Charley Crockett Tells The Story of His First Record Deal
Charley Crockett taped his debut on Austin City Limits on Wednesday, July 27th, and those lucky enough to be sitting in front of their computers or phones at the time got an opportunity to see the entire taping stream live online.
What’s great about catching one of these tapings either streaming or in person is you get a full set of songs instead of what is culled down for the half hour television presentation, along with all the between-song banter, which sometimes can be some of the best parts.
That was the case for Charley Crockett, who after coming out to perform an encore song, told a story behind one of the songs from his upcoming album Music City USA, which is set to be released on September 17th. It’s also a story about signing his first record deal. The song inspired by the story was called “Are We Lonesome Yet,” and after first being reluctant to reveal the inspiration for the song, Crockett was goaded by the cheers of the crowd and opened up.
Crockett said that while the backstories of many musicians is embellished, if anything, his has been toned down. As a guy that rode trains and played street corners for years before anyone propped a microphone in in front of him, he has plenty of stories to tell.
Charley Crockett said:
I did build this from a Louisiana street corner. I did build this on the backroads. I sweat over every track in this nation—this great, beautiful nation. And it ain’t always pretty, but to me it’s beautiful.
And the first deal I ever signed was right off a train car in New York City believe it or not, in the canopies of the concrete jungle they call Manhattan. And I remember being in this office with this powerful, powerful person. And she was pounding her fists on the desk of her office, and she said ‘Charley Crockett, it’s a Coke and Pepsi world. It’s a Barnum and Bailey world. And I don’t know if you’re ready.’
And I said, ‘Well ma’am, I don’t know if I’m ready either.’She said, ‘Charley, I just want moldability out of you.’
And I said, ‘Ma’am, I don’t even know what moldability means. But I don’t like it.’
And so she hands me this newspaper clipping out of The New York Times, and it was an article celebrating what would have been the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie. And she give it over to me, she’s says, ‘You know what your problem is Charley?’ And I said, ‘No ma’am, but I figure you’re ’bout to tell me.’
And she gives me over the piece of paper and she said, ‘You just want to be Woody Guthrie.’ And I said, ‘Ma’am, that is the first and last compliment you ever gonna give me.’
I never did see her again, and I’m sorry for being the rough-around-the-edges young man that I was at the time … Well, I’m really not that sorry.
Then Charley Crockett performed the song “Are We Lonesome Yet” with just his acoustic guitar.
Big ‘ol city has sure been hard on me
Filled with people as far as you can see
Electric billboards selling what comes comes next
They’re really saying, are we lonesome yet?
Charley Crockett also said recently, “Bein’ raised up in Texas, Austin City Limits was the background to our lives. It was so far beyond my reach. Much like the Grand Ole Opry, maybe even more so. When they asked me in January if I was willing to do late night TV, I told em I didn’t care a lick about it. They said, ‘well what DO you want then?!?’ I replied ‘I just want Austin City Limits on PBS like Willie and George and Johnny and Freddy and Gatemouth!!!’ Two months later they put us on season 47.”
Hopefully when the actual Austin City Limits episode airs, they include Charley Crockett’s story. But if they don’t, it needed to be preserved somewhere for posterity. Perhaps there’s a little innocent embellishment in it, or perhaps it’s 100% true. But either way, it’s 100% Charley Crockett, who’s always 100% himself, which is what makes him so interesting and engaging.
Stay tuned for the date when the Austin City Limits episode featuring Charley Crockett will air.
Country Charley Crockett's Butter
August 2, 2021 @ 11:41 am
Love that he experiments with other genres. His newest song ” I Need your Love” is very 50s soul.
He’s one cool cat.
Check out my username.
Tex Hex
August 2, 2021 @ 1:31 pm
Love Charley’s more recent old-time/country vibe, but I want a dedicated New Orleans-style r&b/soul/boogie-woogie album sometime soon. I find myself going back to his sophomore album In The Night a lot for that vibe.
