Memory Lane: David Gates
In the 1970's, on country music radio, you'd hear great (now legendary) artist's like Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, Dolly Parton and others who would go on to become deserving members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
What you didn't hear was Bread.
David Gates and Bread were on of the most successful pop music bands of the 1970's. I can remember hearing them for the first time when I was in High School in the early 1970's (yes, I'm of an older sort). What I remember most, other than David's absolutely beautiful voice, was his incredible songwriting. In the years since, I've felt that a great country song, I mean the best of the best, tell a story. And that's exactly what David Gates did.
Remember 'If'? 'Diary'? 'Guitar Man'? Or 'Everything I Own'?
For many, many years I thought 'Everything I Own' was one great love song. You know, the guy loves his girl/wife so much he would give everything he own's to have her back again? A great love song, I thought. And so it is. But with a whole different meaning.
I found out years later that David, who is now 76 years old, wrote and sung that song....for his Dad. As a guy who admires greatly the songwriter's (Give me a Kristofferson song anytime and I'm good to go), 'Everything I Own' brought me to a whole new place, a place even deeper in my heart.
And now that my own Dad is gone, it means even more. And you know what?
'Everything I Own', at least to me, sounds a whole lot more country than a lot of the new country music I'm hearin'.
So with all that being said, give a new listen to the words of David Gates and 'Everything I Own'. This great video is from 1998 and David sings with his friend and country star Billy Dean.
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