“I have a new album out called Things Change, and it has a lot of good songs on there,” Bare said. “I have a single coming called ‘I Drink’ and I re-did ‘Detroit City’ with Chris Stapleton. It is really good.”
Bare continued, “I have a video coming out and it’s kind of a dark video for my new single ‘I Drink.’ It is about alcoholism.”
Most recently, on October 24, Bare inducted the late actor, singer and songwriter Jerry Reed posthumously to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “It was exciting. Jerry was an old friend and fishing buddy of 40 years that passed on. He has two daughters and a granddaughter. It was very exciting and emotional, talking about Jerry. He was an actor and a great guitar player, and he played on every hit I ever had. He played on all my records until he became a star. Jerry was very talented,” Bare recalled.
Bare had nothing but the kindest words for Ray Stevens, who performed “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” at the Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, in Reed’s honor. “Ray did Jerry Reed pretty good! Jerry and Ray were both close even before either of them came to Nashville, when they were in Georgia. Ray Stevens is so talented as well. He wrote the arrangement for ‘Streets of Baltimore’ of mine. Ray is very talented in many, many different directions, just like Jerry Reed,” he said.
An avid fisherman, Bare revealed that he will be going to Florida in January, where he will be fishing that entire month. “I’ve done that for years and years,” he admitted, prior to namedropping a few major country legends that have gone fishing with him, including Jimmy Dickens, Jerry Reed, and Porter Wagoner. “I miss all my friends,” he said.
Digital transformation of country music
On the digital transformation of the country music business, he said, “I know that the music is going in whatever direction the record companies want it to go. Even when I started, they were happy with me, I was young and I had a young audience. All of my records went up the pop charts and then the country charts. They were happy with that. Now, they are going for the younger audience, and I understand that. It’s so visual now. You need to be young, good-looking and you need to have a flat belly and all that. That’s the way it goes. I’ve got a hunch that it’s going to swing back to more traditional country such as Chris Stapleton. Chris is huge now, and now country radio is starting to play him more. I think the CMA got the message, since they made it more country this year. They inducted Alan Jackson this year in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and they had Alan on, and Miranda Lambert’s new record is straight ahead traditional country.”
Bare continued, “Everything I ever put out, they put it out on vinyl, and that vinyl sells out quickly. Vinyl takes you back! All vinyl does that.”
For his dedicated traditional country fans, the Country Music Hall of Famer concluded, “The music that I put out is all good songs!”
His critically acclaimed studio album Things Change is available on iTunes.
To learn more about veteran country star Bobby Bare, his music and touring schedule, check out his official website.
