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American musician and songwriter, born February 19, 1943, in Corinth, Mississippi and died February 23, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Self taught musician except for childhood beginner's lessons with private teachers Gainus and McCord. Chosen with four other high school classmates for FFA String Band contest, winning State Championship is 1957 after a three level competition.
Professional musician/songwriter since 1959. Member of Bill Black's Combo 1960-63, trade magazines' "Instrumental Group of the year" all three years. Played hundreds of concerts and shows with Bill in 47 states, Canada, Nassau and Jamaica and appeared in 2 Hollywood motion pictures.
Member of studio staff band in Memphis, Tennessee at Hi Records, then at American Studios (two of the major "hit factories" of the sixties and seventies). One of five nominated for Memphis Music's "Outstanding Musician of 1971." Played piano, organ and electric keyboards on studio master sessions at Fernwood, Hi, Sun, Phillips International, Sounds of Memphis, Stax, Ardent and "The Jungle Room" (Elvis' den) among others.
Nashville session player since 1972 winning NARAS "Superpicker" awards 1972-1979 (honoring musicians who played on #1 records). Declined custom session work starting in 1980 to... Read More ... pursue song writing and project recording full time.
Top songs written include "Help Me Make It To My Rockin' Chair" (B.J. Thomas), "Luckenbach, Texas," "Women Do Know How to Carry On" and "Wurlitzer Prize" (Waylon Jennings, (1978 and Nora Jones 2004)), "Love Me Like You Used Too" (Tanya Tucker) and "So Much Like My Dad" (George Strait). Received 2 nominations for "Song of the Year," nominated for 3 Grammies, received 6 Citations of Achievement and 3 Millionaire Awards from Broadcast Music Inc. for radio airplay, and was honored by Nashville Songwriters Association International for "creative genius in words and music."
Project recordings include Willie Nelson albums "Always on My Mind," "City of New Orleans," "Take It to the Limit," "WWII" (Willie and Waylon), "Pancho and Lefty" (Willie and Merle Haggard) and "Highwayman" albums 1 and 2 (Supergroup of Willie, Waylon, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson). Also played Hammond B3 on all Highwaymen tours world wide.
Projects in progress at this time are two Memphis Boys albums, and performing the Elvis hits he and the Memphis Boys played on ("Suspicious Minds," "In the Ghetto," "Kentucky Rain," "Rubberneckin’," "Don’t Cry Daddy" and about fifteen of the others) for fan clubs around the world.
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