Gene Price

Gene Price (February 27, 1944 – August 13, 2013), also credited as Willard Eugene Price and Willard E. Price, was an American songwriter, primarily noted for his songwriting association with Buck Owens. He was also a member of Merle Haggard's backing band The Strangers.

History

Price is a musician and vocalist, in addition to being a songwriter. He was born in Shamrock, Texas.[1] His initial success was through his association with the "Bakersfield sound". Price was a bass player for Merle Haggard and a songwriter with Buck Owens.[2][3] He was particularly successful as a recorded songwriter on various Capitol Records releases in the early 1970s. One of his best known songs is "In The Arms of Love",[2] co-written with Owens and recorded by Merle Haggard,[4] Susan Raye, Wynn Stewart and Freddie Hart, among others.

Other songs for which Price is known include "Let's Keep The Memories Warm", solely written by Price and recorded by Terry Stafford in 1973, for inclusion on Stafford's album 'Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose (Atlantic, 1973)[5] Other songs written with Owens include "The Biggest Storm of All",[6] "Natural Born Loser",[7] "Across This Town and Gone",[8]"Something's Wrong", "I'll Be All Right Tomorrow"[9] and "I've Carried This Torch Much Too Long".[2]

Later in his career, Price had a degree of pop music success with some of his songs. For example, his song "Come To Me", solely written by Price,[10] was recorded twice by Aretha Franklin within a 10-year period.[11]

References
  1. Eileen Sisk, Buck Owens: The Biography (Chicago Review Press, 2010), p. 173.
  2. Bruce Eder, Biography of Gene Price; www.allmusic.com.
  3. Price is one of many with mixed feelings about Buck Owens. Owens' reputation, following his death in 2006, was tarnished by revelations of behaviors significantly at variance with Owens's public image. Price is quoted as describing Owens as "a very bad man who made very good music". See Charlie Gillis, Review of Eileen Sisk, Buck Owens: The Biography ,Maclean's magazine, August 19, 2010; www2.macleans.ca.
  4. On Okie from Muskogee (Capitol, 1969), a live recording on which Price sings lead vocal on the song and also plays bass. See Mark Phillips, Review of Okie from Muskogee. Americana UK; www.americana-uk.com.
  5. Particulars of Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose. Terry Stafford "Suspicion" Home Page; www.youchanan.net.
  6. Recorded by Buck Owens on Roll Your Own (Capitol, 1969) and Susan Raye on The Cheating Game (Capitol, 1973).
  7. Recorded by Buck Owens on Roll Your Own (Capitol, 1969).
  8. Recorded by Buck Owens on Tall Dark Stranger (Capitol, 1969), Susan Raye on Wheel of Fortune (Capitol, 1972) and Tony Booth on Happy Hour (Capitol, 1973).
  9. Recorded by The Buckaroos on Rompin' & Stompin' (Capitol, 1970), www.allmusic.com, with Doyle Holly, bass player for The Buckaroos, credited as third co-author
  10. And credited as "Willard Eugene Price".
  11. On Aretha (Arista, 1980) and Through the Storm (Arista, 1989).
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