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Concert scheduled for April 20

Known to some as “The Singer’s Singer,” longtime country singer Gene Watson will be bringing his hits like “Fourteen Caret Mind,” “Love in the Hot Afternoon,” and “Farewell Party” to the Manchester Coffee County Conference Center Saturday, April 20.

A Texas native, Watson released his self-titled debut album in 1969. To date, he’s released 34 studio albums, charted more than 70 songs and enjoyed 23 Top 10 hits and 11 Number 1 country and gospel hits. A member of The Grand Ole’ Opry since 2020, he was also inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of fame in 2002 and the Houston Music Hall of fame in 2013.

Now, 80-years-old, Watson still enjoys performing for his fans around the country.

“I have been extremely fortunate and blessed by the good Lord above to retain my voice and I am still doing all these songs in the same key that I recorded them in,” he said.

Despite more than five decades in the music business, Watson said he doesn’t see any reason why he should hang up his microphone yet.

“The fans out there that still appreciate good country music and the ones that keep filling up venues where we work, as long as they like it and I myself do the job like I think it should be done, I am going to stay out there,” Watson said.

Watson will be backed by his longtime band, known as The Farewell Party Band, which includes lead guitar, drums, piano, bass and the essential country music instrument, the steel guitar.

“The Farewell Party Band, they are as much a part of the show or more than I am,” Watson said. “We have fun, we have our comedy spots.”

When it comes to the makeup of the show, Watson said he likes to keep it loose and let the audience participate and also keep it family friendly for audiences of all ages.

“We never plan a show down as far as write it down and all that because we try to leave it lose for the fans requests,” he said. “We try to do all the request we can.”

Watson said the concert will feature songs from throughout his more than 50 year recording career.

He recently recorded a song with The Bellamy Brothers titled “Forever Ain’t Long Enough” that was released earlier this year.

“We are just coming off of this Bellamy Brothers thing that we did and I was so thrilled to do that,” he said. “David Bellamy wrote the song and they were kind enough to ask me to do it with them and of course I did and it has just been fantastic.”

Watson said he would like to personally invite everyone to attend his show at the Manchester Coffee County Conference Center Saturday, April 20.

“We are going to have fun and we are going to try our best to do all the songs we can squeeze in there. If they miss this one they are going to miss a good one,” he said.

Tickets are still available for the show and cost between $45-52.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.onfireconcerts.com.