Photo of Billy Joe Shaver above by Jim McGuire.
Celebrated singer-songwriter visits the Manship Theatre Friday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Although the Corsicana, Texas native’s name might not be instantly recognizable to some, Billy Joe Shaver is one of the more important figures in the outlaw country genre. While some of his cohorts are singular household names like Elvis, Willie and Waylon, Shaver has been content to mostly stay out of spotlight. His contributions have certainly added to the folklore of these legends, sort of like the man behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz.
That is not to say Shaver hasn’t earned his due as one of the preeminent country songwriters of his generation. The 22 albums he has released since 1973 speak for themselves, and his most recent LP, last year’s Long In The Tooth, became his first solo effort to break into the Billboard country album charts, debuting at #19.
If Shaver’s compositions are unassuming on first listen, leave it to the assessment of those who know best. Kris Kristofferson and Elvis Presley have recorded Shaver’s compositions, and 9 out of 10 songs on Waylon Jennings landmark 1973 album Honky Tonk Heroes were penned by a then-unknown Shaver.
