Why Chet Atkins Fired Steve Wariner

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Steve Wariner (1:00)

Chet called me into his office, and he goes, you got a top 10 hit record? And I go, yes sir, I do. And he goes, that's great, well you're fired. Tony played me a song one day called Some Fools Never Learned. But I was around RCA when Gary Stewart was on RCA. Tony Brown called me one day, and he goes, hey Linda Ronstadt's over here, you wanna come over and say hi? I love Paycheck, I love getting to know him. Billy made a comment and said, I heard a phrase, Holes in the Floor of Heaven. And I go, oh my gosh.

Dillon Weldon (1:37)

All right, we're back for another episode of Drifting Cowboy Podcast, the part two. So if you haven't seen part one, you could probably go ahead and watch this and it'll still make sense, but go back and watch part one because we covered all of the early stuff and the Dottie West and the Bob Lumen and a little bit of Chet and that's where we're going to pick right back up. But we're in here with Steve Wariner in the studio, in his studio this time.

I've already seen some really cool stuff, so thanks for having me out here, Steve.

Steve Wariner (2:05)

Dillon, my pleasure. I'm glad you're here. I was glad we could pick it back up and continue with, because I was worried the last time I thought, we didn't even get very far. I mean, we kind of did, but we really didn't get to the chapters about my world.

We've kind of covered all the stuff of me working for other folks and those great days of playing, being a side guy, which I love. That's my foundation, so I love that.

Dillon Weldon (2:34)

Yeah, well, you've had such a long career and getting to work with so many incredible people in those early days, we had to cover it.

Steve Wariner (2:43)

Yeah, and I appreciate that about you. I really do.

You love the history, and you love the beginnings, the roots of what we all are and where we all come from. I love that about you, man. Yes. And that's what we're all the... We all come from the same place, you know.

Dillon Weldon (2:58)

Oh, yeah.

Steve Wariner (2:59)

We all go right back to those roots and stuff. So, anyway.

Dillon Weldon (3:03)

Well, you've been telling me some great stories while I was setting everything up. And one of the coolest things I've seen since coming in here is the elevators, the Jerry Reed elevator. And you were telling me some great Jerry Reed stories.

Steve Wariner (3:16)

Oh, my gosh. One of my favorite people. He made me laugh so hard and everybody. But he was just the best. And I've knew Jerry. You know, Chet introduced me to Jerry way on before I even signed my first record contract. Because as I think I stated in one of the earlier segments, I remember walking into Studio B, Chet wanted me to come in and meet him. One of the earliest times I met with Chet and Jerry was in the studio and I was freaked out. But now fast forward and I got to know Jerry pretty well through the years.

But he recorded, Jerry did two albums, his last two records he did in this studio right here. We had a full, this room was full of double scale players. I mean, Dredge Young and Greg Morrow and some great players.

And it was produced by Gordon Kennedy, which was awesome, always working with Gordon Kennedy, which is those Kennedy boys, that's some country music royalty right there.

But working with Jerry was fun. And I was telling you also about the elevator, we would go to lunch, we were working and we would go to lunch.