TRUE POETS, Part 1: DON GIBSON

Though largely forgotten, Don Gibson was one of our greatest songwriters, in my view. His song catalog is epic and includes: I Can't Stop Loving You; Sweet Dreams; Oh, Lonesome Me; Lonesome Number One; Sea Of Heartbreak and on and on. Gibson had many hits with these and other songs, but artists like Ray Charles (I Can't Stop Loving You), Patsy Cline (Sweet Dreams) and Ronnie Milsap (I'd Be A Legend In My Time) had monster hits on them. But I've always liked Gibson's interpretations best. Loneliness and being blue were constant themes throughout and supposedly he was quite lonely, as we all are from time to time. Unfortunately, his artistry was hard to decipher in most of his recordings, due to overproduction and oftentimes annoying background choruses. So I've chosen a cover of my favorite Gibson tune, Legend In My Time, by Johnny Cash, recorded near the end of his life when he was so beautifully exploring his inner being (words follow). There's also a clip of Gibson performing I Can't Stop Loving You. I've always felt Gibson was suffering inside and the way he dealt with it was through his words and melodies. What gifts he gave us.

Johnny Cash (audio)... Legend In My Time...

(I'd Be A) Legend In My Time
If heartaches brought fame,
In love's crazy game,
I'd be a legend in my time.
If they gave gold statuettes,
For tears and regret,
I'd be a legend in my time.
But they don't give awards,
And there's no praise or fame.
For hearts that are broken, or love that's in vain.
If loneliness meant world acclaim,
Everyone would know my name,
I'd be a legend in my time.
[Spoken:] If heartaches brought fame,
In love's crazy game,
I'd be a legend in my time.
If they gave gold statuettes,
For tears and regret,
I'd be a legend in my time.
[Sung:] But they don't give awards,
And there's no praise or fame.
For hearts that are broken, or love that's in vain.
If lonliness meant world acclaim,
Everyone would know my name,
I'd be a legend in my time.

I Can't Stop Loving You
(Try to ignore the Jordanaires!)

• Don Gibson

Porter Tubb