had 60 of my songs recorded by other people. So, I was doing pretty good as a songwriter. I’d had three #1 country records by other artists. I started recording, but I stayed in the music publishing business, still am, because that was how I made my living…plugging songs. In January 1969, the record I had recorded for Capitol went into the top 10. It was called Party Dolls and Wine. I’ve had 26 records in a row in the national charts, and I’ve had them all over the world…met people in all walks of life. I like to say that I’ve lived six lifetimes, and I believe it--because I’ve done EVERYTHING that I wanted to do. The thing that has been important to me in later years is how did I use that agricultural degree in what I’m doing now? The answer is, I write about those people. I write about the farmers and ranchers; I write about people who love the image of the West, the values, tradition and heritage that evolves from that; and I find that even today, in my television show, my radio show, and my concerts, the people that really like what I do are still of an agricultural background. I didn’t forsake that degree. It all ties together.
Not counting all the songs you’ve written for others, what has been the biggest hit you recorded? Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music, and the one next to that was a western swing version of Somewhere My Love in 1973. Let’s shift just a little bit. In addition to your own celebrity, there are others you have had a hand in helping. One was a little redhead singing the national anthem at a rodeo? Reba (McEntire) is probably the only person I have really had any influence in their career. Reba just blew me away when I heard her sing that night at the National Finals in December 1974. Her mother brought her up to the Justin® room where we were picking and singing, and she sat down beside me and started singing harmony. She blew me away because she had perfect tone and total control. I said, “Why don’t you come to Nashville, and we’ll cut a demo and see what we can get done?” We pitched that demo all over Nashville for months, and nobody wanted another girl singer. At the time, girls didn’t sell records,
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and they didn’t sell tickets. If a girl was really going to sell and reach another level, they had to be coupled with a guy. That’s the reason you had so many acts like Johnny and June, George and Tammy, and Conway and Loretta. Reba changed all that. A guy who was working for me in the publishing company had taken the demo over to Mercury for Glenn Keener to listen to the songs. Glenn wasn’t interested in the songs, but he heard something in Reba’s voice he didn’t often hear that made him want to sign her. We finally got her a contract with Mercury in October. Reba did things for girl singers that nobody had ever done before. She made the difference for the next girl singer coming down the line, including Dolly. Her shows were different; they weren’t just standing there singing in front of a microphone. The other thing she did was television. In my day, the only way you knew what a singer looked like was to buy a ticket and go to a concert. You could see Reba on television, and there was a way for the public to fall in love with her. I am really proud of her for doing that. What’s a typical day like for you?
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