Koozie
August 2, 2021 @ 5:23 pm
I’ve been giving it a bunch of spins lately. Silver Dagger is about as cool as a song can get. I did notice that his band seemed much tighter at Under the Big Sky than past performances I’d seen – sure hope we get a re-recorded Trinity River.
JonBoy
August 2, 2021 @ 12:04 pm
He’s fast becoming one of my favorite artists. Thankfully he’s coming to my city this year so I can see him before he blows up. Ticket prices seem like a steal though only $10 to see him and Jaime Wyatt
Colt
August 2, 2021 @ 12:20 pm
I have been getting the feeling I saw one of his last small club shows. Because he went right from a lil venue in Salt Lake to Red Rocks then on to ACL. The tickets were something like $20 for him and Jenny Don’t and the Spurs.
I took a friend who is not a country fan at all to the show. Standing in line he told he’d just been dumped. I told him “this is the right time for you to listen to country music.” At some point during the show, he reached and grabbed my shoulder and said without breaking eyes from the stage “Thank you, this is exactly what I needed.” When we met the following week my friend said “I’ve listened to so much Charley Crockett” We then took over the Touch Tunes at hip finance bro bar for about an hour.
Mama&Trains&Trucks&Prison&GettinDrunk
August 2, 2021 @ 12:39 pm
I think this next album is going to tell us a lot. I watched that ACL feed and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will one day be headlining amphitheaters and bigger shows. As for the Red Rocks show, I believe he was the opener, so we may have him in smaller venues for a bit longer.
THass
August 3, 2021 @ 12:39 pm
Crockett was in Denver for three nights, once opening for Orville Peck at Red Rocks, and then Friday and Saturday he did two sold out shows at Globe Hall (250 person cap).
JPalmer
August 2, 2021 @ 12:34 pm
That’s a nice story and all, but…..
Two Time Slim
August 2, 2021 @ 12:39 pm
The music is fine enough, but I can’t get over the weird ‘1930’s aww-schucks’ character he plays. Saw him live a few years ago, and he was reciting Hank Williams banter between tunes, like ‘this is one thats bought us quite a few beans and biscuits’. Later hit the crowd with ‘I’m mighty thankful y’all came out to see this old hobo’ as if we didn’t walk by his luxury tour bus/rig parked outside the venue. The whole act feels like a bizarre art school performance piece. Maybe it’s just me
Tex Hex
August 2, 2021 @ 1:13 pm
He’s a street hustler. He’ll say whatever and act however is necessary to sell himself to his audience. The manner of speech, the carefully considered outfits etc. No shame in it. All performers and artists do it. At the very least he seems to be doing it on his own terms.
thegentile
August 3, 2021 @ 6:23 am
people seemed to have a big problem with it when orville peck was mentioned last week.
Trigger
August 3, 2021 @ 7:11 am
Because Orville Peck doesn’t play country.
thegentile
August 3, 2021 @ 7:17 am
oh weird. i thought you said he “has really been favoring the pop side of country, where he sort of started out in the indie/Americana side” and that “[he] sucks important attention from them with his over-the-top-ness.”
Ryan
August 6, 2021 @ 6:15 am
The first song of his I heard was “Iron Hoof Cattle Call” and I loved it, especially the Morricone whistles. But upon further listening of his work you are correct. Between the outfits and a couple songs I could see how people might get that idea.
Not bad at all but not really country. His music isn’t really for me but he could be using his talents to make shallow radio garbage about tailgating so there’s that. I think he’s honestly influenced by country rather than trying to use a niche audience to build a pop fan base.
robbushblog
August 2, 2021 @ 1:27 pm
‘this is one that’s bought us quite a few beans and biscuits’ is pretty great though.
King Honky Of Crackershire (No!)
August 2, 2021 @ 7:16 pm
It’s not just you, Two Time, and it’s not your imagination. He’s pretending to be what he wishes he was, because to him, what he is is less cool than what he wishes he was.
That doesn’t make his music bad, but it is corny to watch. I can’t say I blame him too much. He comes off as a genuinely nice person with an affinity for yesteryear. Similar to Colter Wall, he genuinely wishes he was what he’s trying to portray.
