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Robert Earl Keen

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Robert Earl Keen
Keen in 2018
Keen in 2018
Background information
Born (1956-01-11) January 11, 1956 (age 68)
OriginHouston, Texas, U.S.
GenresAmericana, country, alternative country
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, mandolin
Years active1984–2024
LabelsDualtone, Arista, Sugar Hill, KOCH, Lost Highway, Rosetta
Websiterobertearlkeen.com

Robert Earl Keen (born January 11, 1956)[1] is a Texas country singer-songwriter and entertainer. Debuting with 1984's No Kinda Dancer, the Houston native has recorded 20 full-length albums for independent and major record labels. His songs been covered by artists including George Strait, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, The Highwaymen and Nanci Griffith.[2][3][4][5][6] Keen has toured in the U.S. and abroad.

Early life and education

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Keen was born and grew up in Houston, Texas, United States.[7] As a teenager, he was an avid reader who excelled in writing and literature classes. Keen was a fan of the British rock band Cream, and was influenced by country music by artists Willie Nelson, Norman Blake, Jesse Winchester, Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Withers, Gary Stewart, and Jimmie Rodgers.[8]

After graduation from Sharpstown High School, Keen started playing guitar himself shortly thereafter, learning to play classic country covers out of a songbook the summer before starting college at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.[7] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1978 and began writing songs and playing bluegrass and folk music with friends, including his childhood friend (and future longtime fiddle player in his band) Bryan Duckworth. During his college years Keen lived with future musician Lyle Lovett.[7]

Career

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Keen performing in 2007

In 1978, Keen graduated from Texas A&M and moved to Austin, Texas.[7] He performed in nightclubs and live music venues in Austin, including Cactus Cafe, Emma Joe's, Alamo Lounge and Liberty Lunch, Anderson Fair in Houston, and Gruene Hall in New Braunfels.[9][10][11] In 1983, Keen won the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas.[12][13] That same year, he began making his self-produced first album, No Kinda Dancer.[7]

Following the release of this album in 1985, Keen moved to Nashville with his future wife, Kathleen Gray. He signed a publishing deal, a new independent label deal, and signed with a national booking agent.[14] While in Nashville, Keen and Gray worked at Hatch Show Print shop.[15]

Keen returned to Texas in 1987 and released his second album, The Live Album, in 1988, followed by his third album, West Textures in 1989.[16] West Textures featured the first recording of Keen's signature song, "The Road Goes on Forever."[7] Fellow Texan Joe Ely recorded the song on his 1993 album Love and Danger, along with another Keen song, "Whenever Kindness Fails".[17] Keen's own version of "Whenever Kindness Fails" appeared on his fourth album, 1993's A Bigger Piece of Sky. In 1994, he released Gringo Honeymoon followed by No. 2 Live Dinner in 1996.[17]

Keen has continued to write and record music, while also maintaining a prodigious tour schedule.[18] His 1997 album, Picnic, marked the beginning of his on-again, off-again relationship with major labels (both that album and 1998's Walking Distance were issued on Arista Records, and 2001's Gravitational Forces, 2009's The Rose Hotel and 2011's Ready for Confetti were released on Lost Highway Records). Keen's other albums include 2003's Farm Fresh Onions (Audium/Koch Records) and 2005's What I Really Mean and 2006's Live at the Ryman (both on E1 Music). The producers with whom he has worked on those albums have included John Keane, Gurf Morlix, Gary Velletri, and Lloyd Maines. In 2022, his concert tour was listed as one of the most successful in the world.[18]

His band includes:

  • Bill Whitbeck — bass, upright bass, vocals
  • Tom Van Schaik — drums, vocals
  • Brian Beken — fiddle, acoustic guitar, electric guitar

In August of 2011, Keen was contacted by a member of U.S. Navy about a fan of his, Petty Officer First Class Jason Workman of Seal team 6, who had been killed on August 6, 2011, with 29 other Brave Americans in Wardak Province, Tanji Valley, Afghanistan. Keen went to the memorial service for POFC. Workman and played his signature song I’m coming home. Keen covered all of his own expenses for travel and only wanted to show a token of his gratitude to a fan who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. [citation needed]

