Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “The Ruffian’s Misfortune”

@ Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneer Town, THIS SATURDAY, June 13  Doors Open 7pm. All Ages, Tickets $20

By Lisa Morgan

“Down ’n’ dirty roots ’n’ roll” is something that cannot be delivered better in its purest form by any other than Ray Wylie Hubbard. With a decade-long career resurgence into the national spotlight, thanks to a highly acclaimed 2012 release, The Grifter’s Hymnal, and a first ever appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman. “I didn’t want to peak too soon,” quips Hubbard, 68. Hubbard doesn’t look like he or his hot streak are fixin to slow down anytime soon.

The Hugo, Oklahoma born, Texas groomed songwriter just released his 16th album, a beautifully raw, bluesy-rock collection entitled, The Ruffian’s Misfortune.  This is soon to be followed by his story packed, humor highlighted, auto-biography, A Life…Well, Lived.  Both are set to build on the endearment of his cult following, young and old, that this artist has been building for many years while flying comfortably (and sometimes, not so comfortably) under the commercial radar.

“From his humble beginnings as an Oklahoma folkie in the ’60s, to his wild ride through the ’70s progressive country movement, and onward through the honky-tonk fog of the ’80s, to his sobriety-empowered comeback as a songwriter’s songwriter in the ’90s, Hubbard was already a bonafide legend by the time he really found his groove right at the turn of the century. That’s when he finally felt confident enough in his guitar playing to dive headlong into his own inimitable take on the blues, a form he’d admired but steered clear of for decades, thinking its mysteries were beyond his grasp as a basic chord strummer,” touts a recent press release.

“I used to go see Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb and Freddie King, all those cats, but I never could play like them — I guess because I never took the time or effort to try — until I was in my 40s and learned how to finger pick,” says Hubbard. “Once I learned how to finger pick, I started going, ‘Oh, OK, this is how they did all that!’ Then I started learning open tuning, and then slide, and it was just this incredible freedom that gave all these songs a door to come through that wasn’t there before. It was like all of a sudden having this whole other language or a whole other set of tools to add to my arsenal.”

“I really liked The Grifter’s Hymnal, and I think The Ruffian’s Misfortune is still kind of a part of that,” he offers.  “This record is pretty much where I am as far as trying to make records that work on a couple of different levels, by laying down a groove with cool guitar tones and vicious nasty licks with lyrics that have a little depth and weight and even a little humor thrown in, too, as life is pretty much like that.”

This writer has been following Hubbard for a few years now, both through his music and via his social media posts.  I have to say, I don’t know what I love more – his music or his sense of humor.  Fortunately, I don’t have to choose.  And having had the opportunity to speak with the Texas icon, I can assure you that both are as authentic as they come.

CVW:  You’re pretty active in social media.  I’ve truly enjoyed following you!

Hubbard:  I’m a busy man, and I don’t have time to hit the shift key for capital letters. And punctuation?  Well, I use a period every now and then.  I have fun with it.  It’s written straight from my conscience, and I think it really adds to my amateurism.

CVW:  There’s a great song on your new album – “Chick Singer – Badass Rockin’”.  Rolling Stone even singled it out when they interviewed you.  It seems very much like a tribute.  Is that about anyone in particular?

Hubbard: It’s a combination of young females I’ve seen.  I like the idea that they’re not picking up the guitar to be celebrities or to shuffle down rodeo drive, or to have a reality show.  They are just picking up these guitars and they’re just rockin’ cause they have no choice.  They have this creative spark in them and they’re gonna just play the nightclubs.  It’s as much about their attitude.  It says, ‘To heck with the blueprint. I’ve got these songs and things I want to say, and I’m gonna rock.’

CVW:  How long have you and your wife and manager, Judy, been together?

