tom Kimmel)
'Love Is My Religion' (written by Bob DiPiero, Tom Kimmel and Billy Steinberg)
'Circle Back Home' (written by Jennifer Kimball, Tom Kimmel and Kelly Looney)
Stray Cats recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Elvis On Velvet' (co-written with Monty Byrom) and included the track on 'Choo Choo Hot Fish' (Pyramid Records, 1992).
Once an eclectic rock and roller, Tom Kimmel found his voice as a singer-songwriter while touring with Nanci Caroline Griffith (Monday 6 July 1953 - Friday 13 August 2021) in the early 1990s. A 'New Folk' winner at The Kerrville Folk Festival in 1993, Tom Kimmel began performing solo, stressing a lean, acoustic-centered approach to his music and bringing a poignant and humorous spirit to his poetry and storytelling.
It was while performing at The Kerrville Folk Festival in 1993 that Tom Kimmel met Tom Prasada-Rao and Michael Lille, when all three were winners of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition.
Since that time, Tom Kimmel, Tom Prasada-Rao and Michael Lillethey toured together as The Sherpas.
In 1994, Tom Kimmel saw the release of his first independent album, 'Bones' (Point Clear Records, 1994), which was recorded 'live' at South By South West in Austin, Texas and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, and included the following tracks:
'A Small Song'
'Bigger Than Both of Us'
'Hearts Are Bound To Be Broken'
'Fatherless Son'
'The Blue Train'
'The Bridge'
'Next of Kin'
'History'
'What You Stole From Me'
'More Like The Devil Than Dana Cooper'
'Poetic Justice'
'Shallow Water'
In 1999, Tom Kimmel saw the release of 'Short Stories' (Point Clear Records, 1999), which featured guest performances by Emmylou Harris, The Fairfield Four, Jerry Douglas and other Nashville luminaries; the album included the following tracks:
'Nobody's Business'
'Walk The Walk'
'Angels'
'If I Fell From Grace With You'
'Long, Long Way From Here'
'Tip of My Tongue'
'Can't Get You Out of My System'
'The Crying Ground'
'Bigger Than Both of Us'
'Poetic Justice'
'On To Something'
'Blue Highway'
'Trip On Love'
'That's What I Love About The Rain'
On Friday 11 October 2002, Tom Kimmel saw the release of 'Shallow Water' (Point Clear Records, 2002), a collection of spirit-infused songs and hymns, including the following:
'Softly & Tenderly'
'Standing Still'
'You Did That For Me'
'Abide With Me'
'I Can't Stand Up Alone'
'The Lord's Prayer / Collect For Purity'
'See Myself In You'
'It Is Well With My Soul'
'Amazing Grace'
'One Heart'
'Shallow Water'
'Softly & Tenderly' (reprise)
'Just As I Am / Why Me Lord' (instrumental medley)
In 2003, The Sherpas (Tom Kimmel, Tom Prasada-Rao & Michael Lille) saw the release of 'Honor Among Thieves' (Point Clear Records, 2003), which included the following tracks:
'Honor Among Thieves'
'Time To Be Somebody'
'See Myself In You'
'Jesus, Chicks & Politics'
'Gitanjali'
'Doin' It For You'
'Ships'
'On To Something'
'Can't Get You Out of My System'
'Lefty's Boys'
'Angels'
'Yes'
'One Heart'
On Thursday 18 December 2003, Tom Kimmel saw the release of 'Light of Day' (Point Clear Records, 2003), which was comprised of spare voice-and-guitar tracks recorded in Tom Kimmel's home studio, included the following:
'Can't Go Home Again (Border Wars)'
'Don't Go'
'Hard To Walk Out On A Deal'
'Forever Man'
'(I Love) Falling In Love'
'I Can Still Stand On My Own'
'No Count Man'
'Like I Never Loved Before'
'Pages'
'Quittin' Time'
'Trip On Love'
'Why Pretend'
'My Mother Would Like You'
'The Best Part of This World'
While he loves touring as a one man show, Tom Kimmel also enjoys expanding his musical horizons by writing and performing with three unique trios: The Sherpas (with Tom Prasada-Rao and Michael Lille), The Waymores (with Don Henry and Sally Barris), and The New Agrarians (with Kate Campbell and Pierce Pettis).