Ryan
August 6, 2021 @ 6:24 am
I get the desire for authenticity in an artist but I’ve never seen a standard or heard a clear statement of what a person has to have done or been in their life to be considered authentic. The actual, physical experiences of a lot of classic country and folk music would be nearly impossible to replicate in the modern world without trying and thus falling into artifice.
I know Hank Williams said there was a certain amount of mule shit you had to smell to play hillbilly music but he never gave a figure in pounds or how many gallons of the vapors you needed to breathe. And if you do find mules nowadays you’re more than likely at a wealthy person’s livestock breeding station, not a hard scrabble farm strapping the ornery cuss to a plow. Honestly if musicians need to have lived experience like our heroes of yesteryear we’re going to have to stop looking in Canada, The US or Europe. The cowboys of the Old West are long gone but down South the vaqueros live on.
King Honky Of Crackershire (No!)
August 2, 2021 @ 9:17 pm
Two Time,
Check out the guitar player. Seems like a legit hillbilly.
https://youtu.be/JnSdSScvPbE
Trigger
August 3, 2021 @ 3:27 am
Good find. It appears this video helps validate Charley Crockett’s claim that he “Sweat over every track in this nation.” Seemed a bit embellished to me, but it looks like he wasn’t lying. It also helps validate his claim that he was in Manhattan about 2012, which would have been Woody’s 100th birthday. It also helps explain a lot of Charley’s soul influences, which can be heard in much of his music, including his current single, “I Need Your Love.”
Or are we supposed to disqualify him from being a hillbilly because he once performed with a black guy with dreads?
This video validates much more of Charley Crockett’s story than it refutes. Again, thanks for posting.
Two Time Slim
August 3, 2021 @ 8:06 am
1 clip of busking in a subway does not make him Leon Ray Livingston. If so, where would that leave guys like Tim Barry? Nor on the flipside does performing with different races strip the guy of any rural cred, that’s crazy. Just seems we like to pick our spots. This site will go hard on Midland for their authenticity or lack thereof, and give the golden seal to others just as questionable. Again, the music is good, unfortunately the act just stinks of cheese. But at the end of the day, ultimately… who gives a shit?
Trigger
August 3, 2021 @ 1:01 pm
Nobody’s saying he’s Leon Ray Livingston. Was just pointing out the video doesn’t mean his persona is a complete fabrication as was alluded.
Charley Crockett says he spent years traveling all across the country busking. This video seems to validate that claim. I’ve yet to see any validation of Midland’s claims they came up as a hardscrable Austin, TX honky tonk band. But I do agree, the music must preceded all of these concerns, and I believe I’ve been very fair to Midland’s music.
King Honky Of Crackershire (No!)
August 3, 2021 @ 12:46 pm
Hello Trigglita,
I wasn’t trying to refute any of his claims. I’m just pointing out that both his image, and persona, are fabrications.
You’re very welcome.
P.S. You seem to be harboring some racism in your heart, that you should repent of.
Trigger
August 3, 2021 @ 12:57 pm
I don’t know how the video points out any fabrications. I see an extension of the soul influence in his music. Charley Crockett wasn’t born in New York City. He was born in The Valley in Texas, and did time all across the country busking. This video validates this claim.
Michael St. Vitus
November 27, 2023 @ 5:59 pm
Yep. It IS you. Sorry your so old and jaded you can’t enjoy witnessing history. Sad for you.
Tex Hex
August 2, 2021 @ 1:21 pm
Love Charley but can’t help but think he’s kinda full of shit a lot of the time. Assuming this “powerful person” was some kind of label a&r person, I can’t imagine they’d be pounding on a desk, talking about Woody Guthrie, demanding that this unknown street performer be “moldable”.
It reads like a scene out of a Coen Brothers movie. In fact, I think it might be close to a scene out of their movie “Inside Llewyn Davis” (based on real life mid-century folkie, and contemporary of Woody Guthrie, Dave Van Ronk).
