AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gary Stewart

Artist:Gary Stewart

Song:Drinkin' Thing

Album:Out of Hand/Your Place or Mine

Drinkin' Thing was one of three top ten country hits from Gary Stewart's 1975 album Out of Hand. That was the peak of his career. He had faded pretty badly by the 80s. Stewart was a throwback to honkytonk singers of the 50s. Time Magazine called him The King of Honkytonk. He was born May 28, 1944 in Jenkins, KY. and he grew up in Fort Pierce, FL. Stewart began writing songs and playing clubs in his teens. At age 17, he married Mary Lou Taylor who was three years older than him. Stewart worked in an airplane factory while playing clubs at night. It was while playing one of those clubs that Stewart met Mel Tillis. And Tillis told him to go to Nashville and pitch his songs. He recorded a few songs for a small label and wrote with partner Bill Eldridge the 1965 Stonewall Jackson hit Poor Red Georgia Dirt. Stewart signed with Kapp Records in 1968 and released a handful of unsuccessful singles. But he had success writing songs for guys like Billy Walker, Cal Smith and Nat Stuckey. He even played piano in Charley Pride's band for a while. Stewart returned home to Florida and started playing clubs again. He recorded some countryfied Motown songs which landed in the hands of Mercury Records producer Roy Dea where he produced Johnny Rodriguez. Dea was thinking of leaving Mercury. So he took Stewart to Jerry Bradley at RCA Records and got Stewart a record deal. After a cover of the Dicky Betts song Ramblin' Man went nowhere, Dea produced Stewart's 1975 album Out of Hand. The first single Drinkin' Thing reached #10 on the Country Singles chart. This was followed by Out of Hand reaching #4 and She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles) topping the chart. The album reached #6 on the Country Albums chart. Drinkin' Thing was written by Wayne Carson who co-wrote Always on My Mind. So that means Stewart was an overnight success after ten years in country music. Unfortunately, Stewart's success was short lived. By the late 70s, Stewart faded to the point where RCA dropped him in 1983. There don't seem to be any Gary Stewart comps available right now. But you can get the album Out of Hand on a twofer with the 1977 album Your Place or Mine. Stewart later recorded for Hightone. He had alcohol and drug problems. And his son committed suicide. Stewart continued to play local clubs. After his wife died from pneumonia in Nov. 2003, Stewart went into a deep depression. When his daughter's boyfriend visited him on Dec. 16, 2003, he was found dead from a self inflicted gunshot. Here's Gary Stewart performing Drinkin' Thing on Pop Goes the Country 1975.