Billy Joe Shaver -The Memphis Suntan Pill Incident -( Kenny Vaughan )

What's your favorite Billy Joe Shaver song?

I went to Eddy Shaver’s funeral and burial. Offered condolences to Billy Joe and had a long conversation with Dickey Betts, who taught Eddy on guitar. Billy Joe was real sweet and on one occasion I approached him for an autograph for my wife, who was dying of cancer. He was so kind as he had a wife who had died of cancer. RIP Billy Joe,

Eddie shaver is one of the greatest unknown guitarist of all time

Thanks Otis & Kenny. Everything Kenny had to say about Billy Joe came to my wife & I back a few years. I would go visit my Dad and take my guitar. One song he dearly loved was "Old Chunk of Coal". On his last day of consciousness we sang it for about 20 minutes. I played the song at his funeral- most fitting for him. A bit of time later Billy Joe was coming to the Ark in Ann Arbor. My wife, Paula, says you have to go and tell him how much that song means to you. So we bought tickets and went. Loved the show and the place was packed. Because Paula is in a wheelchair it would be near impossible to get to the performers table after the show in that crowd. So I went in the hall and ran into Billy's bass player and briefly told him to tell Billy we loved the show and about the song. So, I rolled Paula to the elevator, we got on with her aide and went down. The door opened and BAM! Billy Joe Shaver standing right there. He looked at us and when he noticed Paula in her chair, he went right down on one knee and said "Thank you so much for coming to see me, I know it wasn't easy for you" I said "this is Paula" He reached for her hand, gave it a little kiss and he said "Paula Darling". He stood up and thanked us again and I was able to tell him about my Dad and the song. He said "Well you folks are about the best thing that's happened to me today". I said "I know you gotta get upstairs thanks so much for your kindness". He looked at the exit door and hiked one leg in the air, spun on the other heel and hustled to the door to hold it open. Another Kiss for Paula, a handshake for me, and a hug for our caregiver. We went out onto the sidewalk and our aide said "What a nice guy!" She never knew who he was a until that night. "Yes he is" Paula said.

The book is really good. There's a passage about how his father in law always said "we gotta go fix this" or "we gotta go do that", but what he really meant was "you gotta go fix this" or "you gotta go do that." Damned if I haven't known plenty of sonsabitches just like that! When he snuck off and saw Hank Williams, he said Hank looked right at him for the whole show, like he was singing just for him. I've often thought maybe Hank passed along the gift to Billy Joe. He carried on in fine fashion, so simple, and yet so profound.

I saw Billy Joe in Corpus Christi, TX in the early 200's. He was in a little bar on a Sunday after church. There weren't many people in the bar. It was after Eddie and his wife passed away. He told us what was what. Great show. Underappreciated.

I met Billy Jo at the blue note in Columbia Mo on a Sunday night. I had tea with him and the band next door. Billy Joe took us to church his band was the best 3 piece band I ever heard. RiP. BJS 🙏

I saw Billy Joe Shaver under similar circumstances. His son looked about 19 or 20 at the time. It was a great show, so many great songs.

All of them. The Dynamite story was another great story told by Billy Joe

Kenny is a good guy. Billy was one of a kind. My favorite Billy Joe song is Live Forever.

I saw Billy Joe at Work Play in Birmingham, Al years back. I was close enough for hm to see me singing every song right along with him. His songs were so personable and related to me on so many levels. They’re too many of his songs to nail it down to just one as a favorite. I discovered his music in the early nineties when he was playing with Eddy. Eddy knocked my socks off as an incredible guitar player with the same passion, power and energy comparable only to the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Guitar picking like that is “Texas” thing I’m sure. Words can never convey what Billy Joe Shaver’s songs and Eddy’s virtuosity will always mean to me.

Haha, classic.... Billy Joe Shaver, man there'll never be another like him.

Billy was one of my best friends and I miss him everyday. We did a lot of those little shows in strip malls with him. All over the country. He was still doing it up until he passed.

Ok. Now I gotta go out and buy Billy Joe's book!

Eddy was brilliant!!! RIP Eddy and Billy Joe THANKS FOR THE MUSIC

Billy Joe was a legend. Last I time I saw him was at Floores country store. He walked by my, tipped his cap and said howdy. Great show. Also saw him acoustic at county line BBQ. My face song by billy is the devil made me do it the first time. The second time I done it on my own.

"I'm just an old chunk of coal" is a great one. Thanks Otis!

I saw Billy twice in the UK and was going to see him in Leicester BUT he was called back to deal with the shooting incident. He didn't come back again sadly. I love his songs, 1 of my favourites is the Cowboy who started the fight.

Great story Otis. I was support for Billy Joe 3 times. Once in St Louis, once in Chicago, and once in Champaign IL. In Chicago there were 50 people, in St Louis there were 30, and in Champaign there were maybe 20. Same deal, this guy is an idol to me and no one came to see him. He didnt give a shit tho. He performed like there were 20K. Kenny and Jimmy Lester both played on my record, Hinges. Beasts, both of them.

Nothing better after a VERY LONG Day. Then a beautiful graduation walk through ceremony with my daughter now officially a middle school girl with my family. Followed by a stressful rush through our local Kroger store for last minute graduation gifts, junk food, & coffee & energy drinks of course. Then FINALLY with my kindergarten & elementory school graduates tucked in bed. The wife legit passed out with exhaustion. John Prine, Far From Me playing on vinyl in the background as I pour my last night cap cup of coffee for the night & light the day's last cigarette. Then, like magic & mystery of life. I finally wind down, look at my phone. Then there it is! A notification from @YouTube and a new video from my friend, Mr. Otis Gibbs! Just Perfection to end my evening & night here in my part of this big old goofy world in Paradise. Muhlenberg County, KY. As far as favorite Billy Joe Shaver song. To be totally honest if that's okay, sir. I have never heard a bad Billy Joe Shaver song. Nor have I ever heard a bad John Prine song. Just like I've never listened to a bad episode of your old podcast Thanks For Giving A Damn With Otis Gibbs. Nor never viewed or listened to a bad Otis Gibbs video here on YouTube. Certainly never heard a bad Otis Gibbs song either! Thank You, Otis! For everything you've done & continue doing. It's helped me greatly, truly, & genuinely along with you through some dark days & times. And through good days & times as well. What a beautiful thing, sir. What a beautiful ride along & down this lost highway of life as our old pal, Hank would say. So sincerely Thank You, Sir. I would absolutely love you to be a part of a John Prine tribute here in Muhlenberg County at Paradise Park. That would truly, & genuinely be a beautiful thing to me, sir. Thank You, & Thank You sincerely for your time, sir!