Trigger
August 2, 2021 @ 1:31 pm
Of course the story is embellished, come on. But having discussed his career with folks in his camp, the fundamentals of the story are true.
Tex Hex
August 2, 2021 @ 1:43 pm
Every good story has a kernel of truth, for sure. The fact that Charley plays such a colorful, folksy, almost anachronistic kind of character – like the classic troubadours of old must’ve – makes me love him even more.
I love watching his interviews. The guy is so charming and magnetic and always looks like he’s having fun. That sort of star quality, hustle, and proactive engagement is so rare among performers these days. It’s a great quality. He’s definitely got the potential for huge crossover success.
Jake Cutter
August 2, 2021 @ 8:12 pm
Perhaps there’s something refreshing in the honesty of confidently owning the facade?
Tex Hex
August 2, 2021 @ 8:48 pm
Great way to put it.
Larry Jay Lee
August 2, 2021 @ 4:33 pm
I caught him at a free show in the park in Santa Fe last week, what a treat! There were hipsters and bikers with heads bobbing, little kids and old people dancing on the sidewalks. He played all his hits, and then some, a high energy 90 minute set.
Tyler Pappas
August 2, 2021 @ 5:16 pm
I really can’t wait for the new album after the acl performance. I mean “Lies and regret” was a banger. “Music City USA” was awesome. “This foolish game” has a great bluesy feel and “Are We Lonesome yet” was terrific just acoustic. The only issue I had performance wise with the show was “In the night” I didn’t like the arrangement and though Charley’s vocal was off the beat or just flat. Rest of the show was pure fire from start to finish. Watched the show 6 times and still love it.
Bill from WI
August 2, 2021 @ 5:39 pm
I thought the show was great although I watched it on my 55” TV not my phone or computer. The guy playing trumpet and keyboards, sometimes simultaneously, as well as accordion was awesome as well as the steel player. Maybe it was my ears, but I thought Charley needed to back away from the mike a little bit.
Di Harris
August 2, 2021 @ 7:32 pm
Knock it off Honky – Be Nice.
: D
Charley is way cool with his telephone, horses, etc.
Do you think John Wayne pretended to be a cowboy?
Ryan
August 6, 2021 @ 6:00 am
Hell, has anyone really been a cowboy in the old-fashioned sense since they completed the Intercontinental Railroad? Once there were no more thousand mile cattle drives was it even the same job? I don’t expect any answers, just pointing out that a quest for ‘authenticity’ is usually determined by if the seeker wants to find it or not.
Like I hated the comedian Larry The Cable Guy when he was popular. Other people seemed to eat it up but I got the impression he was straight up mocking his audience to their faces. I wouldn’t call him fake though because I don’t expect anyone getting up on stage to be themselves. That’s not what a stage is for, it’s for putting on a performance. If there was no artifice involved it wouldn’t be art. Call them a bad comedian, musician, whatever. But authenticity is in the eye of the beholder.
Micheal St. Vitus
November 27, 2023 @ 6:02 pm
Or Bob Dylan pretended to be a folksinger?
Kevin Smith
August 3, 2021 @ 10:58 am
The guy is learning how to market himself. A unique brand is key to getting exposure and building a fanbase. His music, quirky videos, and stage presence, are all part of it. Theres a bit of PT Barnum hucksterism and hype in all the highly successful entertainers. The way i see it, Crockett aint inventing anything new, but he doesnt sound like anybody else out there, either. And thats what makes him stand out. If you like what he does, support him, if you think hes a fraud, dont support him, its that simple, people.
HNWTX
August 3, 2021 @ 4:42 pm
If you are questioning the authenticity and back story of Charley Crockett, all you need to do is check his statement that he is a direct descendant of Davy Crockett. His own label is “Son of Davy.” It’s all BS.
