"I was 13 and standing around at a Waylon Jennings concert at Lanier Land Music Park with my parents. My dad, who can talk to anyone, struck up a conversation with one of the Hell's Angels, who was doing security. The next thing I knew, the guy said, 'Well Waylon likes kids,' and I was on my way back stage to meet him."
Thus began a lifelong friendship that would lead Tommy Townsend into the studios, and learning from his ultimate music mentor, Waylon Jennings. Tommy was born in rural Blairsville, GA, to Roy and Ida Townsend, and was one of two kids. Like most southern boys, Tommy was taught time-honored values of hard work, love of God, of family, country, and country music.
His earliest recollections were at five years old, standing on his bed with a mike, decked out in cowboy duds, beltin' out a song to an attentive audiencehis dresser mirror. His dad would play blue grass guitar and sing, and the records of Conway Twitty, Vern Gosdin, Keith Whitley, Hank Jr., Merle Haggard, and of course, Waylon Jennings, were mainstays in the Townsend home. The first instrument he tried was drums, playing with his dad (bass) and his cousins (fiddle/guitar) in a local square dance band.
Childhood days were spent playing football, riding dirt bikes, and learning to play both acoustic and electric guitar, bass and mandolin. As a young boy, all the way through high school and college, Tommy helped his dad with logging and his sawmill.
While playing football for the Georgia Bulldogs and turning pro were Tommy's high school dreams, his love of music, nudged along by his new hero, Jennings, led him to where his is today.
His first live singing performance almost didn't happen. "I was twelve and playing drums for a band, and we were set to play in the school talent show, when the lead singer backed out. My buddies and I decided to go ahead and I volunteered to sing, even though I was scared to death. I was always shy to sing."
By 15, he'd gotten his courage up enough to record a small studio tape and give it to Waylon. Shortly afterward, he also met Jerry Bridges, Waylon's bass guitarist and co-producer. The two men were impressed with Tommy's fledgling effort and promised to take him in the studio when he was a little older. Tommy finished high school, but not before taking notice of a pretty, blue eyed, freckle faced girl named Christy. The two would become high school sweet hearts, and he would remain true to her through his college years at Truett McConnell College in Cleveland, GA.
Music still tugged at his heart, and by this time, Tommy was writing his own songs and going back and forth between Georgia and Nashville, always keeping in touch with Waylon and crew. At age 18, Jennings and Jerry Bridges kept their promise and took Tommy in the studio and produced some sides. Waylon had a poker machine in the studio lobby, and would sit there playing poker and listening to the mixes. It would be the first of many times Waylon and band would take Tommy under their wings and into the studio, and occasionally, out for an appearance on the road.
One of Tommy's fondest memories was; "when I was playing a show with Waylon, and just before I got called out to perform, the guitar tech told me he didn't have time to finish stringing my guitar and to just go ahead and use Waylon's." When he got on stage, Tommy, rather sheepishly told the legend he had to use his guitar. Waylon laughed and said good naturedly, "This friendship shit is going too far." Then he strapped the guitar on Tommy and said, "Here ya go Hoss."
Jennings was free with his advice on stage, in the studio, and also about life. Having fought his own demons and come out on the other side, he advised Townsend "never to do drugs, never get mixed up with the wrong people." His last words of advice to Tommy were, "do what you feel and never compromise." Certainly words the outlaw lived by.
Waylon continued to be a pivotal force in Townsend's life, and the two would collaborate several times in 1988, and again in 1997, with Waylon playing on some tracks and singing harmony. Marty Stuart played as well. But, when it came to the business of music, ole Waylon stayed clear saying, "Tommy, I don't want to take our project to the labels myself, because if they found something wrong with it, it would make me mad, I'd piss them off and ruin your career."
So Tommy just kept writing with the likes of seasoned tune smiths Gerald Smith (What Part of No Don't You Understand), Bud Reneau (Chains), PeBe Sebert (Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle To You), Bill Yates (Choices), Jimmy Yeary, and Robin Blakeney. Neighbor, Billy Ray Cyrus invited him to play his fan club party in 2001, and Clay Walker told Tommy that he was his favorite singer.
His writing is getting noticed, too. He has had the thrill of seeing Alan Jackson perform his song "If I Had Back Now What I Had Back Then," in concert. Townsend plays regularly at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Rippy's in Nashville, TN. He was invited to play the Ryman for Kitty Wells 50th anniversary of the release of her signature song "Honky Tonk Angels." "This was a special thrill because dad joined me on stage, playing his 1947 Gibson he'd given me four years earlier. Dad always wanted to be a professional musician, so this was a dream come true for him," says Tommy. Recent performances include playing to an enthusiastic SRO audience of radio programmers, consultants, and booking agents at this year's Country Radio Seminar.
For Townsend, life is good. He married that childhood sweetheart in 1991, and he and Christy live in Thompson Station with their two girls, Maggie and Megan. "I couldn't do this without the support of my family, both my parents, and my girls. They want this music career as much as I dowe're a team."
Southern Man Tommy Townsend Makes Tupelo¹s Morning (Nashville, TN)-
Home Records singer/songwriter Tommy Townsend recently spent his morning at Tupelo, MS. Townsend made a promotional appearance on the town¹s NBC-Affiliate morning television program called simply Mornings. The show reaches over 150,000 viewers and has become a popular stomping ground for many country artists on the cusp of stardom.
One of the show¹s veteran hosts, Kay, knows talent. She told Tommy that Tim McGraw did his very first interview on the same show a year before he hit it ³big,² and she has a feeling that it will be the same with Townsend. Beyond the interview segment, Townsend performed three songs live off his debut album entitled Southern Man to be released Spring 2004. His set included his hit single, ³Southern Man,² that¹s racing up the Texas Music Chart landing at 24 this week. The single features the vocals and musicianship of his mentor, the late Waylon Jennings.
³Southern Man² was also a featured song when Tommy performed on the Alabama based television program, ³Thursday Night Live² before the holidays. ³Thursday Night Live² reaches 15,000 viewers regionally from its Red Bay, AL studio. Alabama native Townsend performed with fellow musicians Jerry Bridges and Joseph Baldwin for the three-hour show in a songwriter¹s round style setting. Townsend had a chance to perform all the material from his new album co-produced by the legendary Waylon Jennings and former Jennings¹s band member, Jerry Bridges. During the course of the show, host Jack Ivey received over 500 viewers phone in praising the performers. Many callers said it was the best talent the show has ever hosted.
