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Grammy nominee Rodney Crowell shares fond memories of growing up in Houston's Third Ward

"I love where I grew up, it was perfect, we ran barefooted 7 months out of the year and we rode our bicycles everywhere we went," the singer and songwriter told us.

HOUSTON — Get ready for another fabulous night of entertainment at the 2024 Grammy Awards Sunday night! 

Watch the Grammys on CBS/KHOU 11, Sunday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. 

As usual, Houston will be represented by a number of artists who are nominated for Grammys, including the "Houston Kid" Rodney Crowell. His latest album, "The Chicago Sessions," is nominated for best Americana album.

Crowell, 73, worked with Jeff Tweedy from the band Wilco on the laid-back set of songs.

"And I really like what we did, it was very free, live music recorded in the studio, and very little production," Crowell said.

He was born and raised in Houston and fondly remembers growing up in Third Ward, which he wrote about in his memoir 
"Chinaberry Sidewalks."

"I love where I grew up, it was perfect, we ran barefooted 7 months out of the year and we rode our bicycles everywhere we went," Crowell told us. "We played football on blacktop pavement, we hit baseballs through windows."

Crowell's been writing songs for decades. He had a string of hits back in the 1980s and a lot of other artists have recorded his songs -- from Johnny Cash, who was once his father-in-law, to Dolly Parton to Willie Nelson.

Crowell performed at Willie's 90th birthday concert last year at the Hollywood Bowl.

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"It made me cry, because I love Willie and very early on in my career Willie was generous with me and acknowledged my talent and started singing some of my songs."

Crowell said he's happy to be nominated for another Grammy but he keeps it all in perspective.

"And mind you , I've been nominated 18 times for a Grammy, so if I win, this would be my third Grammy and that gives me about a .167 batting average which won't get me into the Hall of Fame in baseball, but perhaps for Americana music it will."

Crowell now hangs his hat in Tennessee, but he visits Houston often and loves to perform at the Heights Theater. The very same Heights Theatre where he watched movies as a 7-year-old boy.

"I find it interesting that I would go there and perform when, as a child, my father would drop me off to see scary movies and leave me by myself," Crowell said. "It was a different time.”

He's touring through March and then he said he'll rest for a while. And just maybe with a new Grammy in his hand.

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