In January 2022, Keen announced that he would stop touring and performing publicly after September 2022.[19] His final tour was named the "I'm Coming Home Farewell Tour" and the final leg was played September 1, 3 and 4 at Floore's Country Store in Helotes, Texas. Approximately 3,000 people attended the last show on September 4 for nearly two-and-a-half hours.[20] Despite the claims of playing his final shows and farewell tour, Keen proceeded to do several shows in 2023 and lists a 2024 tour on his website[21] with a dozen stops. Instagram posts on Keen's account containing photos from his "I'm Coming Home Farewell Tour" were later edited to remove reference to the "farewell" part of the tour.[22]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Label Album details Peak chart positions
Year US Country
[23] 		US
[24] 		US
Heat
[25] 		US
Indie
[26] 		US
Folk
[27] 		US
Grass
[28]
1984 No Kinda Dancer Sugar Hill Records CD, Cassette, LP record — — — — —
1989 West Textures Sugar Hill Records CD, Cassette — — — — — —
1993 A Bigger Piece of Sky Sugar Hill Records CD, Cassette — — — — — —
1994 Gringo Honeymoon Sugar Hill Records CD, Cassette — — — — — —
1997 Picnic Arista Records CD, Cassette — 160 4 — — —
1998 Walking Distance Arista Records CD, Cassette — 149 3 — — —
2001 Gravitational Forces Lost Highway Records CD 10 111 1 — — —
2003 Farm Fresh Onions Audium/Koch Records CD 24 172 9 11 — —
2005 What I Really Mean E1 Music CD, Streaming, Download 21 122 1 5 — —
2009 The Rose Hotel Lost Highway Records CD, Streaming, Download 17 83 — — 10 —
2011 Ready for Confetti Lost Highway Records CD, Streaming, Download 21 66 — — 3 —
2015 Happy Prisoner:
The Bluegrass Sessions 		Dualtone Records CD, Streaming, Download 10 109 — 6 5 1

Live albums

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Title Album details Peak positions
US Country
[23]
The Live Album
  • Release date: November 15, 1988
  • Label: Sugar Hill Records
  • Formats: CD, cassette
 —
No. 2 Live Dinner
  • Release date: March 19, 1996
  • Label: Sugar Hill Records
  • Formats: CD, cassette
 —
The Party Never Ends
  • Release date: October 14, 2003
  • Label: Sugar Hill Records
  • Formats: CD
 68
Live from Austin TX
  • Release date: November 2, 2004
  • Label: New West Records
  • Formats: CD, music download
 —
Live at the Ryman
  • Release date: July 11, 2006
  • Label: E1 Music
  • Formats: CD, music download
 —
Marfa After Dark —
Live Dinner Reunion[29]
  • Release date: November 18, 2016
  • Label: Dualtone Music
  • Formats: CD, Music download
 29
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Album details
Best
  • Release date: November 7, 2006
  • Label: E1 Music
  • Formats: CD, music download

Singles

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Year Single Album
1984 "No Kinda Dancer" No Kinda Dancer
"The Armadillo Jackal"
1997 "Over the Waterfall" Picnic
"Levelland"
"Undone"
1998 "Down That Dusty Trail" Walking Distance
1999 "That Buckin' Song"
2001 "Hello New Orleans" Gravitational Forces
"Not A Drop of Rain"
2002 "High Plains Jamboree"
2003 "Furnace" Farm Fresh Onions
"All I Have Is Today"
2005 "What I Really Mean" What I Really Mean
"The Great Hank"
2009 "The Rose Hotel" The Rose Hotel
2010 "The Man Behind the Drums"
2011 "I Gotta Go" Ready for Confetti

Music videos

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Year Video Director
1997 "Over the Waterfall" Steven T. Miller/R. Brad Murano
2004 "Merry Christmas from the Family" David McClister
2005 "What I Really Mean"
2015 "Hot Corn, Cold Corn"[30] Curtis Millard
"Footprints in the Snow"[31] Matt Bizer

Notable Covers

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Year Performer Single Reference
1987 Nanci Griffith "Sing one for Sister" [6]
2009 Reckless Kelly "Think It Over One Time" [32]
2009 Max Stalling, Dale Clark "No Kinda Dancer" [32]
2009 Wade Bowen "Lynville Train" [32]
2009 Brandon Jenkins "What I Really Mean" [32]
2009 Randy Rogers "I'll Be Here for You" [32]
2009 Roger Creager "I Would Change My Life" [32]
2001 Cory Morrow "I'll Go Downtown" [33]
2009 Jason Boland "Mariano" [32]
2009 Cody Canada "Shades of Gray" [32]
1995 The Highwaymen "The Road Goes on Forever" [5]
2009 Chris Knight "Undone" [32]
2009 Todd Snider "Corpus Christi Bay" [34]
2001 Lyle Lovett "This Old Porch" [2]
1998 Lyle Lovett "Rollin' By" [35]
1998 George Strait "Maria" [3]
1992 Joe Ely "Whenever Kindness Fails"

