AEC NEWS

" Trying to condense the achievements of Cowboy Jack Clement into a brief bio is like trying to shoehorn the contents of an enyclopedia into a comic book." -John Lomax III

The AEC is pleased to announce that legendary music producer Cowboy Jack Clement will be our guest for the next Back Row Film Series event on June 1st. Prepare to be amazed by the most famous musician you, perhaps, have never heard of.
The next installment in the Back Row Film Series will feature a screening of the biographical documentary "Shakespeare was a Big George Jones Fan: Cowboy Jack Clement's Home Movies." Cowboy Jack Clement himself will be here to provide music and lead a discussion about the film. The event will be June 1, at 5:30 PM in the Hunter Museum auditorium. Contact the AEC for ticket information.
ABOUT COWBOY JACK CLEMENT Born in Whitehaven, Tennessee, Jack Clement has played a crucial part in bringing rock 'n' roll music to the rest of the world. Cowboy scored major musical success as a songwriter, producer, recording studio pioneer, publisher, artist, and executive. For more than half a century, Jack Clement has found himself surrounded by some of the world's greatest singers, songwriters, and instrumentalists. Short list of those who have worked with Jack: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Chet Atkins, Buzz Busby, Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson, U2, Louis Armstrong, Paul McCartney, Frank Yankovic, Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddy Arnold, Doc Watson, Ivory Joe Hunter, Allen Reynolds (producer of Garth Brooks), George Jones, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Billy Lee Riley, Zell Miller, Jim Rooney, John Prine, Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Bob McDill, Dickey Lee, Billy Burnette, Shawn Camp ... and many more. It'd be hard to pick Cowboy's greatest achievement. To name a few, Cowboy discovered and first recorded Jerry Lee Lewis; recorded Roy Orbison's first hit; headlined shows for Elvis Presley; wrote and engineered two of Johnny Cash's biggest single; produced three tracks on U2's Rattle and Hum CD; convinced Chet Atkins to sign Charley Pride, then produced Prider's first 20 albums and wrote his first 2 hits; built four of Nashville's leading recording studios; and (perhaps) produced the world's first music video with Don Williams in 1972. Additionally, Cowboy has provided the legendary training ground for dozens of people to make their way in a tough, demanding industry. His home/studio/office has hosted hundreds of sesions, informal jams, rehearsals and meetings among the elite of Nashville's pickers and players for almost 40 years.
ABOUT THE FILM: "Shakespeare Was a Big George Jones Fan" Documentary (1 hour 3 minutes) Directed and produced by Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville Starring: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, John Prine, Charley Pride, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bono, and many more... "One of the funniest and most touching films I've ever seen." --Elvis Costello Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary and the Tennessee Spirit Award at the Nashville Film Festival (2005). Summary "Legendary producer/musician/writer Jack Clement sure loved shooting home movies, which are lovingly assembled in this engaging documentary by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon. We hear about Jack's accomplishments, yes, but we also get to see him on a road trip to A.P. Carter's grave with good friend Johnny Cash; hear a reunited Porter and Dolly; and listen to Waylon and Jessi Colter in an intimate studio setting. We watch, too, as Bono, John Prine, and others pass through his Nashville home, a popular hangout for decades. The ease his subjects show in front of his camera is testament to Clement's character. But as fun-loving as Clement continues to be, his accomplishments are seriously impressive. Imposters could try, but as this film shows, there'll only be one Cowboy." --Kurt Wolff, Tribeca Film Festival, April 2005 For more information, visit http://www.cowboyjackclement.com. "It's Cowboy Jack Clement's world; we just live in it." -John Lomax III

The AEC Back Row Film Series is funded in part by a grant from the Southern Arts Federation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission.