Gene Watson

Gene Watson (born October 11, 1943) is an American country musician. He is most famous for his 1982 hit "Fourteen Carat Mind."

Watson was born in Palestine, Texas, in 1943, and began his music career in the early 1970s, performing in local clubs at night while working in a Houston body shop during the day. He only recorded for a few small regional record labels until 1974, when Capitol Records picked up his album Love in the Hot Afternoon and released it nationally. Watson's national success continued throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, as he recorded several Billboard top-40 hits, including "Where Love Begins," "Paper Rosie," "Farewell Party," "Should I Come (or Should I Go Crazy)," and "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You." In 1982, after switching to the MCA label, he reorded the only number-one hit of his career, "Fourteen Carat Mind." He followed up with several more hits in the early 1980's, including "Speak Softly (You're Talking to My Heart)," and "You're Out Doing What I'm Doing Here Without."

Watson never gave up his classical country style, even as he continued to redord music throughout the 1980's. He signed with Warner Bros. and released two new albums in 1989 and 1991. He recorded his last album, From the Heart, under the Row Music Group label in 2001. He is now retired from the music industry and owns his own body shop.

References

• Vinopal, David (2003). Edited by Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, & Stephen Erlewine. "Gene Watson." All Music Guide to Country, 2nd ed. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2003. ISBN 0-87930-760-9