Hubbard:  We’ve shared 26 years of marriage.  I tell you what – I can’t recommend this for everybody, but sleeping with the president of your record label, for me, has been great!  And I’m not talking about Clive Davis.  As a musician and a writer, I can write about whatever I want to write about.  I’m not writing for a publishing company where I have to turn out 12 songs a year, I’m not writing for someone else to record them.  I’m not writing and thinking about the future of that song, I’m just writing in the moment.  Judy just says, ‘You write whatever you’re gonna write, and I’ll try and sell the damn thing.’ As a writer that is a really good place to be.  I really am fortunate to be in that position.

CVW:  This music business is tough, and you’ve been at it a long time, some seasons more popular than others…did you ever think of hanging it up?

Hubbard:  There have been certain years on my income tax where I’ve hit ‘just above hobby status’, but no, not really.  It’s something that I got into – a choice I made a long time ago. There’s been years where it’s been rough and a struggle, but no.  I have this commitment where – well, I haven’t learned to do anything else.  So, yeah…I kind of have a commitment to it.

CVW:  Where have you drawn the inspiration for all these songs over the years?

Hubbard:  It’s something I’ve learned over the years:  Music is inspiration plus craft.  Inspiration comes by always keeping the ears, mind and heart open.  As a songwriter you wait for the ‘ah-ha’…as in, ‘Ah-ha!  That’d be a good idea for a song!’ Then you have to take that inspiration, and know enough about  the instrument, be it a guitar or whatever, and know what form that inspiration is going to take –  is it going to be 12 bar blues or a folk song or a rocker?  You never know when that inspiration is gonna hit you, you just gotta be open.  Like when you drive by a snake farm* and you say, ‘Ok…bye!’ and there you go off writing a song! (*referring to one of his most popular songs, “Snake Farm”).  For me, I just keep a look out.  It’s like waiting for that phone to ring, and then, answering.

CVW:  Part of your story, that I’m sure will be part of your autobiography, A Life… Well, Lived, includes coming to terms with drug and alcohol addiction.  How did you find your way through that, and how do you hold onto it?

Hubbard:  Stevie Ray Vaughn, and another friend of ours named BC, came and talked to me.  My dad had just died and it hit me pretty hard – I was an orphan, even though I was 38 or 39 years old.  In the grieving process, I used up all my beer coupons, drug coupons and my whiskey coupons…I used ‘em ALL up. Stevie Ray was very instrumental at that time.  He took the time to come and talk to me – to share his experience, his strength and his hope.  He had 14 months sober at the time, and he was the first guy I’d seen sober up who still had an edge.  He still had that fire in him, and he was just very inspirational.  It was good to know I could get sober and not turn into a square.  Stevie preferred the term ‘spiritual awakening’ to ‘religious conversion’, and that made a lot of sense to me.  Because of him, I got into the program – there weren’t any elevators there, so I had to take ‘the steps.’  That’s how it started.  Today, I still take it one day at a time, and try to give each day the respect that it deserves and just doing the next, right thing.  These days are precious.

As I look back, I’ve had some amazing cool things happen, but I still feel like I’m moving forward.  I still enjoy it, and I think there’s still plateaus to reach. I don’t know what they’re going to be, because I haven’t really sat around thinking about it; when I wrote “Mother Blues” for the last record, I wasn’t thinking, ‘I’ll put this album out and try to get on Letterman’ — he just heard the song on SiriusXM Radio and called up and asked for us. So who knows what will happen with this record? All I know is that I feel very fortunate right now in that I’m playing gigs that are really fun to do. And as long as I can keep writing and performing new songs, I think I could keep doing this for awhile. I saw some show once where Pinetop Perkins was playing at 90 years old, and Judy said, ‘You’ve got another 20 years in you!’

Tickets are general admission and can be bought by calling (760) 365-5956 or online at www.pappyandharriets.com. This is an INDOOR SHOW. A ticket to this show does not guarantee a seat. This is a non-seated show. Which means, there will not be chairs on the Dance Floor, just the tables for dinner only. Call for dinner reservations at (760) 365-5956.