Spend about 15 minutes on ancestry.com to learn the truth. Matthew Charles Crockett born in Cameron County, Texas on 24 Mar 1984. Now just work backwards in time. A quick search reveals his ancestry back 5 generations. Charley’s genealogy does not go back to anyone named Davy. Does not go anywhere near Tennessee, Virginia, or North Carolina. Does not connect to anyone even remotely connected to Davy Crockett. Hell even Charley has his own public tree on ancestry.com that shows that Charley is no relation to Davy Crockett.
I can’t believe that no one has checked out this outlandish and foolish claim.
Trigger
August 3, 2021 @ 5:33 pm
I have actually checked very in-depth into this, and found it inconclusive. I also reached out to Crockett’s camp for clarification of just how he’s related to Davy Crockett, but have yet to receive a decisive answer. There is not enough information on ancestry.com or any other public database to make the conclusive argument he is NOT a descendant of Davy Crockett, even though there isn’t a smoking gun that he is. Really, we need more information, and specifically what side of his family the bloodline comes from. However, Charley has addresses this publicly in a couple of Instagram posts:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJltL5Pnqzc/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJpXNWDnhXE/
Again, I can’t verify the claim. But I also can’t for sure say it’s false.
HNWTX
August 3, 2021 @ 5:51 pm
We know it is his paternal Crockett line since his grandfather’s obituary in 2019 for Charles Hayes Crockett stated that he was a direct descendant of Davy Crockett.
It is not that hard to check. And yes there is more information than you would ever need to check on ancestry.com.
Claim is false.
Jake Cutter
August 3, 2021 @ 6:30 pm
I don’t care one way or the other, but It does seem like an awful lot of faith has been put into an unverified claim that might, after all, be a…crock.
Trigger
August 3, 2021 @ 7:22 pm
Well if you have a website and feel so confident that the claim is false, by all means, put it in print. I personally do not feel confident enough to put the claim in print without running the fear of being sued for slander if it happens to be true. I responded to your concern because I felt it was a valid one, and like I said, I’ve looked in-depth into the matter previously. I also did not claim he was a descendent of Davy Crockett in this article.
Loren
August 4, 2021 @ 10:54 am
The veracity of his story regardless, Charley Crockett definitely would not be the first country singer to exaggerate (e.g. David Allan Coe), and he surely wouldn’t be the last. He is a performer, and that’s simply part of what he does: he represents a fading past, and even if he does it with embellishment, it makes me like him even more. He makes damn good music, and puts on just as good a show–hope he lasts for a long time.
Stork
August 5, 2021 @ 1:31 pm
I’ve been a fan since you first posted about him on here, maybe 4 or 5 years ago and I’m finally seeing him next month at the Brooklyn bowl in Nashville. Probably won’t be in those venues much longer (like you’ve stated before). I love to see the good guys win
Ryan
August 6, 2021 @ 6:05 am
Hell, has anyone really been a cowboy in the old-fashioned sense since they completed the Intercontinental Railroad? Once there were no more thousand mile cattle drives was it even the same job? I don’t expect any answers, just pointing out that a quest for ‘authenticity’ is usually determined by if the seeker wants to find it or not.
Like I hated the comedian Larry The Cable Guy when he was popular. Other people seemed to eat it up but I got the impression he was straight up mocking his audience to their faces. I wouldn’t call him fake though because I don’t expect anyone getting up on stage to be themselves. That’s not what a stage is for, it’s for putting on a performance. If there was no artifice involved it wouldn’t be art. Call them a bad comedian, musician, whatever. But authenticity is in the eye of the beholder.
Trigger
August 6, 2021 @ 9:39 am
I’ve always said, there are only two authentic people left in country music, Spencer Cornett of the Boomswagglers, and James Hand. James Hand really was a cowboy and rodeo guy before he launched his country music career at the age of 47. And now he’s gone. Charley Crockett recognized James Hand as the last “real deal” too (that’s what Willie Nelson called James Hand, “the real deal”). That’s why Charley Corckett he released a tribute album to him.
Suz
October 7, 2021 @ 4:25 pm
Too funny…they all look like they could use a very long shower and a very big plate of biscuits and beans.