Genre: Country
RIYL: Outlaw country and storytelling few others can bring to music
City: Austin, TX
Web site: http://www.billyjoeshaver.com
Born dirt-poor in Corsicana in 1939, Billy Joe Shaver witnessed a Hank Williams concert in the late 1940s, and although he would take a few detours along the way, he sensed early on that his salvation would lie in country music. Following an ill-advised stint in the Navy (he was honorably discharged after fighting with an out-of-uniform officer), a sawmill accident claimed most of the fingers on his right hand and Shaver's days of manual labor were over. He then learned how to play guitar.
Shaver's never been a stranger to hard knocks, but the past few years have been brutal. Following the loss of his wife and his mother less than a month apart to cancer, he - with the aid of his guitarist son Eddy - wrote and recorded the acclaimed The Earth Rolls On. But before the CD hit the shelves, Eddy succumbed to his long battle with drugs, fatally overdosing early in the morning of December 31, 2000.
Through the first half of 2001, an ailing, hard-traveling Shaver contended with (and ignored) heart and health problems, the neglect of which culminated in a heart attack on-stage at a July 4th show at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas. He eventually underwent quadruple bypass surgery.
"I guess I should have gone then," he says on his website, "but there's obviously some reason why I'm still here."
Blessed with rejuvenated health and a renewed sense of purpose, Shaver has since joined Houston-based Compadre Records. He is revered more now than perhaps ever in his career.
Information from the artist's site
Musicians
Albums
The Real Deal
Released 2005
A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver - Live
Billy and the Kid
Released 2004
Freedom's Child
Released 2002
The Earth Rolls On
Released 2001
Electric Shaver
Released 1999
Honky Tonk Heroes
Released 1999
Victory
Released 1998
Unshaven: Live at Smith's Olde Bar
Restless Wind
Released 1995
Tramp on Your Street
Released 1993
Salt of the Earth
Released 1987
I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal...But I'm Gonna Be A Diamond Someday
Old Five and Dimers Like Me
Released 1973
Live From Down Under
Sphincter Records
Favorited by these users:
Abuela, BRETT DILLON - KHYI, Beth_McCabe, John Connolly, John Murphy, LindaLee, MFThomas, Mike Orren, Pascale Hall, Ron Dempesmeier, Suporttxmusic, Todd Stein, bingham, brooklyn_kid07, captainamerica, caradelsol, dalston1988, dbyboth, edfoo2000, eguzzo, grantwiscour, heatherwoodruff, holly ramsey, ibjoe, jewely11115, kboy2k, mcgilligan913, meleemouth, narrow, nataliesteele, paullywallydoodle, salinasdanny, starsfan50, tom, tonybarker, zekemartino
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Comments
nataliesteele Anonymous
no country artist rocks harder than billy joe,I spin your music everyday at revolution fm.
natalie steele, kerrville, tx
1 year, 7 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
captainamerica Anonymous
Billy Joe Shaver-Old Chunk of Coal Waterloo Records-April 3rd
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
captainamerica Anonymous
Billy Joe Shaver-Freedom's Child Music Video
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captainamerica Anonymous
Billy Joe Shaver-Live Forever
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captainamerica Anonymous
Billy Joe Shaver-You Ought to be with Me When I'm Alone
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captainamerica Anonymous
Billy Joe Shaver-No Fool Like an Old Fool
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captainamerica Anonymous
Billy Joe Shaver-Georgia on a Fast Train
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