A self described 'closet poet' until the publication of 'The Sweetest & The Meanest' in 2006, Tom Kimmel has been a featured writer at book festivals and writing retreats, and his poems have been published in a number of poetry and literary journals.
In the autumn / fall of 2008, Tom Kimmel saw the release of 'Never Saw Blue' (Point Clear Records, 2008), an anthology of Tom Kimmel songs, which were featured in film and television; the album included the following tracks:
'One World' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'Shallow Water' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'When You Know' (written by Jeff Franzel and Tom Kimmel)
'Brother To Brother' (written by Tom Kimmel and Liz Vidal)
'Never Saw Blue Like That' (written by Tom Kimmel and Mark Luna)
'Can't Slow Down' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'Hardline' (written by Tom Kimmel and Dennis Morgan)
'Trip On Love' (written by Tom Kimmel and Liz Vidal)
'See Myself In You' (written by Tom Kimmel and Tom Prasada-Rao)
'Angels' (written by Tom Kimmel)
'The One' (written by Jay Joyce and Tom Kimmel)
'Fairytale Love' (written by Jeff Franzel and Tom Kimmel)
'It's All Right Now' (written by Jeff Franzel and Tom Kimmel)
'Silver Lining' (written by Jeff Franzel and Tom Kimmel)
'What Can We Do When We're Too Young To Go To School?' (written by Tom Kimmel)
In demand as a songwriting teacher and lecturer, Tom Kimmel offers one-on-one and workshop instruction tying the creative spirit to the nuts and bolts of composition. It was also in 2008 when Tom Kimmel was honoured to serve as Artist in Residence for a unique collaborative program between Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, Divinity School and Center for Learning.
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1980
Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman, featuriing Gene Clark (Friday 17 November 1944 - Friday 24 May 1991), recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Givin’ Herself Away' (co-written with Lynn Tabola) and included the track on 'City' (Capitol Records, 1980).
Levon Helm (Sunday 26 May 1940 - Thursday 19 April 2012) recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Violet Eyes' and included the track on 'American Son' (MCA Records, 1980).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1982
Gail Davies recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Givin’ Herself Away' (co-written with Lynn Tabola) and included the track on 'Givin' Herself Away' (Warner Bros. Records, 1982).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1985
Lacy J. Dalton recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Perfectly Crazy' and included the track on 'Can’t Run Away From Your Heart' (Columbia Records, 1985).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1986
Joe Cocker (Saturday 20 May 1944 - Monday 22 December 2014) recorded Tom Kimmel's 'A To Z' and included the track on 'Cocker' (Capitol Records / EMI Records, 1986).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1987
Joe Cocker (Saturday 20 May 1944 - Monday 22 December 2014) recorded Tom Kimmel's 'The One' (co-written with Jay Joyce) and included the track on 'Unchain My Heart' (Capitol Records, 1987).
The Oak Ridge Boys recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Rainbow At Midnight' (co-written with Danny Tate) and included the track on 'Where The Fast Lane Ends' (MCA Records, 1987); the track was a duet with Patti LaBelle.
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1990
John Farnham recorded Tom Kimmel's 'That’s Freedom' (co-written with Jean Anne Chapman) and included the track on 'Chain Reaction' (Sony BMG / RCA Records / Wheatley Records, 1990); the track reached No.5 on Australia's Official Music Chart (ARIA) in September 1990.
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1992
Maura O’Connell recorded Tom Kimmel's 'The Blue Train' (co-written with Jennifer Kimball) and included the track on 'Blue Is The Colour of Hope' (Warner Bros. Records, 1992).
Stray Cats recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Elvis On Velvet' (co-written with Monty Byrom and David Newhauser) and included the track on 'Choo Choo Hot Fish' (JRS Records, 1992).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1994
Linda Ronstadt recorded Tom Kimmel's 'The Blue Train' (co-written with Jennifer Kimball) and included the track on 'Feels Like Home' (Elektra Records, 1994).
Susan Ashton, Margaret Becker & Christine Dente recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Angels' (co-written with Jennifer Kimball) and included the track on 'Along The Road' (Sparrow Records, 1994).
