My Gary Stewart Litmus Test
If you have been reading any of my previous posts, you would soon figure out that I have a major soft spot for classic country music. And although modern country has been subject to some rightful criticism, it seems that many people still hold classic country dear to their heart. Of course it is easy for the average person to say they enjoy classic country music and mention artists like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, or Dolly Parton as examples of classic country they love. While I absolutely love those artists, I do think having a true love and appreciation for classic country goes a bit deeper than these very popular names known by almost everyone.
Because I am occasionally annoying and (unintentionally) come off as a music snob, I have developed a few different “litmus tests” to determining how deep someone may be in a genre or specific fandom and one of the main ones of mine that continues to produce the results I love is my Gary Stewart litmus test.
Before I get into the details of the actual litmus test, I wanted to at least share a bit more about Gary Stewart to provide some background and weight to why exactly his music is what I consider in the litmus test.
Gary Stewart was an American country singer who really experienced his peak in the 1970s. His music was so quintessential country through the various themes his music touched on that so many listeners of the genre could relate to such as marital issues, honky tonkin’, and substance abuse. He is also known for his vibrato voice that just adds that extra feeling of emotion to his often melancholy lyrics. Gary Stewart was also often considered too country for rock fans and too rock for country fans, leading him to become sort of a revival of the 1950s rockabilly sound. And although he was occasionally referred to as rockabilly, I truly believe his music at its heart is pure honky tonk. Some of his most notable songs include “She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)”, “Ten Years of This”, and “Out of Hand”. As his music sort of teetered between rock and country, he started to gather fans from both sides, including Bob Dylan himself claiming to be a big fan.
Gary Stewart’s later years were unfortunately filled with quite a bit of heart ache and struggle as he suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse, as well as the death of his son. Despite these struggles, he did continue to perform but in 2003, his wife passed away and he eventually followed her in death by a self-afflicted gun shot wound. It really saddens me how his later years ended up but as you look back through his catalog of music, you can really feel his ache and struggle throughout his music, which is a gift to be able to deliver so well.
So now let’s talk about the litmus test. OF COURSE you don’t have to know all about a genre in order to say you are a fan of it, however, when someone claims to love classic country, I do feel like there are levels to just how deep their love for the genre goes. As I mentioned earlier, there are many well known artists that pretty much anyone can name a song from but when someone mentions the name Gary Stewart, I just KNOW they have a true heart for country music. Gary Stewart obviously isn’t some niche indie artist, but I do think that his fandom consists of folks who really appreciate the many aspects of classic country such as story telling, good ol drinking songs, heart ache, and of course some honky tonkin’. When I hear someone mention Gary Stewart, I automatically think to myself “okay, this person knows what they are talking about”.
So on the occasions where I give into my snobbery, I will bring up Gary Stewart’s music in the instance when someone mentions that they like classic country music. Depending on their reaction to hearing Gary Stewart’s music, it tells me plenty about how serious their love for classic country music is. Every person I know that listens to Gary Stewart just gets country music differently than those that don’t, it’s just science at this point! If you are a fan of classic country and you haven’t given Gary Stewart’s music some attention, do yourself a favor and dive into his discography and you will likely have an even deeper appreciation for the genre.
What are some other “litmus test” type of artists or bands any of you use to determine the level of someone’s appreciation for a genre? I know I cannot be the only one who thinks this way.
