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| Celebrating the birthday of country great Billy Joe Shaver with the announcement of a new tribute album and some clips. |
Live Forever: A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver
The Texas singer-songwriter who died on October 28th, 2020 was an integral member of the Outlaw Country movement. A favorite among music legends, Johnny Cash once called Shaver “my favorite songwriter,” while Willie Nelson declared, “Billy Joe is definitely the best writer in Texas.” Upon the announcement of Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver, Nelson said, “He was just real; there wasn’t one phony drop of blood in him.” AllMusic called Shaver’s songs “among the greatest in the whole history of the (country) genre” while the Washington Post said, “When the country outlaws were collecting their holy writings, Billy Joe Shaver was carving out Exodus.”
Co-producer Freddy Fletcher wrote of Shaver in the liner notes, “His influence on the greatest of artists is what inspired this project. The album is a testament to his words and their deep impact on wonderful songwriters and performers. He’s a hero to so many, and we are honored to pay homage to his legacy.”
On the topic of songwriting, Billy Joe Shaver once said “when you write songs, and you write good songs, people will always remember you. Words will always outlive us. And if your name is attached to those words, you’re gonna live forever.”
Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver will be available across digital retailers, on compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited to 500 “Old Chunk of Coal” colour vinyl edition will be available via Vinyl, Me Please, a limited to 300 Purple, Blue & Green marble vinyl edition will be available via the Magnolia Record Club, and a limited to 300 Gold & Green colour vinyl edition will be available via Heady Wax Fiends. A limited to 500 “Denim” vinyl edition is now available for pre-order via NEW WEST RECORDS right here: http://newwst.com/liveforever.
Watch a couple of Billy Joe Shaver clips following the Live Forever track listing below.
About Billy Joe Shaver...
In 1965, Billy Joe Shaver hitchhiked to Nashville and convinced the country singer Bobby Bare to listen to his songs. Bare quickly signed Shaver to a $50 a week job as a songwriter and recorded his song “Ride Me Down Easy.” Kris Kristofferson’s rendition of “Good Christian Soldier” and Tom T. Hall’s recording of “Willie the Wandering Gypsy and Me” soon followed. Shaver’s breakout moment came in 1973 when Waylon Jennings’ landmark album Honky Tonk Heroes was released. Hailed as the first “Outlaw Country” record, ten of its eleven songs were written or co-written by Shaver. One of which, “You Asked Me To,” was a top 10 hit for Jennings and was later recorded by Elvis Presley. Shaver’s legendary debut album, Old Five and Dimers Like Me, was produced by Kristofferson and issued in 1973 as well. He went on to release more than 20 albums, including the Grammy-nominated Everybody’s Brother in 2007. His final album, 2014’s acclaimed Long in the Tooth was his first to chart in Billboard’s Top Country Albums. Shaver's songs have been recorded and performed by Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, The Allman Brothers, and countless other legendary artists and his signature song, “Live Forever,” was performed by Robert Duvall in the 2009 film Crazy Heart. He was honored with the first ever Americana Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting in 2002, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Billy Joe Shaver died on October 28th, 2020.
Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver
1. Willie Nelson (w/ Lucinda Williams) - Live Forever
2. Ryan Bingham (w/ Nikki Lane) - Ride Me Down Easy
3. Rodney Crowell - Old Five And Dimers Like Me
4. Miranda Lambert - I’m Just An Old Chunk Of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be A Diamond Someday)
5. Edie Brickell - I Couldn’t Be Me Without You
6. Nathaniel Rateliff - You Asked Me To
7. George Strait - Willy The Wandering Gypsy And Me
8. Amanda Shires - Honky Tonk Heroes
9. Steve Earle - Ain’t No God In Mexico
10. Margo Price - Ragged Old Truck
11. Willie Nelson - Georgia On A Fast Train
12. Allison Russell - Tramp On Your Street
LINKS
Variety Billy Joe Shaver to be saluted by Willie Nelson and country all-stars with tribute album worthy of an outlaw
NOW Magazine Recharged Shaver by Tim Perlich (July 19, 2007)
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