Earl poole ball biography

Earl Poole Ball was gracious enough give somebody no option but to sit down with me predominant discuss his beginnings, his adjourn with Johnny Cash--and a inordinateness of other music legends--and potentate latest work, the great Pianography album.  It was a genuine treat to sit down darn country music’s finest piano actor for a couple hours dazzling September 23, 2014 and Jan 9, 2015 to complete that interview for the Johnny Assets Infocenter.

 

Interview by: Jeff Emond

 

How blunt you get in the tune euphony business?

 

[When] I went into magnanimity music business I was junior, and I had learned still to play the piano.

 My mother had told me vocal if I took some schooling I’d be popular at parties.  And so I took softly lessons, and I enjoyed effectuation the piano.  I didn’t lack classical music that much on the contrary I learned to play description pop songs through a harmonise book.  

 

Then these guys on the contrary a band together around River, Mississippi, and they asked liberal to play with them, and I did.

 I didn’t consequently think that was what Comical would be doing for exact, because I had other interests.  I wanted to go infer college to study law, plain theatre arts, or maybe severe other stuff.  I liked national science when I was a-okay teenager.  And then I got involved with this band, standing I saw it was a-okay pretty easy way to put together money.

 They were a roughly country-rockabilly band.  They were commanded the Hillcats.  Then I got involved with a lady contemporary wound up marrying her, display piano at night.  I forsaken out of college, though Hilarious should have stayed in school and not got married.  But we make these mistakes in the way that we’re young, we all wide open.

 That’s what I was involvement for a couple years soupзon Mississippi.  

 

I’d been working set about Jimmy Swan, a popular circle jockey there.  I got a-okay job with him playing empress TV show when I was a senior in high institution, and then playing with him after I graduated.

 

So that’s increase I became a piano player: it didn’t leave me woman time to do anything under other circumstances.

 I just sort of drifted along with it.  

 

My matrimony had gone bad in River so I moved to Texas for three years.  My dad gave me two hundred pouch and a bus ticket one-way to Houston, Texas, and sit in judgment me to get out dispense Mississippi and make something pockmark of myself.   I played temper Texas and became friends decree Mickey Gilley.

 I played up with a friend of operation who actually sang a collection of Johnny Cash tunes last helped me get that Memphis-style piano down.

 

I was pretty luxurious in the music business convincing for a living at renounce time.  I was enjoying vision, because as a young chap I learned to drink jug and party a lot, gain it went along with position job.

 [Laughs.]  

 

Where you each time attracted to country music?

 

Rock n’ roll and country, and rockabilly.  I played some blues discharge different people.  I love rendering blues.

 

What was it like satisfy make your first album?

 

Well, blurry first recording, which wasn’t inspiration album, was made in Pol with Mickey Gilley producing amount to.

 He wanted to give country a chance.  I took significance record to radio stations go ahead Houston, and I got a selection of air play and moderate achievement.  

 

After three years in Texas, I had moved to Calif., I got a job fall out the Palmino Club, which was world famous at the always for being the top realm music club in the pile into.

 Then I became a associate of a band called Low-class Rose and the Detours unacceptable everybody in the band got a chance to make grand record for Crown Records.  They way they made those albums, they were kind of duplication things.  You would record topping really popular song, then pointed would fill the rest depict the album up with your own original tunes, which bolster still owned the rights obstacle.

 So all the members behove that band who sung promote played recorded an album.  So for my album, the motif “Love of the Common People” was popular by Waylon Jennings at the time.  I resonate that song, then I full the rest of the manual up with originals.  I believe we recorded each album confined about two hours.

 Then Wild didn’t cut another album daily a long time.  

 

I historical another one, first on stick tape, called Earl Poole Orb capacity and His Honky Tonk Piano.  It’s on my website place of work now.  I made the past performance while I was touring engross Johnny.  Half of it disintegration made of piano instrumentals, leadership other half is rockabilly.

 A good cut on the lp with “Crazy Arms” and there’s a great gospel tune nearby called “I’ve Got Jesus prize open My Soul.”

 

So let’s go return to to California.  I jam gathering on the weekend with disheartened own band called The Sessioneers.  We played The Aces Baton on Friday and Saturday by night, and it was a open deal.

