Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW UPDATED: Trump, Sanders victorious in New Hampshire primaries ... Man jailed after allegedly groping jogger on Bear Creek Greenway ... Oregon man who killed officer had long criminal record ... UPDATED: Trump, Sanders victorious in New Hampshire primaries ... Man jailed after allegedly groping jogger on Bear Creek Greenway ... Oregon man who killed officer had long criminal record ... Interview: Country mainstay T. Graham Brown reflects on career Comment By Wade Allen More Content Now MailTribune.com By Wade Allen More Content Now Posted May. 20, 2015 at 8:12 AM By Wade Allen More Content Now Posted May. 20, 2015 at 8:12 AM » Social News Whether singing of lost love or alcohol addiction, T. Graham Brown squeezes every ounce of soul from a song. His bluesy, country voice won fans of the traditional Nashville sound and contemporary crossover hits. He’s still out on the road, performing the songs that fans adore and identify with. Perhaps best known for belting out his top-10 hit “I Tell It Like It Used to Be,” he’s become a classic country mainstay. It’s been three decades since his songs first hit the charts. In January, he released “Forever Changed,” his first studio album in nine years. It’s available at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and features a list of accomplished guest artists including Country Music Hall of Famers The Oak Ridge Boys and Vince Gill. Brown also teams up with Jimmy Fortune, best known as a member of The Statler Brothers, to perform the hit “Wine Into Water.” The song remains popular on classic country radio, revealing the pain and heartache associated with alcoholism. The singer lives outside Nashville, enjoys mowing grass and listening to his wind chimes. On any given day, you could find him pushing a lawn mower with earphones on, listening to a live recording of the Steve Miller Band. He spoke recently about his career, a famous friendship, and what makes his music enduring. On the secret to his career longevity “I think God has taken care of me. If right was right, I’d be dead by now. Drinking I did and other stuff. Just being alive is the secret to it.” On his 30-year friendship with the late George Jones “He treated me so well. He was kind of like a ‘Nashville daddy’ sort of. Anything I needed I could ask him for. Anytime I was in any kind of trouble, I just had to pick up the phone and he’d help me out on it. He done it all, too. He’d been through all the wars, too. He was just a good guy. He was just a really cool guy. I knew him drunk and sober, and I loved him both ways. I was both ways, too. I drank, too. I knew George in the ups and downs, and I just thought he was good guy. And, wow, nobody could sing like him.” On what his show is like these days “I do most of the hits people expect to hear (and) a couple of gospel songs. I’ve got a gospel album and I’ll do a couple of songs off that. Talk to people and make them laugh, and just have fun. We just have fun. I’m at a good place in my life where I can do kind of what I want to do, not work as hard. I’m having more fun now than I’ve ever had.” On his musical influences “I grew up listening to this little bitty station, a 5,000-watt AM station. I had a transistor radio in the ’60s. They played everything. They didn’t have format. It wasn’t a country station or a rock ’n’ roll station… they were all over the place. I guess I got a little bit of everything in me.” On his country career “The best thing about my whole deal is that I’ve got work (with and) get to know all my heroes and they actually like me. I’ve become friends with them all. I’ve worked with Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Merle and Willie and Waylon, Jerry Lee Lewis. I know I’m forgetting some. Just all of those great artists.” On his music style “When I moved to Nashville, it was kind of like when I got my record deal, I think it was ‘He’s in Nashville and therefore he is country.’ I cut this record and I could’ve easily been any kind of artist, any genre of music. I enjoy them all and can sing them all.” Wade Allen is a features reporter for The Shelby Star and Gaston Gazette in North Carolina. By Wade Allen More Content Now MailTribune.com By Wade Allen More Content Now Posted May. 20, 2015 at 8:12 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501