|
C.
L: Can you please introduce yourself to the European fans.
| R.
W. K:
I'm originally from around the Arkansas / Oklahoma line in the
States .The first time you might have heard of me was when I wrote
Bury the Hatchet for Garth Brooks. That was on the Roping the
Wind album. From there we had a couple big ole hits we had a Diamond
Rio hit and a Jean Watson and in 1996 we signed with Electra Records.
We had a top ten dance record stayed there a couple of years.
Then signed with Wonderment Records. I've had album of the year
and video of the year a lot of things happened to me. |
C.
L: Tell us about your new album Cowboy Cool.
| R.
W. K: It actually started out with a different title and I had
a different idea about that album and as we got into it ….
Man the grooves, the way the record felt we were sitting at the
bar one night and I said guys this is the coolest record I've
ever done. In fact it's "Cowboy Cool"so that's what
we're gonna call it. This and the last record "A Dyin' Breed"
but Cowboy Cool especially, it's country with a cowboy attitude
that's the way I would describe it if anyone else would have done
a record like that it would have been Marty Robbins. |
C.
L: Tell us about your fan club and how fans can find out more information
about you and your music.
| R.
W. K: Just go to www.royalwadekimes.com
it'll kick ya right on into the fan club page, in fact one part
in there you can click on and talk to me direct it's called a
forum, it's a chat room you can talk to me direct you can talk
to a gal by the name of Kathy Linden who will sign you up and
this year we're having everybody sign up for $10.00 per sign up
it's usually $20.00 but this year it's $10.00 all year long, we've
seen a big increase in membership anyways because of the last
two things that happened and this record. |
C.
L: What did you do before you were a country music artist?
| R.
W. K: Before that I was in the rodeo, rode bulls and roped a lot
and I broke horses I used to ride the open range. I was a little
boy, but when I was twelve I started riding the open range with
some old timers 'til I was about twenty. Then I went on to the
rodeo and I was pretty good at it until I was hurt real bad on
a bull and that ended that so I packed up my guitar and went to
Nashville. |
C.
L: You've been in the business for a while can you share an interesting
or funny story from an experience you had?
| R.
W. K: Well I don't know how funny it is, I guess it's funny, I
was writing a song with Garth Brooks up at his house, everybody
knows how famous Garth is, the whole world knows him. His dad's
up their so I get in my truck and leave, well a month later Garth
gives me a holler and we get together and he said you know when
you left here about a month ago, I said yeah, well my dad said
do you know who that was? Garth said well, that's Wade he said
no man do you know who that really is? Well he said I thought
I did who is it? He said that Royal Wade Kimes his whole bunch
is famous, their all famous outlaws from the Oklahoma territory
and they were the ones that ran with Ma Barker, Pretty Boy Floyd
and Bonnie and Clyde. All my kin folks were outlaws and were famous
so I got a big kick out of that. I went to Garth's dad and said
I want to know how you knew about my kin folk cause they are so
famous you know, he said. I lived right there in Tahlequah,Ok.
right there in the middle when all that was goin' on. I thought
that was a funny thing that here I am with one of the most famous
guy in the worlds dad and he recognizes me as a famous guy that's
kinda cool |
C.
L: What label was this CD produced by, and how is it doing?
| R.
W. K: It's doing great, we've already sold way more CD's "This
Cowboy Cool" than any other one starting out. It hit the
streets May 25th of this year it's in most stores we put it on
the website May 18th and we've triple sales on that already and
that's just really selling well for us, as far as how good it's
doing we had so many records made at the plant that before we
could get them to the warehouse they were sold so it's doing well. |
C
L: Which is your personal favorite on the CD?
|
R.
W. K: Well I might have to pick two, if I was picking a ballad
I would pick the White Horse which I actually dedicated to Johnny
Cash, my other favorite is Feeling Stud, you see this belt buckle
I have on well you have to feel pretty stud to ride on them
2000 lbs bulls so that's kinda were that song came from.
|
C.
L: What has been your greatest challenge in the music business?
|
R.
W. K: Getting radio to accept my sound because I'm traditional
with a cowboy attitude it's been the greatest challenge I've
encountered. That's my greatest challenge.
|
C.
L: Do you have a story about Europe?
|
R.
W. K: Yeah, I guess I might have one. Before I get into that,
they got something over there that when a buddy of mine goes
over their I always have him bring me back it's the wine, I
love the wine over their. As far as a story, Glen Campbell's
people were coming back from Europe, it's been a couple three
years ago now, I had a buddy that was picking them up his publicist
was coming down the ramp he said tell Wade congratulations,
the guy said what do you mean congratulations about what, he
said well man don't you know he's kickin everybody's bottom
over there he's ahead of Garth, Alan Jackson all of em' with
his new record, I had a song called On the Border and Ride it
was a Jessie James tune and I was I just rocked it. In fact
it went number one over in Europe and I've had two number 1's
since then and a top ten. The people like me over there because
I'm a real cowboy they know that as soon as they hear it so
that's a pretty good little story for him to come back and say
your really rockin' over there.
|
C.
L: Have you been to Europe or do you have any plans for a European
tour?
|
R.
W. K: In fact we're working on that now Ms. Bonnie Sherwin she's
one of the top agents in this business we're working on some
things right now for over seas.
|
C.
L: What is the latest information about you?
|
R.
W. K: Well right now I've cut a song on this new album I've
never done this before, I always cut everything I write but
I thought I've been playing this song live. I played it in front
of twenty-five thousand people and they just went nuts well
I told the guys in the band we're gonna go back and cut this
song and I cut an old Bob Dylan song it's called "Knockin'
on Heaven's Door." It hit the charts at 74 jumped to 61
then jumped to 55 and we think it will go to the top 50 by Thursday
so we're pretty excited about this record.
|
C.
L: What would you change about Music Row if someone gave you the chance?
|
R.
W. K: Well I'm already trying to change it with my music, the
first thing I'd do, I'd like to be president of Music Row for
about 48 hours I'd fire everybody here I'd go back to the music
instead of the bottom line because if you've got the music and
it's good the bottom line will take care of it self. We used
to have guys like Chet Atkins. He was the head of RCA we need
better songs and artists that are distinguishable that are stylish
that's who I'd be signing. When you heard the first note you
knew who they were and I'd make so me big old changes and would
let the music take care of the bottom line.
|
C.
L. Thank you Royal Wade for this interview.
|
