Honky Tonk Foodie
Amy Jack knows what you want to hear. She has an ability to connect to country music fans, old and young, with her authentic lyrics and masterful sound. The Oklahoma native from a musical family, now a Dallas resident, has unique industry experience which provides an insight all its own. Her songs can be found in surprising places, like the 2016 U.S. Olympic Committee’s ‘Road to Rio’ Tour, FOX Sports, ESPN, and the NCAA’s Lombardi Awards. And her freshly released debut solo album, Introducing Amy Jack, was produced by someone who needs no introduction: Merle Haggard.
As one of the last bodies of work Haggard lent his expertise before his 2016 death, Introducing Amy Jack features a cover of Haggard’s “Got Lonely Too Early,” as well as ten tracks co-written with Jack. AuthenticTexan interviewed Jack recently with questions about working with country music royalty and where it led her.
Name Five Pieces of Advice Received From Merle Haggard:
– Health is everything. Be sure to take care of yourself, you only have one body.
– Honesty is everything in life.
– A good woman will give you more than you could ever ask for. In return, you must respect her and listen to her.
– If it’s not quality, whatever it is in life, why would you even do it? Whether a diamond or a song or your relationships, always bring quality into your life.
– Be careful what song you write and create, you may have to sing it every day for the next half a century. Make sure that every song is true to who you are.
Photo Courtesy of Marbaloo Marketing
What surprised you about working with him?
He was always honest and just the most straightforward person you could ever meet. He never took any shortcuts in life. Merle’s song “I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am” was just so true of him. From musicians to his music, he paid attention to every detail.
Did he take off his sunglasses?
He didn’t have his sunglasses on in the studio or on the bus. I think I was told that somebody gave him the sunglasses and it just became a habit that stuck with him.
How did you decide to begin recording?
Merle encouraged me to create an album and he also started the recording process. He just had one condition. He wanted me to record one of his songs that he wrote. So I said “well, I’ll do two to start.” Right now, I’m thinking about releasing another cover of one of Merle’s songs.
What has been your most humbling moment as a singer-songwriter?
Singing the national anthem at an Oklahoma City Thunder game with almost 20,000 people in attendance. It was such an incredible experience to be invited to perform at and it was one of the most humbling experiences of my life.
Who would you like to work with next?
I’m pretty lucky to get to work with my current writers and producers which includes Billy Dawson, who is from Texas, Don Goodman, Duane Hitchings, Rosie Fitzpatrick, Anthony Cunningham, and Dennis Morgan. However, I’d love to work with Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, the list could just go on and on!
Special thanks to Amy Jack for her time with this interview. Her album is top in our Spotify library already!
