Results: Weird Music Wednesday: Gary S. Paxton (Part 2)

In addition to racking up production credits on numerous pop hits in the 1960's Gary S. Paxton was also developing multiple addictions. A business partner's car accident death prompted Paxton to check himself into rehab. Around the same time, he moved from Southern California to Bakersfield in the northern part of the state, then to Nashville, TN and in both cities pivoted his record producing to mostly country music (an example of which is included with this question). Have you ever admitted yourself to a rehab program or has anyone else ever entered you into it?

Coinciding with the time of his rehab stint, Paxton experienced Christian conversion. He expressed his faith in songs put onto country-leaning albums recorded for the gospel/contemporary Christian market. The Lord didn't take away Paxton's weirdness, however, at least as it was expressed in the titles to some of his albums. Which of the following album titles amuse you at least a little?

Though bold about his belief, Paxton saw no conflict in continuing to produce music outside the evangelical ecosystem. One of the artists whose music for whom Paxton produce multiple albums was country singer Vern Gosdin. Through circumstances that may have involved soured business and/or artistic relationship between Paxton and Gosdin, the former not wanting to produce cheating and drinking songs for the latter due to their ungodly lyrics or for whatever reason, Gosdin became a prime suspect on a hit put out on Paxton in 1982. During what amounted to a kidnapping and attempted murder, Paxton declared to his assailants, "In the name of Jesus, you can not kill me!" As it happened, Paxton suffered three gunshots in that run-in but didn't die until 2016 at 77. Gosdin would go on to greater success as a recording artist, but but has been overlooked in so as honors such as Country Music of Fame induction, likely as not due in part to his rumored implication in the assault against Paxton; he died at 78 in 2009. But have you ever had a contract put out on your life or known someone who has?

Just as Paxton was the victim of an attack, he was also suspected of being a possible crime of another sort. Among his production charges was Tammy Faye Bakker, wife of televangelist Jim Bakker and recording artist in her own right. Probably around the time of the time of the sexual scandal involving Jim and a young employee at the Bakkers' PTL ministry, Paxton had struck up a friendship with Tammy Faye while producing a umber of her 16. Jim suspected Paxton was carrying on an adulterous relationship with his spouse. Paxton denied it and sent Jim a letter of apology, which apparently remained unread before it was disposed of. Have you ever been accused of sexual or romantic miscondct of which you weren't guilty?

Later in his life, Paxton moved to Branson, MO and kept recording gospel and other songs both funny and serious that he issued as an indie artist. There's nothing necessarily weird about that, but, apart from the liver disease and heart surgery complications that fell him, he seemed to have ended his life at peace. Do you foresee the same for yourself?