Steve Wariner is opening up about his decades-long career. The “Holes in the Floor of Heaven” singer, who’s a four-time Grammy winner with 14 No. 1 hits to his name, was the latest guest on American Songwriter’s Off the Record podcast.
During his conversation with host Lisa Konicki, the singer and songwriter recalled spending time with some legends over the course of his career.
Videos by American Songwriter
“We got along great. She was like my big sister, really,” Wariner said of Dottie West, whom he toured with when he was just 17. “… She was such a songwriter. I like to brag because, hello, folks, she’s the first female country artist to ever win a Grammy, and she wrote it, y’all.”
Indeed, West won the Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy in 1965 for her song “Here Comes My Baby.” West wasn’t the only talented person Wariner has hung around. He also spent time with Kris Kristofferson.
“I later got to know Kris pretty well, and he was so nice to me,” Wariner said. “I toured England with him one time later when I was having hits. We stood and watched Johnny Cash… We just stood there hanging out.”
Casually rubbing elbows with such big names is something Wariner said he misses about how Nashville used to be.
“Nashville was a small town, and I loved it,” he said. “… I remember walking into George Jones’ session down at Columbia… It was accessible, I guess what I’m trying to say. You could meet anyone. You could walk up. You could pop in on a session or whatever. They really didn’t mind.”
Steve Wariner Discusses His Art
While music was long Wariner’s focus, these days he’s turned his attention to another artistic venture—painting. It’s something, Wariner revealed that he’s been doing “almost probably as long as music.”
While the two art forms are different in many ways, Wariner sees many similarities between them.
“If I were a smart man, I would try to write a book on the parallels of music and art,” he said. “… You’re starting with nothing, and you’re going to make something out of nothing. You’ve got to have a vision.”
“When you write a song, you’re thinking about people are going to hear it, and then when you do a painting, you’re thinking about people are going to see this,” Wariner added. “But really in both cases, if you think about it, it’s what they’re going to feel more than see or hear.”
In a career first for him, Wariner is the artist behind a one-man showcase, which is being held at Monthaven Arts & Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tennessee, through July 26. Titled The Flip Side, the art show display another facet of Wariner’s creative nature.
“Of course, music is my passion, but the flip side of what I do, much like a flip side of a record, is my art and painting,” he said. “Here in this collection, you’re going to see a lot of oils, oils on linen, cotton. You’ll see a group of watercolors, probably 15 to 17 watercolors. Different styles of watercolors too.”
“There are some real large abstracts that I just can’t stay on course with, like music. I love jazz. I love country. I love pop. I love gospel,” Wariner added. “So it’s kind of like my art… I’m all over the place, but it’s just being creative. All of it.”