Jim Lauderdale did heck of a job catching up

• By JOHN WIRT
• Music writer
• Published: Oct 16, 2009

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The songs of Jim Lauderdale have been recorded by George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Gary Allan, Blake Shelton, Patty Loveless, George Jones, the Dixie Chicks, Mark Chesnutt, Kathy Mattea, Vince Gill, British talents Dave Edmunds and John Mayall and classic soul man Solomon Burke.

Country star Strait recorded 15 Lauderdale compositions, several of which appear in Strait’s movie, Pure Country. Two more Lauderdale songs appear on Strait’s latest CD, including the title track, “Twang.”

“My career has had funny twists and turns,” Lauderdale said last week. “It hasn’t really ever turned out the way I planned it, but I just feel real lucky about the way things keep unfolding.”

Nashville resident Lauderdale has a good thing going in Music City now, but that wasn’t always so. He took the long road to Nashville.

The North Carolina son of a Presbyterian minister and a music teacher-choir director, Lauderdale grew up with bluegrass and country music. The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Cream shaped him, too. He decided to be a professional musician during high school and began the creative pursuit he’s most passionate about, songwriting, at 19.

After playing in bluegrass and country bands, Lauderdale began doing his own thing in his early 20s. His first venture into Nashville, lasting about five months, was disappointing.

“I wasn’t aggressive about pursuing things,” he said. “I really just wanted to hang out with George Jones and another hero of mine, Roland White.”

Lauderdale managed to sing with White, the mandolin-playing brother of the late Clarence White, and see George Jones at the Grand Ole Opry. But a publishing deal for his songwriting didn’t materialize and the bluegrass and traditional country music he performed wasn’t in demand in Nashville at the time.

Rather than languish in Nashville, Lauderdale followed friends to New York City. His timing was good, because New York was in the midst of a country and roots-music surge. He got a regular gig performing his solo material at a country bar and lived in the same building as Doc Pomus, the late composer of “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Sweets for My Sweet” and Elvis Presley hits “Viva Las Vegas” and “Little Sister.”

Lauderdale’s subsequent migration to Los Angeles was a good move, too. He got a manager, hooked up with Dwight Yoakam producer Pete Anderson, sang harmonies for Yoakam and Lucinda Williams records and even recorded his own solo album for Epic Records.

Although Epic never released the album, Lauderdale consoled himself with a new Nashville publishing deal and a recording contract with Reprise Records that led to 1991’s Planet of Love. Nothing much happened for his album debut, but numerous artists, including George Strait and Patty Loveless, began recording his songs.

His songwriting career taking off, Lauderdale made more visits to Nashville. His co-writers there included master tunesmith Harlan Howard. By the mid-’90s, Lauderdale thought he was ready for Nashville and Nashville was ready for him.

“I started getting cuts before I moved there and then, finally, I felt, ‘OK, it’s safe to move there now.’ ”