The Johnny PayCheck Story.

Billy Don Burns is one of Country Music's unheralded unsung honky tonk heroes. He has written hits for Willie Nelson, Connie Smith, Mel Tillis and the great Johnny PayCheck. Amongst all this, Billy Don has also recorded with country music greats such as Porter Waggoner and Merle Haggard.

As a solo artist for more than 30 years, he’s played over five thousand shows in fifteen countries around the world.

The following article, recounted by Billy Don Burns is presented here with Billy Dons' approval, for which we thank him. The article is copyright Billy Don Burns.

Click here to visit Billy Don Burns web site.

The first time I remember Donald Eugene Lytle a.k.a. Johnny Paycheck was at Charlie Ammerman's house in Donelson, TN, a suburb of Nashville. I met and became friends with Charlie when I recorded for 4-Star Records with Joe Johnson in 1977. I ran into Charlie in 1987 and he asked me if I would like to co-produce an album with him on Johnny Paycheck. I accepted. We worked out an agreement that satisfied the two of us. Charlie told me that Johnny was staying at his house in Nashville for a few days and that it would be a good time for Johnny and I to meet. He asked me to come by his house the next morning. When I showed up about ten thirty, Johnny was sitting at the kitchen table with Charlie. I gave a friendly knock on the door and entered to the sound of, "Come on in!"..

My eyes connected with Johnny's almost immediately. I nodded. Charlie broke the silence with "Check, this is Billy Don Burns". Johnny and I shook hands. Charlie told me to help myself to a cup of coffee, after which I sat down at the table opposite Paycheck and joined in the conversation about a new album on Johnny. I mostly listened to what they had to say, interjecting very little. These guys had worked together before and I wanted to take it easy, not appearing too aggressive to this country music superstar that I had just met. We had a good first meeting. I agreed to get some songs together for the first session while Charlie would make the arrangements concerning the studio, time and place.

Billy Don and Johnny PayCheck
during the taping of a TV commercial
in Nashville 1987.

Charlie booked the first recording session at Gene Breeden's studio. We had a good session and every thing went great. Johnny recorded a song of mine, "The Outlaw and the Preacher". Again, I kept a low profile, making most of my suggestions to Charlie. I knew I had to win Johnny's respect if we were going to be working together. I could tell he was not the kind of guy that you should move too fast with. I wanted this relationship to work.

Charlie made a deal to buy Fireside Studio. We recorded the second session there with Doyle Grisham as the engineer. This was probably the best session ever of the "Outlaw at the Cross" project. Ken McDuffie and I had a music publishing company called Gypsy Women Music. Johnny recorded three or four of Ken's songs from this company. Afterwards, Charlie and I went out and had a couple of cocktails to celebrate the good session while Johnny went home with John Long, his band leader. Part of the agreement we made with Johnny was that his band would be used to record the album. John Long was guitar player and leader. His brother Rick Long played bass. The drummer was Danny Breeden, Chuck Mandez played steel guitar and Jerry Pearson played piano. Johnny didn't have a fiddle player in his band at the time so we hired Kenny Sears, a buddy of mine who was in the Mel Tillis Band..

Page 2..

This article can be read in its entirety at Billy Don Burns web site. Click here.