European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 9, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The fide of Success Rodney Crowell country sin husband of cr0nne Ca has a"�1 career of t"3 own by Carl Hoover Cox news service c of entry Singer Rodney Crowe who wrote songs for some of Nashville s finest before his own breakthrough came says the secret of his writing and performing is freshness. In writing that translates into keeping his senses Fine tuned to he details and nuances of life and people. In performing that Means shaking up his concert playlist enough la Jerk himself out of a Groove and keep his band members on their toes Quot i avoid routine at All costs. Routine is not . Me Quot Crowell says so when the Road gels a bit numbing he lakes walks in the Citrus he plays. Or As he did recently to takes his wife Rossano Cash and their daughters with hint. Quot this was the first time they did it extensively. And travelling with an 8 year old a 10 year old and an 8 month old baby a it adds something unexpected to the tour Quot he  it s not often a tour bus of country performers stops to take in a water slide or a go cart track but then that s life outside the routine. Since the Success of diamonds amp dirt two years ago Crowell has been a Busy Man juggling he demands of a rigorous Louring schedule songwriting and recording responsibilities and family duties a. Quot it s been a big lesson learning How to ride the tide of Success and at the same time be present emotionally ,. For my family Quot he said. Crowell jumped into prominence with a grammy award for Best country song for after All this time Gold certification for the diamonds amp dirt album and five consecutive no. 1 billboard hits. But behind that High profile stretches a lengthy Low profile career As a proven Nashville songwriter raised in Houston Crowell joined his father s band at the age of 11. He moved to Nashville in 1972 and later joined Emmylou Harris hot band he left in 1977 1o pursue a Solo career and produced Rosanne Cash s smash seven year a ache. Crowell soon made a reputation in Nashville As a talented songwriter. His tunes found their Way on records by Emmylou Harris Jerry Jeff Walker the grateful dead. Waylon Jennings Jimmy Buffett Willie Nelson hrs wife and his father in Law Johnny Cash. He determined to become a performer to his own right but in look three albums on the Warner Brothers Label and one on Columbia before tie hit pay dirt with 1988 s diamonds amp dirt. Crowell s latest album keys to the Highway. Already has had one no 1 song Many a Long and lonesome Highway with if looks could kill Oul As the 3econd single. A new album is m the works once the present round of touring ends Crowell eagerly anticipates the work ahead the enjoyable task of seeing where his Lynch take him. A Quot it s a process of discovery sort of like an excavation in a Way Quot he explains. Quot its like anthropology where you Start on a dig and see what you come up  the Earth he digs is human experience adding that country music is tailor made for the sparse but Laden lyrics he pens Quot the Feather m country music a hat is that its drawn from the language and the Story of simple people Quot he explained. The trick is capturing a moment or an emotion in the Brief passage of a song. It comes As no Surprise when Crowell compares songwriting to the discipline of Short stones or human scaled film two decades of songwriting Haven t altered his subjects or sources they be Only made his writing leaner and More efficient. At the same time Crowell likes the immediate feedback that performance gives and if his audience allows  latitude in different styles of Onusic a say a Range frown Hank Williams to the Staple singers a Crowell is in entertainer s heaven when gel a hold of an audience that will let Rne a pension to boy it really turns me on Quot the stars and s f hires Page 17