ACL Fest: Chuck Woolery Introduces First Act at ACL

The opening act of Austin City Limits this year was Nashville folk rock singer/songwriter Ben Cyllus, and he invited a friend to come introduce him, well-known game show host Chuck Woolery. Austinist managed to catch up with Woolery and Cyllus for a quick chat at the Blender Music Lounge on Friday. Woolery, who is perhaps best known for his work on "Love Connection," said that during the fest Cyllus revealed his secret. “Austin’s my new hometown, and Ben blew my cover,” said Woolery. “I came here to fish. I bass fish every day.”

Cyllus and Woolery were both satisfied with the turnout at 11:15 on Friday. “When they opened the gates, it was like a bonanza,” said Woolery. “I thought I was going to introduce him to a blade of grass.”

Many might ask what would bring about this pairing of musician and game show host. The truth is, they met in Nashville, and Woolery has been listening to him ever since. “When I saw Ben the first time four years ago, it just turned me into a fan,” Woolery said. But the music connection goes a little further than that with Woolery. “Chuck is a songwriter, I don’t know if you knew that,” Cyllus said. He had a brief run in the mid-'60s as a country singer/songwriter.

“I was on Columbia, Warner Brothers, Epic and RCA,” Woolery said. “I have no records, but a lot of singles.”

His attitude about his own music is a little self-deprecating with a sense of blinding realism. “Roger Miller once described me as riding the crest of an undertow,” he said.