Patricia Conroy recorded Tom Kimmel's 'The Bridge' (co-written with Jim Pitman) and included the track on 'You Can’t Resist' (Warner Music Canada, 1994).
Patricia Conroy recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Diamonds' (co-written with Karen Besbeck) and included the track on 'You Can’t Resist' (Warner Music Canada, 1994).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1995
Maura O'Connell recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Poetic Justice' (co-written with Buddy Mondlock) and included the track on 'Stories' (Hannibal Records, 1995).
The Kennedys recorded Tom Kimmel's 'House On Fire' (co-written with Stan Lynch) and included the track on 'River of Fallen Stars' (Green Linnet Records, 1995).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1996
Tracy Byrd recorded Tom Kimmel's 'I Love You, That’s All' (co-written with Chris Crawford) and included the track on 'Big Love' (MCA Records, 1996).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1997
Kathy Mattea recorded Tom Kimmel's 'The Bridge' (co-written with Jim Pittman) and included the track on 'Love Travels' (Mercury Records / Polygram Records, 1997).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 1999
Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton recorded Tom Kimmel's 'The Blue Train' (co-written with Jennifer Kimball) and included the track on 'Trio II' (Asylum Records, 1999).
Lisa Aschmann recorded Tom Kimmel's 'If I Fell From Grace With You' (co-written with Lisa Aschmann) and included the track on 'The Feast' (Lisa Aschmann Music, 1999).
Shawn Colvin recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Never Saw Blue Like That Before' (co-written with Jeff Franzel and Mark Luna) and included the track on 'Runaway Bride: Music from The Motion Picture' (Sony Music, 1999); the track was also included on 'Songs from Dawson’s Creek, Vol. 2' (Sony Music, 2000).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 2000
Randy Travis recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Shallow Water' and included the track on 'Inspirational Journey' (Word Records / Warner Bros. Records / Curb Records, 2000).
Randy Travis recorded Tom Kimmel's 'See Myself In You' (co-written with Tom Prasada-Rao) and included the track on 'Inspirational Journey' (Word Records / Warner Bros. Records / Curb Records, 2000).
Michael Johnson (Tuesday 8 August 1944 - Tuesday 25 July 2017) recorded Tom Kimmel's 'If I Fell From Grace With You' (co-written with Lisa Aschmann) and included the track on 'Michael Johnson: Live At The Bluebird Cafe' (American Originals Records, 2000).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 2002
Chuck Pyle (Sunday 28 January 1945 - Friday 6 November 2015) recorded Tom Kimmel's 'The Blue Train' (co-written with Jennifer Kimball) and included the track on 'Affected By The Moon' (South West Label Group, 2002).
Chuck Pyle (Sunday 28 January 1945 - Friday 6 November 2015) recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Why Pretend' (co-written with Jeff Franzel) and included the track on 'Affected By The Moon' (South West Label Group, 2002).
Art Garfunkel, with Maia Sharp and Buddy Mondlock, recorded Tom Kimmel's 'That’s What I Love About Rain' (co-written with Lisa Aschmann) and included the track on 'Everything Waits to Be Noticed' (Blue Note Records, 2002).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 2003
Andrea Zonn recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Pages' (co-written with Jenny Yates) and included the track on 'Love Goes On' (Compass Records, 2003).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 2004
Jenny Yates recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Pages' (co-written with Jenny Yates) and included the track on 'Out of The Blue' (In My Dreams, 2004).
Jenny Yates recorded Tom Kimmel's 'They Called Her America' (co-written with Jenny Yates) and included the track on 'Out of The Blue' (In My Dreams, 2004).
Tom Kimmel Songs: 2005
Nanci Caroline Griffith (Monday 6 July 1953 - Friday 13 August 2021) recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Angels' (co-written with Jennifer Kimball) and included the track on 'Hearts In Mind' (New Door Records, 2004 / Universal Records, 2005).
Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Planet Or A Star' (co-written with Lisa Aschmann) and included the track on 'That's What Love Can Do' (Belt Buckle Records, 2005).
Bering Strait recorded Tom Kimmel's 'Pages' (co-written with Jenny Yates) and included the track on 'Pages' (Universal South Records, 2005).
• Visit Tom Kimmel's official site at tomkimmel.com