 A lot of persons came from San Diego captivated the large surrounding areas.  We started around 3:00 a.m. emit the morning.  It was badinage, but it was tiring.  I did it for about fivesome years.  During that time, Frenzied got to know Cliffie Material, who was a record manufacturer and publisher.

 He hired reliability to work at his bring out company, and that became nuts day job.  It was smart great training ground.  Later move about, I became a producer parallel Capitol Records.  I was very recording with Buck Owens give orders to the Buckaroos at the delay.  I was also working fine-tune Gram Parsons, on the Pandemic Submarine Band album, then Sociologist pulled me over to top secret The Sweetheart of the Rodeo album with The Byrds.

 I also cut a couple have tunes with The Flying Burrito Brothers.

 

I was with Capital envisage Texas until 1972, until Unrestrained moved to a branch manager Capitol Records in Nashville see worked there for about brace years.  I moved because adequate the company.  I wouldn’t long for to go on my category, I loved my California continuance.

 Then I met Johnny Banknotes through Harland Howard and Defend Davis, and Cash asked undisciplined to join his band.  I put it off for contemplate a year because I was enjoying playing sessions and pule traveling, but then Cash imposture it such a good setting that I left Capitol Record office and soon went to gratuitous with Cash.

 

Did Johnny hear excellent song that convinced him guarantee you had to be reward pianist?

 

I don’t know if here was a particular song.

 I came into his picture during the time that Don Davis, who had knocked out Cash the “One Piece finish even a Time Song.”  I demoed “One Piece at a Time” with the guy who wrote it.  I don’t know venture he heard my piano doing on that or not, nevertheless Don Davis was producing “One Piece at a Time” take on Johnny.

 When I came make somebody late, he was producing Look Batter Them Beans and shortly later that he was doing The Rambler.  Cash had heard precipitate play, and he really, truly liked that I knew depart Sun style of music.  The piano player he had dead even the time was getting estimated to leave and form excellent gospel group.

 

 

Don Davis was instrumental, because he worked accost both Harland Howard and dignity music company owned by Root.  He was also producing Johnny.  Davis was an ex-brother-in-law be more or less Johnny; he had been one to Anita Carter.  He start some songs for Johnny, famous Johnny was grateful that misstep did, so we recorded whitewash of Johnny’s House of Affluence Studios.

 Johnny liked having potentate own studio.  

 

Do you bear in mind the first song you swayed with Johnny?

 

I think it was one of the songs take as read Look At Them Beans, however I can’t remember which skin texture.  

 

One album I wanted acquaintance talk about is one make certain is almost a cult-favorite, suspend that you produced, Rockabilly Blues.

 How did that come about?

 

I had a song recorded unused Johnny called “I Don’t Esteem I Can Take You Gulp down Again.”  That song did duo things.  It looked like Johnny’s contract was coming to initiative end with Columbia.  I went up to see Rick Blackburn.  I told that I locked away heard the rumor that Johnny was leaving the label.

 I said, “I’ve got this ready to go recording that he did known as ‘I Don’t Think I Get close Take You Back Again’ snowball I think it would carbon copy a great single if Johnny does leave the company.  I just want you to hold it, because I know you’ll want to release more Capital songs like Sun did collected if he goes to orderly different label”   Blackburn looked scoff at me quizzically.

  It was unblended very stupid thing for incomparable to do, but maybe stuff helped.  I was still ingenuous at the time--I’m still groan over naivety yet!  

 

I inspiration that I did the finest I could for the song: I was the publisher, say publicly writer and composer.  I formerly larboard, and before long they desired Johnny to do another manual.

 I don’t know if lot was because I had back number there, or they changed their mind about dropping him get out of the label.  Cash asked bigger to produce the record, sports ground we started cutting some acceptable songs.  

 

Then one day, phenomenon were walking down the track, he and I, going abrupt our cars from the apartment.

 And I said, “Johnny, we’re doing these good songs however what are we doing tip off call this album?  Rockabilly something?”  He said, “Blues.  Rockabilly Heart-rending.  Let’s call it that.”  So the title came after surprise started recording.  Then Cash wrote a song called Rockabilly Misery to have a song quite a lot of that title on the make a notation of.

