Gary P. Nunn: A Texas Treasure

[hullabelew 3,724]

He deserves his own thread....as does what happened Saturday night. Gary P. Nunn just made his Grand Ole Opry debut. Yep boys and girls, you read that right. And I got to see it.

 

[hullabelew 3,724]

Apparently, there were about 600 Texans who made the trek to see him do "The Last Thing I Needed, The First Thing This Morning" and "London Homesick Blues".    I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a tear when the crowd was singing along.  He was the only artist to get a standing ovation.  He actually got 2 of them.  

I can't believe he has never played the Opry before, but that horrible wrong has now been corrected.    I'm still flying from the weekend.  

[hullabelew 3,724]

 

[Hornius Emeritus 12,462]

I've probably seen him 20 times in the past 40 years. He's quite something, though I have to say that the last couple of times I've seen him I thought that his voice was diminished ---- understandably so, of course. I've taken many photos of him, of course, but this one is perhaps my favorite because it was at a classic old dance hall and I was standing outside in a fairly heavy rain while Gary was up onstage and I caught him through the open window.


 

[hullabelew 3,724]

That is really cool picture.   I was hoping you had some cool ones.   This article came out in Feb.

https://www.wfaa.com/article/entertainment/a-visit-with-a-texas-music-legend-retiring-from-nearly-50-years-on-the-road/287-ea6ce3da-8bba-4237-ba7d-b30ecf863688

 

[MAROON 445]

one of my biggest regrets is that I never took the time to go watch him play at his monthly gig at Blanco's in Houston.  It was always one of those - we'll get to it someday things.  Then the bastards tore Blanco's down.  I did get to see him perform on Texas Independence Day party at the ROCC one year and dance the night away with the wife. Always loved this tune.

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by MAROON

[Alvin89 108]

Gary is playing in Galveston on Thursday and Friday at the Old Quarter. My brother happens to be opening for him if anyone near the island is checking that show out.

[Gil Bang 25,958]

Never heard of this dude.  I'll check out these posted songs later this evening.  Thanks.

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,585]

When I worked at Sound Warehouse management instituted a quaint short lived policy of matching IDs to credit card users. Two days in, checking out customers I did my obligatory "Can I see your ID?" I looked at the name and pic on the drivers license, looked up at Gary P Nunn. "Oh. You're Gary P Nunn. I'm sorry." He was a good sport. I never checked another ID after that.

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,585]

...at least a decade (or two) later I saw him walking into the Blanco Stripes wearing a Gary P Nunn t shirt, and it struck me as a Dick Tracy cartoon label. Like no one was going to question this guy's identity again.

[Post Oak 20,213]

He was the first person I ever saw at Gruene Hall.  Great music

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,585]

9 hours ago, hullabelew said:

 

He deserves his own thread....as does what happened Saturday night. Gary P. Nunn just made his Grand Ole Opry debut. Yep boys and girls, you read that right. And I got to see it.

 

 

Insane that was his debut.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,460]

I've probably seen him 20 times in the past 40 years. He's quite something, though I have to say that the last couple of times I've seen him I thought that his voice was diminished ---- understandably so, of course. I've taken many photos of him, of course, but this one is perhaps my favorite because it was at a classic old dance hall and I was standing outside in a fairly heavy rain while Gary was up onstage and I caught him through the open window.


 

Wow, what a great shot

[C-Man 27,227]

Dude is a legend. Good friend of mine’s buddy is Gary’s manager. We are thinking of booking him for our Rib Cook-Off in Dallas in April. I know. I know. Cool story bro.

[hullabelew 3,724]

 

 

 

 

 

[hullabelew 3,724]

 

 

[Hornius Emeritus 12,462]

On 8/7/2019 at 10:09 AM, C-Man said:

Dude is a legend. Good friend of mine’s buddy is Gary’s manager. We are thinking of booking him for our Rib Cook-Off in Dallas in April. I know. I know. Cool story bro.

 

He's retiring at the end of this year. 

[C-Man 27,227]

1 hour ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

 

He's retiring at the end of this year. 

It's my understanding he's "retiring" from touring and what-not. This will free him up to play fewer shows for more money. We're still hoping to have him for our deal.

[Hornius Emeritus 12,462]

 

[deadshank 24,653]

Saw the man last night at The Heights Theater.  A great show.  He’s 76 years old and still getting after it.  
 

Truly a Texas treasure.   

[kegman 187]

In 1999, I was sitting at the bar after hours at Blaine's Pub in San Angelo.  Blaine had put on a festival that day, and one of my friends was playing the festival.  I had spent most of the day drinking backstage at the festival and rest of the day drinking at Blaine's so I was pretty relaxed. I look to the set next to me and it was none other than Gary P.   We got a pretty good conversation going and eventually I asked him about one of my favorite songs London Homesick Blues.  I said it sounded like a pretty good story happened over London.  He responded with "Actually Kegman there was quite a story.   I had just left Jerry Jeff and ......."  That was the last thing I remember other than afterwards thinking damn, that was a cool story.  Pissed that I had forgotten the story, I got my buddy to ask about it the next time he played with Gary.  Unfortunately, my friend also forgot the story before he could relay it to me.  

[Chad Fuck 17,681]

29 minutes ago, kegman said:

In 1999, I was sitting at the bar after hours at Blaine's Pub in San Angelo.  Blaine had put on a festival that day, and one of my friends was playing the festival.  I had spent most of the day drinking backstage at the festival and rest of the day drinking at Blaine's so I was pretty relaxed. I look to the set next to me and it was none other than Gary P.   We got a pretty good conversation going and eventually I asked him about one of my favorite songs London Homesick Blues.  I said it sounded like a pretty good story happened over London.  He responded with "Actually Kegman there was quite a story.   I had just left Jerry Jeff and ......."  That was the last thing I remember other than afterwards thinking damn, that was a cool story.  Pissed that I had forgotten the story, I got my buddy to ask about it the next time he played with Gary.  Unfortunately, my friend also forgot the story before he could relay it to me.  

So really this is a story about you and your friend fucking up in the presence of greatness? 

[kegman 187]

33 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

So really this is a story about you and your friend fucking up in the presence of greatness? 

exactly.  Although, I do think it illustrates how cool Gary P is in that he tolerated our fucking up.  

 

[CoTex 1,160]

After an eventful night at the Houston rodeo (do they still have the hideout?) me and others went to Blanco’s to wind down.  
 

Ended up drinking with GPN at the bar while 2 of my friends, who were married at the time, made out on the stools next to us.  They were not married to each other.  I kept nudging them and saying things like “hey, I got GPN over here - stop fucking around.”

They we’re undeterred.

And, I can’t really tell that story in my circle of friends because… married people.

[tejas60 3,533]

I have 2 tickets to see Gary P. in Bandera for NYE if anyone's interested. Friends won't be able to make it. you'll have to sit by me.

$85 a piece. you get a bottle of champaigne (if I remember correctly), VIP tickets (table), meet-n-greet bs....

 

[noharleyyet 2,838]

csb: 

In the early 80's and going thru a divorce I discovered GPN...ran into him performing at a honkytonk in Ruidoso and also The Motherlode in Red River, both places after partaking more than few apres ski libations (thus the divorce inclusion). Good dude, knew many mutual people from my area of N TX. Very patient with inebriates. 

IMO his best vinyl:

 

[CoTex 1,160]

Met him one night after the HLSR at Blancos.  He was cool..

Damn those were long nights.  Head to the rodeo at 6, start drinking.  Leave bar/dancehall etc at 2am.  8 hours of drinking.

[jimmyjazz 45,954]

Amateur.

[C-Man 27,227]

18 hours ago, tejas60 said:

I have 2 tickets to see Gary P. in Bandera for NYE if anyone's interested. Friends won't be able to make it. you'll have to sit by me.

$85 a piece. you get a bottle of champaigne (if I remember correctly), VIP tickets (table), meet-n-greet bs....

 

Is this at 11th Street Cowboy Bar? I think I mentioned it further up thread but we had Gary P play our charity BBQ in Dallas a couple of years back. His manager De Foster is a long-time friend of a close friend of mine and he helped us with marketing/publicity. De and I got to be buddies working our our event. Around the time of our event, he bought 11th Street Cowboy Bar. I haven't made it by there yet but I hear he's done a good job with it. Dude knows everybody in the Texas music scene.

[tejas60 3,533]

that's the place. never been, but looks like a neat venue from the street.

 

[Teebox 89]

My anxiety spiked when i saw this necro bump.  Thank god