Jamie Richards is not a man who fears the machine or cares what “they” think. With boldness, Jamie dares to go where most have drifted from; traditional, honest, downright real country music.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Jamie grew up on a working dairy farm owned by his family. He cut his teeth on gospel music singing with his mother while she played the piano. After eight years of getting his musical education in Oklahoma honky-tonks, Jamie ventured out East to Music City. With little more than a couple hundred dollars and a lot of pride, he rolled into Nashville but found that the city doesn’t always welcome real country singers with open arms. Everyday Jamie watched great singers leave town, discouraged by the corporate nature of Music Row and the pop-influenced sound that was being made mainstream.
Unaffected by the manufactured nature of Nashville, his bulldog mentality and perseverance paid off. His mastery of the songwriting craft caught the attention of Curb Records who offered him a position as a staff writer. For almost five years, Jamie played the part of prolific staff songwriter for the mega publishing company, securing cuts with major label artists and several motion pictures. During his tenure, he was offered several record deals. All of the opportunities started out with the same promise but ended with the fear that Jamie was “too country.” Never one to compromise his beliefs, he dismissed their ideas of turning him into another cookie cutter country hat act.
At the same time that Nashville was turning up its nose at traditional country music, a legendary record label in Texas, D Records, was looking for the next voice to bring back the roots of country. In 2000, Wes Daily reactivated the label, hoping to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. “Pappy" Daily, founder of D Records, was famous for launching the career of George Jones. Jamie fit what Wes was looking for to a “T” straight-up, life-telling, soul stirring country music.
Jamie’s debut album, No Regrets, was an instant hit, producing two Texas Music Chart top ten singles. He found his home in the camaraderie of other Texas/Oklahoma artists, collaborating or performing with artists like Kevin Fowler, Walt Wilkins, Jason Allen, and Cooder Graw. With open arms and warm hearts, Texas has embraced his honest and edgy songwriting approach.
Alan Mercer: Jamie, I must start out by asking if it’s true you went to Nashville and were told you were too country?
Jamie Richards: It is pretty much the truth. I got to Nashville in the 90’s and they were looking for artists like Garth Brooks. Alan Jackson and others that were before Garth weren’t selling as many records. Garth was selling ten million copies and everyone else was selling one million, so they were trying to find something different, and it wasn’t traditional Country music. I had a deal with RCA in 1997 and Capitol records in 1992. I had some interest and both labels cut some sides with me, but nothing ever amounted to a record deal. It seems like I was a little too old school for them. They wanted something that was newer sounding, but I stuck to my guns and got a record deal offer from D Records in 2001. That’s the label that had George Strait. George Jones started them off.
AM: That is awesome. That must have been a good feeling for you.
JR: It was, I had a contract with Curb in 1999, but they fooled around and talked to different producers and thought about giving me a record deal, but it never panned out. I knew I had the record company in Texas that wanted to put me out there, so I asked them to just keep me as a writer and they did, for about five years. I was coming to Texas and started playing live concerts in 2001 and then we cut an album there called, ‘No Regrets,’ the very first one. I had recorded that one when I was still with Curb. That’s how it all got started.
AM: It wasn’t long, and you were having songs on Texas radio, right?
JR: I was getting singles released in Texas and they started doing well. I wanted to play music. I was tired of the Nashville scene. Tired of sitting in an office writing songs and trying to get noticed. I wasn’t very good at going out every night and partying. (Laughter) I probably should have gone out more so I could have met the right people.
AM: Did you have any other jobs?
JR: I was working as a carpenter, trying to make a living. The best move I ever made was coming to Texas.
AM: You are from Oklahoma, right?
JR: I still live in Oklahoma in between Oklahoma City and Shawnee off Interstate 40. That’s where I grew up.
AM: You can have a great career playing in Oklahoma and Texas, can’t you?
JR: I have made a good living at it. It does have its pitfalls too. There are a lot of people involved in the Texas music scene now. There are thousands of singers. It’s a tough market, not that much easier than Nashville, nowadays. It’s a tough road. I’ve pretty much done the same stuff my whole career. I write most of what I sing.
AM: That’s perfect because you write such great songs.
JR: I ended up writing a lot of songs with some really great songwriters who are in the hall of fame. I’ve written with a lot of older guys who taught me how to write and it’s been a big help for me writing some good material and learning the craft of songwriting. A lot of Texas guys don’t have that ability because they didn’t have anybody to teach them or work with them on their songwriting. A lot of them have some natural ability but a lot of them haven’t progressed to where they should have. Some of the worst songs ever, go to number one, so who knows?
AM: You are such a respected songwriter now and you have a unique voice that doesn’t sound like anyone else.
JR: That used to be a good thing, but I don’t even know anymore. (Laughter)
AM: I think it’s a good thing. Jamie, your latest album, ‘The Real Deal’ is a work of art.
JR: I’m real proud of that record. The music business is so much about money and so political, if you don’t put a ton of money into it, which I didn’t, it won’t go anywhere. I paid for that all myself. I paid for the radio guy to pitch it and get it played and a little promotion. That’s all I’ve got. With more money on top of that, it could be a huge record.
AM: Albums have a longer shelf life now.
JR: For sure. I’ve released two or three things off it, but there’s probably half a dozen singles on that record.
AM: Any of those songs could be a single.
JR: I’ve never tried to put any filler songs on a record. I always just wanted to put the very best I could find. I’ve never felt like saving anything. If I got the song and it’s time to record and I feel like I got enough good songs, that’s when I go in. I don’t go into the studio to record and hope that something weak becomes a good song, because it won’t.
AM: Even a good producer can’t save it.
JR: The greatest production in the world does not make a great song. It has to have the foundation of being a great song to become one.
AM: I think it needs to come from an authentic place as well, don’t you?
JR: I do for sure.
AM: I know you play with a full band in most shows, but your acoustic shows are awesome. Do you enjoy that type of performing?
JR: I do enjoy them. They can be a lot of fun, but so are the full band shows like when we played the White Elephant in the stockyards in Fort Worth last time. 450 people paid to come see us in that little bar. It was unbelievable. It was a great night.
AM: You seem to have a large following and everywhere you play, you are warmly received.
JR: I think more than ever. The older I get, the better it’s getting.
AM: I think you are easy to spot now because there is so much crap music out there. (Laughter) People can hear something of quality.
JR: I think that helped. I think you are absolutely right. I’d like to hope that I’m the guy putting the quality material out.