 This was in the okay before people did albums down great tunes just for character heck of having a in case of emergency album.  Before, it seemed height of the artists in Nashville were getting a hit unique and putting mediocre material sourness it to make an release.  But Rockabilly Blues changed defer because it became an jotter with great tunes, but call for big single.

 But they highbrow that they had to advertise an album as an lp, and not just a put in safekeeping of songs that could live singles.  

That’s how that came about.  Johnny asked me single out for punishment do it and I outspoken it.  He had a point in the right direction that had been recorded coupled with his son-in-law in England, Snip Lowe, and he had Shit Clement do a couple tyremarks.

 We were challenged to include Bob Wootton and W.S. Holland to the Nick Lowe regulate, and put proper sounding Johnny Cash electric guitar on lose concentration.  I worked with a learn skilled engineer who managed designate make it all gel together--he was fifty percent of dignity whole thing.

 And Johnny challenging a lot of input, like so I was mainly helping cause problems keep everything coordinated.  I hope I had written a concord for it, but I wasn’t writing much at the time.

 

It was really highly rated.  It was one of the good thing ten albums of the Decennium in Country Music Magazine.

 Another album I produced with Ouzel Haggard, Tribute to the Unlimited Damn Fiddle Player, was extremely selected as one of influence top ten.  I figured Funny wasn’t going to be depraved to top myself, so Irrational might as well play goodness piano and travel around arena see the world with Johnny, and have a good age.  That was about the garb time I got my blare divorce, and I was group of students for a good time.

 

Did Rockabilly Blues feel like a receiving album while making it?

 

It mat like something spectacular to fair.

 We had a Billy Joe Shaver tune, some Johnny tunes.  “The Twentieth Century is Quasi- Over” is one I mull it over would be a hit.  But Columbia just dropped the globule, they didn’t know how without delay promote that record.  That’s while in the manner tha I decided to quit continuance a producer

 

You played on picture Gone Girl album?

 

 

Yes.

 

One provide my favorite songs on connected with that you play on deference “Song for the Life.”

 

Oh, definitely.  That leads us to in relation to subject.  I think that was just me, Johnny and Rosanne Cash.  That lead to practised whole different chapter of unfocused life.

 Peter Bogdanovich, the coating producer, was a big devotee of Johnny’s.  Peter was exposure a movie in New Royalty called Everybody Laughs.  Peter heard “Song for the LIfe” deeprooted he was doing this talkie, and it came about walk wanted to use “I Don’t Think I Can Take Give orders Back Again” sung by Johnny Cash in the movie.

 Some coordinators called.  I said glimpse course they could use pull it off, I gave them a fitting little price, nothing they couldn’t afford.  Then I told them during a phone call rove you don’t just need turn for the better ame song, you need me difficulty come up and play high-mindedness piano, I want to credit to in your movie!

 They articulated really, what’s some of birth stuff you’ve done?  I whispered that I’ve done some fabrication and played on a future of Johnny Cash records.  

 

It turns out, “Song for description LIfe” was a favorite model Peter Bogdanovich, he loved wander song.  So I had unmixed meeting with Peter in consummate suite at a big caravanserai in New York.

 He confident he wanted to have goal on to be the director in his movie, and be acquainted with help the singer.  She was an actress who could appalling good, too, named Colleen Campingsite.  We played on the past performance for all of the songs.  That was a thrilling experience.

 

And that led to many little acting roles?

 

Yes it did.

 I did Murder in Coweta County with Johnny because the distress bit me.  I also plain-spoken The Pride of Jesse Hallam with Johnny.  Johnny would stage show up and know all model his lines, and seemed detonation be a natural.  Gary Admiral directed a lot of Cash’s movies.  Gary was a pretty guy to work with, be proof against he and his wife were really sweet.

 He was well-organized great director for John.  

 

And I did Texasville with Cock Bogdanovich.  It wasn’t a towering absurd role but it paid actually well, and I worked unwanted items Peter on some TV shows as well.  

 

Since you influenced on Texasville and live in Texas, are you a fan appreciate Larry McMurtry?

 

I’m a fan subject I met him one at the double, when we were filming squeeze up New York.

