BROADCASTS.com

PART ONE Scott and Paul talk about Randy Poe, Texas, and their favorite songwriters from the Lone Star State. PART TWO - 20:52 mark Robert Earl Keen comes by Songcraft World Headquarters to chat about the Marty Robbins song that set him on his path as a kid; why he wants his songs to be provocative; the book Lyle Lovett gave him that jump started his career; what Steve Earle said that convinced Robert to move to Nashville; how having only $20 in his pocket led to writing his most classic song; which of his albums made him feel like he\u2019d been accepted into the mainstream; and why he kept delaying making a bluegrass album. ABOUT ROBERT EARL KEEN Regarded as one of the purest singer-songwriters in the Texas tradition, Robert Earl Keen is a true pioneer, and one of the most consistent practitioners of the Americana genre. While studying English at Texas A&M University, Keen linked up with fellow aspiring songwriter Lyle Lovett. The pair analyzed songs and worked on their craft together, writing tunes such as \u201cFront Porch Song\u201d which each included on his respective debut album. After the release of the West Textures album in 1989, Keen hit the road with songwriting giants Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. It was another Texan, Joe Ely, who recorded two of Robert\u2019s songs on his highly lauded 1993 release Love and Danger that brought Keen to the attention of a wider audience. With a canon of classic songs that includes \u201cThe Road Goes on Forever,\u201d \u201cCorpus Christi Bay,\u201d \u201cGringo Honeymoon,\u201d and \u201cMerry Christmas From the Family,\u201d Keen built a diverse following that ranges from rowdy college kids to dyed-in-the-wool folkies. Live performance has been an important foundation of Keen\u2019s artistry, as illustrated on the modern day classic live album No. 2 Live Dinner that was issued in 1996.\xa0 With a dozen studio albums and seven live albums under his belt, Keen has continued to explore new musical ground with a string of charting albums that includes 2015\u2019s Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions. Reaching the Top 10 on the country chart and #1 on the bluegrass rankings, Happy Prisoner demonstrates that Keen\u2019s track record as an artist is just as strong as the respect his songs have earned from other performers. Those who\u2019ve covered his material include Nanci Griffith, Eddy Raven, Kelly Willis, The Highwaymen, Jack Ingram, Montgomery Gentry, Shawn Colvin, Gillian Welch, and George Strait. In 2012, Robert Earl Keen was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame.