During my interviews with the artists who were nominated for the 2010 Texas Music Awards, I looked at the profile of Katherine Dawn who is one of the prolific artists from the Lone Star State.

It also brought back memories of the time when I was in high school in Venezuela when some classmates from Texas played on their tapes and 45 RPM  vinyl records songs from the group «Cypress» of which she belonged to.

The memories of hearing the group «Cypress» while in college in Ohio [along with the experience in Venezuela] was one of the motives that lead me to invite Katherine Dawn for an interview. She is an artists of over 30 years experience and has been nominated for the 2010 Texas Music Awards in the category of Female Vocalist.

She has a compilation of her songs in a 2 set CD «KD 25 In TX» to commemorate her period of music from 1978 to 2003. The following interview was conducted via E Mail.

1. What is your ingredient for longevity in the Texas Music Scene?

I would have to say consistency. Honor and respect to ones self expression, and sharing your life experiences.  Believing in your self drive and worthiness to be an artist. To accept that you are making music for the people that like it.
 

Concentrate on entertaining your fans, and always keep striving for the discovery of what makes the whole process enjoyable for you as an artist.  When an artist is excited about what they are doing the exchange between artist and fans takes on it’s own form of entertainment, for everyone involved.
2. What was your inspiration to record KD 25 In Texas?

Our children, and my desire for closure of a time and place in my career.
While creating a new work space going through boxes and boxes of my recordings.  There are vinyl, cassettes, cd’s all these recordings.  I even have a cassette  recording of my first song written when I was nine years old.  I thought, «What good are these all now?»  One of my mentors the late great Big Bill Lister use to tell me «LadyBug in this business you are only as great as your latest.»
 I thought «What in the world would my kids do with all of this when I have passed on?»  So my private producer of 20 years David Helms and I started to listen and score through all of these recordings.  Some of which were in need of repair before we even attempted to play them in a cassette player to transfer them.  They were brittle to say the least from years of storage.  I wanted my children to have a collection of my favorites.  David said «You know you should release this!»  So after much thought I agreed.  We began in Jan of 2009 and released it in Sept. of that same year.
 

I haven’t even had it replicated by a company.  We did every step INDIE all the way.  Two set vinyl disc set in a DVD case, with a panel of info and collage of pics from those times. It would have had to be 3 discs if we would have included ALL my favorites.   So we chose 1973-2003 thus 25 yrs and 25 tracks ALL recorded in Texas.
I got my closure and a big sigh of relief.

My mentor Big Bill Lister.  I was blessed to have visits with him almost every week for the last 2 years of his life.  He passed away on Dec. 1, 2010.  We talked about everything but mostly music.  

Mr. Lister became my mentor when I was 13 yrs old.  I started playing music with his son Weldon in middle school and we had a band called «Cypress». He nicknamed me «Ladybug».
 

A couple of months before he passed away we were discussing «my next record» and I shared with him how «lonely» I had become as a solo artist. He said «Well LadyBug maybe you should put together an all female group?».

That suggestion became a «must do» after a night in San Marcos, TX at Cheatum Street Warehouse.  I had played a benefit there for Toys for Tots and heard a great vocal group called the «Trisha’s».
 

Bill had been gone for only a couple of weeks and I was still in the depths of selfish grief.  Hearing them sing took me to that afternoon with Bill, and I got chills thinking about it.
That night I had one of those REAL dreams, and in the dream I was having the very same conversation with Bill and we went on to discuss the idea.

I replied «Wouldn’t that be a riot, wow I get excited just thinking about it, but what in the world would the group be called?»  Bill replied in his deep TX drawl…»WEELL the Texas Ladybugs of course!» I woke up in a cold sweat and thought «Oh (*&#(@* Yes sir I’ll do it!  I have to do it!»  I started working on the logo that morning.

 I secured the domain on Bill’s date of birth Jan 5th, started asking different ladies what they thought, had the first meeting Jan 15th of this year, and we have been on fire ever since.
It’s true when one door closes another opens.  It sure is sweet when you know you closed the door and answered the knock on the next one!

4. You have performed with famous artists such as «Asleep at The Wheel» and Delbert McClinton. What was it like to be with them and what did you learn from performing with them?

It depends on which one I was around at the time, ha ha, back when it was «Asleep at the Wheel», or «Augie Myers», «Johnny Bush» to be the band before their performance, or even the band before the band, before the band of their performance, was like experiencing a right of passage.
 As I got older because I had been in the perfoming live part of the business for so long it just feels like your at a family reunion..you know like you’re meeting people that you’re «related too» but you don’t really know them.  You’re part of an elite club.  The biggest difference is that they didn’t have a «day job» ha ha.  I still have my TX cosmetology license.

What did I learn from performing with them?  Well again it depends on who it was and the lessons are to many to mention in one answer.  It’s the little things though that really stuck with me.  Like how they chose songs for their set list.  The banter on and behind the stage with band members, vs roadies, vs fans.

 How they reacted to fans and how important fans are to what we do in the music business.  Without the fans we don’t get to work.  Also, what it’s like to be a female in what was for me from early on a male dominated realm of art form.  Still is for the most part but you find who you seek.  How important good songs are… «A hit song doesn’t care who sings it!»  «Always remember that 90% of your songs are good ideas».  «Some songs are born beautiful and others need yrs of refinement.» «Always make sure your in tune!» «Don’t try and fool the public!»
5. Who are your musical idols and how were you able to use their style of music to form a style that is Katherine Dawn?
Dolly Parton… she sings about her life and influenced me to paint pictures with words and music, always smile and dress well and do something with all that hair!

Bobby Gentry(Roberta Streeter), Joan Baez, Patsy Cline the ballad singers.  Tina Turner,Janis Joplin, Ann and Nancy Wilson gave me vocal power. Michael Jackson, Carol Burnett, Neil Diamond gave me showmanship influence.  Gosh I’d have to say every single artist I ever heard or saw, or will see or hear, gave and gives me something to think about while I discovered and continue to discover who I am as an artist.  It was Big Bill, Ginnie Lawrence, Willie Nelson,Jessie Colter, Augie Meyers, Leon Russel, Doug Sahm, and ALL of the Texas artist though that really have passed it all on to create my own «skin». The 1970’s and country/blues music were magical!

6. Besides performing in Texas, have you ever performed outside of Texas and outside of the USA? I base my question on having heard your music with «Cypress» in Venezuela and Ohio. And how cool is that!? 

When you invited me to this interview I was so amazed.  It was like getting Christmas in April.  To answer your question no, and yes.  I have never performed outside of Texas or the US LIVE YET as a professional.  But…when I was ten years old I went on a 14 month tour with my father to hundreds of drag strips and race tracks.  We went all over the United States and we were in Canada for three months with his exhibition funny car «The Flying Red Baron» and I was writing and singing then anywhere and to whom ever overheard me. Does that count? ha! ha!

7. What was your reaction when you were informed about the nomination for the 2010 Texas Music Awards?

My first reaction was…»Are you sure you have the right chick singer?»  then tears of gratitude to be acknowledged in such a wonderful organization.  I knew how awesome the news would be for our children and my family. I’m proud to be a musician and all of my co harts. I wear alot of hats on a big hat rack as an independent.

8. Do you have any future plans after the 2010 Texas Music Awards?

More work.  The awards are in May so the summer schedule will be upon us.  The TX LadyBugs first release is planned to be out then and we will be hard at play with that. I’m planning on that lucky someone that wants to sponsor us or an artist or band that wants to give us the opening slot to their tour.

Like the song says…»The road goes on forever and the party never ends» (Robert Earl Keen)  I always have live and solo recordings happening and I always keep my heart open to the opportunities that can and will present themselves. I stay ready for anything.

9. Do you have any advice for people who want to become Texas and Americana Artists?

Record, record, record.  Don’t wait to be «discovered» to release your work.  Discover yourself and release your work when you yourself don’t get tired of listening to it.  Fix everything you want to alter of fix in the recording no matter how long it takes.  Pay to have professional engineers record your final releases.  Play, Play, Play when you can, while you can.

I did go on a «Barefoot and Pregnant Tour» and an artist can press on.  But it helps the guilt factor if you lone ranger your «career» as long as you can.  Don’t ever let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

Keep a writing tablet or voice activated recorder by where you sleep and with you at all times so you can document the songs and ideas that come to you in your sleep, or in traffic, before the devil tries to steal em’.  Your voice machine at home works well but trust me napkins and  paper towels don’t preserve well.

10. Do you have anything to say to your audience?

Thank you, and always remember, I truly believe none of us are ever alone in this world!  How you feel matters and there is something important you are here to do, even if you don’t know what that is yet.  Stay ready for anything.  Strive to believe it will be for the good and shake what your mama gave you!

http://my.nowpublic.com/culture/katherine-dawn-talks-texas-music-and-tma

Katherine, I would like to thank you for accepting my invitation to be interviewed. It was a pleasure and an honor to interview one of the greatest in Texas Music. It is hoped that one day, we could repeat this interview when you release more music in the future.

You have established yourself as one of the greatest in Texas Music and future generations will remember you. My best wishes to you and your family.