"The Road Goes on Forever"

[4]
2006 Cross Canadian Ragweed "Lonely Feelin'" [36]
2000 Dixie Chicks "Merry Christmas from the Family" [37]
2015 Shawn Colvin "Not a Drop of Rain" [38]

Honors

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Year Honor Reference
1983 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition [13]
2015 BMI Troubadour Award
2016 Inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame [39]
2018 Texas A&M University Distinguished Alumni Award
2019 Inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame [40]

References

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  1. ^ Rose, Mike (January 11, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 11, 2023 includes celebrities Mary J. Blige, Amanda Peet". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Lyle Lovett – Anthology Volume One Cowboy Man". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "George Strait – One Step At A Time". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Joe Ely – Love And Danger". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Highwaymen – The Road Goes On Forever". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Nanci Griffith – Lone Star State of Mind". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 214. ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
  8. ^ Skanse, Richard. "Robert Earl Keen: A Man Apart". Lone Star Music Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  9. ^ Hodson, Christy (July 8, 2014). "Cactus Cafe & Bar". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical association. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Weber, Andrew (July 17, 2020). "PHOTOS: Here's A Look Back At Austin Through The Lens Of Photographer Lisa Davis". KUT. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  11. ^ Freeman, Jon (June 4, 2020). "Robert Earl Keen to Play Social-Distanced Shows at Texas Club". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  12. ^ Davis, John T. "Robert Earl Keen: Can you patch together a feeling that's going to stick with somebody ten years from now?". No Depression. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Erwin, Hank (May 20, 2022). "A Culture 50 Years in the Making: The Kerrville Folk Festival Experience". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  14. ^ Sale, Anna (May 20, 2015). "Robert Earl Keen Quit Nashville and Stayed Married". Death, Sex & Money. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  15. ^ Sherraden, Jim (2001). Hatch Show Print: The History of a Great American Poster Shop. Country Music Foundation. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-8118-2856-7.
  16. ^ Sale, Anna (May 20, 2015). "Robert Earl Keen Quit Nashville and Stayed Married". Death, Sex & Money. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  17. ^ a b McLeese, Don. "Straight outta Bandera: For Robert Earl Keen, music and business coexist at home, deep in the heart of Texas". No Depression. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  18. ^ a b "Live 75". Pollstar. June 27, 2022. pp. 8–9.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  19. ^ Keen, Robert Earl (January 14, 2022). ""Time Flies" – A message from Robert Earl Keen". robertearlkeen.com. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  20. ^ Crutchmer, Josh (September 5, 2022). ""Robert Earl Keen has played his final show. He's not kidding". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  21. ^ Keen, Robert Earl. ""Robert Earl Keen"". robertearlkeen.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  22. ^ Keen, Robert Earl. ""Robert Earl Keen"". instagram.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Album & Song Chart History – Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  24. ^ "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  25. ^ "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Album & Song Chart History – Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  26. ^ "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Album & Song Chart History – Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  27. ^ "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Album & Song Chart History – Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  28. ^ "Robert Earl Keen Jr. Album & Song Chart History – Bluegrass Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  29. ^ Melinda Newman (September 22, 2016). "Robert Earl Keen Records Album Sequel 20 Years in the Making". Rolling Stone.
  30. ^ "CMT : Videos : Robert Earl Keen : Hot Corn, Cold Corn". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  31. ^ "CMT : Videos : Robert Earl Keen : Footprints in the Snow". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Various – Undone: A Musicfest Tribute to Robert Earl Keen". Discogs – Music Database. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  33. ^ "Tonight I'll Go Downtown". SecondHandSongs. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  34. ^ "Todd Snider – The Excitement Plan". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  35. ^ "Rollin' By". SecondHandSongs. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  36. ^ "Cross Canadian Ragweed – Back To Tulsa: Live And Loud At Cain's Ballroom". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  37. ^ "Rosie O'Donnell – Another Rosie Christmas". Discogs – Music Database. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  38. ^ "Not a Drop of Rain". SecondHandSongs. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  39. ^ Davis, John T. "Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen and Townes Van Zandt". Austin American Statesman. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  40. ^ "Robert Earl Keen". Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame | Fort Worth Texas. November 20, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
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