Outlaw Songwriter

We were honored to have one of the Texas country outlaws perform at the Narrows, Ray Wylie Hubbard. It was his second appearance over our 10 year history.

He, of course, enlivened Friday night with his songs, such as "Drunken Poet Dream" which he co-wrote with Narrows fave Hayes Carll. And "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother," made famous by Jerry Jeff "Mr. Bojangles" Walker.

But his between-song patter was entertaining as well, telling stories of how he admired his grandfather's guitar (on the stand in the photo above), though grandpa wouldn't let him play it--and sold it to Ray on his deathbed ("I wrote him a hot check"). And being whacked by his grandmother at something like eleven years old for smoking a corncob pipe behind the smokehouse. Even then he understood the irony of the situation, he said.

Hope Ray will come back and visit soon.