Billy Joe Shaver
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Billy Joe Shaver is an American country music singer/songwriter. He was born August 16, 1939 in Corsicana, TX. He wrote most of the songs on the Waylon Jennings album Honky Tonk Heroes. Shaver's 1973 album Old Five and Dimers Like Me is a classic in the outlaw country genre.
After losing his wife to cancer and his mother in 1999, Shaver lost his son and longtime guitarist Eddy, who died at age 38 of a heroin overdose on December 31, 2000. Shaver nearly died himself the following year when he had a heart attack on stage during an Independence Day show at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas. After successful heart surgery, Billy Joe came back to release a new album entited "Freedom's Child" in 2002.
Billy Joe Shaver is known for his hit "Live Forever" performed by The Highwaymen. He also wrote numerous songs for artists such as Patty Loveless and Willie Nelson. In November of 2005, Billy Joe Shaver performed on the CMT Outlaws 2005.
In 2006, Shaver was inducted in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. He recently served as spiritual advisor to Texas independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman. He currently lives in Waco, TX with his two pit bulls.
[edit] Quotations
- "If you don't love Jesus, go to hell."
- "May the God of your choice bless you." (Lent to his friend Kinky Friedman for his gubernatorial campaign)
- "My dreams are all dead and buried, sometimes I wish the sun would just explode, when god comes and calls me to his kingdom, I'll take all you sons of bitches when I go." (Squidbillies Theme Song)
