Critical Praise for THE SPREE OF ’83:
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDDY POWERS:

AMERICAN SONGWRITER MAGAZINE – “A forward by Tanya Tucker sets the tone of the reverence Powers held within the music community. Additional contributions from Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Big & Rich, Sonny Throckmorton, Paul Buskirk, Floyd Tillman, Larry Gatlin, and more confirm the legacy left in the wake of Powers’ star-studded career. Friends like the above mentioned took over when he could no longer sing, playing his songs and preserving his legacy. The Spree of ’83 captures all of that, retaining those stories into perpetuity…An inspiring story to all readers.”

MUSIC ROW MAGAZINE – “The memoir recounts first-hand the story behind Powers’ decades-long career in the music business, including his battle with Parkinson’s disease in the years leading to his death in 2016.”

THISISRENO.COM – “A good read for anybody interested in Freddy, country music, songwriters, Reno or Nevada Entertainment history, or even those who just need a good laugh…Freddy Powers left a huge footprint on the world of country music.”

ROLLING STONE COUNTRY: “A free-wheeling, often poignant oral history of one of the unsung heroes of Country Music.”

“A freewheeling, often poignant oral history of one of the unsung heroes of Country Music.” – Rolling Stone Country

“(Freddy has) demonstrated a dedication to broadening the perimeters of country & western, particularly in creating a fusion of country honky tonk and swing jazz. This interest runs throughout Powers’ career.” – Country Music Television (CMT)

“Powers’ name stands alongside some of country music’s most enduring classics.” – The Austin Chronicle

“The singer, songwriter, musician and producer worked with Merle Haggard for decades, the two of them penning chart-topping hits…Late in life Powers began work on a memoir with his wife, Catherine, and music biographer Jake Brown called The Spree of 83.” – BILLBOARD

“Freddy Powers is one of my favorite people in the world. Me and Willie were both in a position to influence him and to guide him a little bit as a songwriter.” – Merle Haggard

“Freddy’s strongest suit, I always thought, was his rhythm guitar playing. He was a great rhythm guitar player, and he wrote some great songs with and for Merle.” – Willie Nelson

“Legendary behind-the-scenes country musician.” – Taste Of Country

“He played what I called Freddy Powers chords, you know, like a lot of the kind of jazz, swing, Texas swing, kind of chords, and 9’s and 13’s and 7’s and major this, and minor that, and he’s never used a K-bow, and his hand was all over the guitar.” – Frank Liddell, Multi-Platinum Country Record Producer

“I spent a great deal of my time with Freddy just the two of us, and he was just such a great great player and singer, and we just communicated. There was some kind of chemistry between us I believe, just as people and as musicians.” – Rattlesnake Annie

“Freddy’s songwriting and artistry is bigger than country music, it’s truly American music. I mean, he did a lot of things in his life that have a lot of gravity. So he was always a real unassuming megastar in my mind.” – John Rich

“I’ve never seen a guy who could sit down, and he told 100 jokes in a row, non-stop, just going from one to the other to the other, not many people can do that. Every time I think of him I smile because he was just so much fun to be around.”– Big Kenny Alphin

“Freddy was Sancho Panza to Willie Nelson’s Don Quixote, you felt his presence.” – Larry Gatlin

“I think he’s one of the least-recognized of the great country songwriters. His music will be great in any era, no matter what year it is, you’ll still want to hear a Freddy Powers song.” – Tanya Tucker

CHECK OUT VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FROM THROUGHOUT FREDDY’S CAREER ON HIS OFFICIAL BOOK YOUTUBE CHANNEL!