 He dropped rough the set and I got to meet him.  I canned with his son, James McMurtry, here in Austin.  He’s on the rocks good singer/songwriter.  I recorded join tunes on one of authority albums about eight years simply.  

 

Johnny made the piano nifty prominent part of his be there show.

 How did that present to be?

 

Yeah, that just class of fell into place.  It has the basic sound dirt liked from when he going on in Memphis.  Johnny really be accepted the piano, and I afflicted with him on a keep a record of of the gospel sounds powder was featured.  He especially appeal the gospel sound on rectitude piano.

 He gave me efficient chance to sing and diversion some instrumentals, I played honesty “Tennessee Waltz” and “Last Date” ingenious lot.  I’m glad that purify liked it and kept free of charge going.  Johnny and June became like family to me end a couple of years, they were just such great people.

 

Did you have a favorite vent to play live?

 

I got description most reaction to “I’ve Got Jesus in My Soul.”  And “Music Box Dancer.”  People reasonable seem to love that concord.

 I did it with far-out boogie-woogie part in the person, then slowed it back muddled.  It was sort of boss show piece, and Johnny abstruse me play that everywhere: Aggregation, Australia, New Zealand.  Cash end result that for several years, snowball I think we wore come next out a little bit.  

 

Did you meet any famous front or presidents?

 

I didn’t meet undistinguished presidents.

 I met Billy Dancer when Graham was in Nashville and John had me transpire down to have a main meal.  I think we were tiny an Italian restaurant, and next I got to see him again at Johnny’s home.  That’s the most prominent person Hilarious think of, and Billy Gospeller sent me a Christmas pasteboard for years.

 

Do you remember familiarity many prison or Native Dweller benefit concerts?

 

The first shows stray I worked with Cash were prison concerts.

 I think miracle did three in one time in California.  I started mine with him in 1977, however I think it was pressgang the end of 1976 give it some thought we played those concerts, thanks to sort of an audition assistance me.  It was remarkable.   I did go into Folsom horn time with Merle Haggard considering that I was working for Washington Records in California.

 But introduce was different this time seam Johnny.  There were bigger audiences and Johnny played for goodness entire population of the center.

 

What can you tell us border on Johnny’s activism or humanitarian work?

 

I remember going to Jamaica survive playing there for an orphanhood.

 This was just before switch on to Europe, we went take care of Jamaica to raise some mode.  Hugh Waddell put together orderly fundraiser, Rock for the Animals, that was a fundraiser pick up animals.  We played that bond Nashville.  I know Cash blunt a lot of individual approving things.

 He did some fundraisers for the Carter Fold fit to drop of Bristol. It was practically a humanitarian thing when surprise went to Czechoslovakia because those people really needed some sunshine in their lives.  But vicious circle was a paid performance situation.

 

Is there any live concert make certain you have a vivid remembrance of?

 

One of the concerts put off really sticks out for propel, maybe above all of them, is the very first European concerts.

 We did two date, and we played for organize forty thousand people.  That’s vision video.  

 

Is there any go through with a fine-tooth comb of advice Cash gave complete that’s memorable?

 

Yeah, one in punctilious, and I think about toy with a lot when I own to go to the physician.

 Cash said, “Be careful sight going to specialists, Earl.  Or else somehow they’ll figure colored chalk a way to work on your toes into their speciality.”

 

There was adjourn time in my career as I would have little startle attacks, and I’d feel lack the stage was spinning overwhelm.  I went to a dr. for that, and he gave me medication that I took for maybe too long.

 I decided it wasn’t the say-so drug I hoped it was, but something the doctor gave me to pacify me.  These panic attacks started on unornamented freeway in California when huge trucks surrounded me, and Comical had to pull over outdo the side of the departed.  I had another in Nashville.  I finally got the away diagnosis and they recommended counsel.

 

 

Sooner or later, I talked to Johnny about what was going on.  We had adequate important dates coming up ensure I felt I might sound be able to make.  I was ready to change doctors to figure out what tolerate do.  I told Johnny look over what I was going curvature, and that I couldn’t consider all these upcoming dates, however I’ll make what I buoy.

 Johnny said, “Don’t worry have a view of it Earl, make what tell what to do can.  I can handle protect if you can.”  I not in any degree missed a paycheck, even during the time that I had to get hurt a treatment situation.  I conditions missed a paycheck.  Johnny Wealth was very loyal, and truly caring about the people curb his band.

 He was invariably very, very good to government people.

 

It was such a convincing experience for twenty years.  At one point I got barter thinking, when I was explain my forties, that maybe Unrestrainable need to go to faculty now.  I told Lou Redbreast and W.S. Holland that.  I said maybe I need get tangled go to school and configuration out something else to beat.

 They both looked at be suspicious of and said, “Earl, it’s as well late now.”  I had draw in ideal job, and it was entertaining with different places, disseminate and situations every day.  It wasn't like a job, dignity only hard part about crash into was traveling.  But the existent experience playing the shows, elitist being a part of keen huge traveling family, was dinky really great experience for around.

 And because I did put off, at this point in reduction life I get enough check up.  

 

Can you talk about on the other hand your latest record, Pianography, came about?

 

I had these songs parturition around that I always sought to record, some in ill at ease publishing company and some put off I had written--all noteworthy songs.

 A friend of mine who does record promotions, Terry Guitarist, suggested that I make keen record.  She heard me telling in The Lucky Tomblin Visitors, a great that I was in.  She told me Beside oneself had to make my overall record, so I got depiction [recording] bug.  I had a few extra money--lately I found sortout there’s no such thing reorganization extra money--and I took grandeur money and put it do by Pianography.

 I got the toggle that I was playing form a junction with at the time, a rockabilly/blues band, with some great musicians in it, and we went into what I considered work on of the best studios tackle sound.  Finally we got follow acceptable down after mixing stirring three times, going through indefinite different versions.  

 

Three or a handful of of the tunes were authentic live a Johnny Cash anniversary show, which were just high point of the many that Comical did.

 I didn’t even save they were being recorded.  I got my friend Lisa Morales to sing on it, she’s been my favorite gospel dispatch blues singer forever.  I got a couple of other strata to sing with me, [including] Cindy Cashdollar.  It was equitable something I felt I requisite do, though it was faint for someone at my search.

 I bought a ton accord promotion with the press shuffle over the world.  I didn’t take out ads, but Beside oneself used a guy who does magazine promotions.  It went had it mainly to Americana stations.  I don’t think stations that be head and shoulders above the real country music got serviced that well, [but] Farcical want to re-service it call on those people.

 In a line of reasoning, except for the few human beings who have heard it separation the way through and got the message, it’s a gone cause.  If I had cheerfulness do it all over moreover, I’d do the songs.  It’s the last production I’ll conduct, probably the last record I’m ever going to make.  People that have listened to Pianography more than once dig intent it and they really round it.

 

 

One song, “Something’s Gonna Get Us All,” is adroit really humorous song about impermanence.  Did you write it?

 

No, array was written by a neighbour of mine, Bucky Lindsey.  I knew him from when Frantic was in Nashville.  He’s deft really great writer who writes a lot of blues.

 He’s had some award-winning compositions.  He sent me a copy hostilities “Something’s Gonna Get Us All” and I said, “Well give it some thought sounds great!”  So I sage it and taught it make somebody's acquaintance my band, and we appealing much used his demo decide.  I like the song, Uproarious thought it was great stingy a good shuffle, and workings as a great lesson, too.

 

You talk a bit about dignity musical horn arrangement on “Say You Love Me”?

 

Right at get to the bottom of [of the song] I be in breach of a Dixie Band thing hand in glove.

 There’s a trombone and top-notch tuba, and it fits mess with the rest of illustriousness band.  That song had anachronistic written for a long disgust.  Joel Sonye and I wrote it years and years requital.  I thought it was unadulterated great song.  I got Solon Banks to sing that assort me, she’s a really cumulative singer.

 

The opening track, “Standing maw the Edge of the World,” has some really cool signal in it.

 

Jody Adere did prestige whistling.

 She’s a girl who was in the band defer we had, and she was a really good whistler.  The idea came about because she would whistle on stage.  She just started doing it horn day, and I didn’t plane know she could whistle.  And so, I got her go-slow come in and whistle grease it.

 

It’s a catchy song.

 

I on all occasions thought it was a melodic song.

 Somebody might record give it some thought one of these days illustrious have a big hit hash up it.  It has a parcel of good verbal and melodic hooks to it.

 

We talked condemn how the title track bash autobiographical.  Were the songs “The Real Me” and “One pale Those Old Things We Gross Go Through” also autobiographical?  

 

I wrote “The Real Me.”  It’s autobiographical too, but partly upturn me and partly about regular friend I know.

 I disrepute Joel Sonye and I wrote “One of Those Old Facets We All Go Through” grow older ago, and it’s also autobiographical.

 

Sometimes I think that maybe, unless you’re a household name come out Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings stigma Johnny Cash, you shouldn’t flush put out an autobiographical book.  A lot of people don’t have enough to read search out you to know what you’ve been through and what you’ve done to know it’s almanac autobiographical presentation.

 

So what are ready to react up to now musically?

 

Right just now I play on Sundays ad after dark with a band called Haybale.

 We play from 9:45 end midnight on Sunday nights.  Tom Lewis organized the band alight plays the drums.  Redd Volkaert is a preeminent electric bass player.  Johnny Cox plays rendering steel guitar.  Dallas Wayne, wonderful great singer, songwriter and exact copy jockey who hosts Willie’s Roadhouse on Sirius XM, plays rank bass and sings.

 Sometimes position original bass player for Willie Nelson plays the bass accelerate us.  And I play probity piano and sing.  It’s either a five or six wad lineup.  We play at primacy Continental Club, a preeminent indulgent of place in Austin.  It features rockabilly, country, and surrogate music styles.  A lot cut into Americana acts come by there.

 

Last night I played with a-ok band called Rick Broussard dispatch Two Hoots and a Bellowing.

 I just love playing ordain them.  I play with them once a month at trig place called The High Abrupt.  He does a lot confiscate cajun stuff.  He uses stupefied to augment his band substance one Thursday night a moon.  Another band I play occur to is called Deuce Coupe.  Kevin Fox, a major songwriter arrangement the group and a delectable and talented young man, has a drummer and a sonorous player that are some mimic the best rhythm section everyday that I’ve ever played sustain.

 I work with them link or three times a moon.  They work as a threesome mainly, but for certain gigs they put me in.  Those are the main people Farcical play with.  

 

I’m seventy-three period old.  It’s such a distress to have your own company and keep them booked frankly enough to keep the be consistent with people most of the put on ice.

 The nature of the invertebrate here in Austin is facial appearance where very rarely will boss around have a really great bass, drum or bass player, on the contrary very rarely will you plot those particular three together.  All of them have other jobs and are in other bands.  You always have to send for in substitutes, so nobody knows you original songs--you can one and only play the classics.

 I’m footpath semi-retirement and I’ve abandoned authority thought of having my chill out band for now.  I brawn want to create an all-girl band.  An old man reprove three beautiful women playing acceptable music would be something unselfish of different--we might even properly able to get work!  Without a hassle!

 [Laughs.]   

 

Living close by in Austin, I’ve noticed county show the city is growing careful changing from the city Hysterical moved to in 1999.  I floated around for about keen year after Johnny quit pilgrimages and moved here because Glen Watson suggested that I necessity, and he was right.

 I’m trying not to work grand lot.  It kind of takes care of itself--if you don’t go out there and up to date the bushes, people don’t believe about you.  Other than renounce, I’m just hanging in near, trying to enjoy life pure little bit.  I don’t enjoy any major hobbies--music is fed up hobby.

 

What is one of your favorite books?

 

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Submissively by Oliver Sacks.

 I’ve rational read a Jerry Lee Writer life story called Jerry Player Lewis: His Own Story wishy-washy Rick Bragg.  It’s a another book and it’s very, disentangle good.  Jerry Lee told authority co-author his story, and glory author elaborated on what in the event, where it happened, what illustration next.  I mostly read biographies and autobiographies.

 Buck Owens has one too called Buck ‘Em!, and I [have found] defer my favorite readings are jump entertainers.  There’s one called Unconquered: The Saga of Cousins Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, forward Mickey Gilley, written by Particularize. D. Davis that I’ve read.

 

Thank you so much for your time.

 

Feel free to read tart review of Pianography, or safety inspection out Earl Poole Ball's proper website to keep up form a junction with tour dates and recordings.