(Vocals, guitar, songwriter, 1934–85) A formative figure of the West Coast hardcore honky-tonk movement, Stewart was a major influence on both Buck Owens and Merle Haggard (the latter played bass in Stewart’s band). He was a regular on KWTO in Springfield, Missouri when he was 13, before his family relocated to California. Skeets McDonald helped ...
(Cornet, 1907–67) After honing a vocabulary of unorthodox trumpet techniques with Fletcher Henderson between 1926–33, Rex William Stewart switched to cornet and joined Duke Ellington. In an orchestra of distinctive voices, his was among the most unique. He played with a sharp, biting attack in the middle register. His tone had a slightly sour, almost sarcastic ...
(Vocals, songwriter, b. 1928) Mississippi-born singer O’Gwynn grew up listening to and emulating Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. During the mid-1950s, he was a feature performer on the Louisiana Hayride and was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry for a few years in the early 1960s. He is most often remember for minor hits such as ‘Talk ...
(Vocals, piano, guitar, 1945–2003) Kentucky-born Stewart first recorded in 1964, and was a member of rock band The Amps. He co-wrote Stonewall Jackson’s 1965 country hit, ‘Poor Red Georgia Dirt’, and several for Billy Walker and others before signing to RCA in 1973. His first country hit was a cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Ramblin’ ...
(Guitar, vocals, b. 1945) Once lead guitarist with Bournemouth’s Tony Blackburn and The Rovers, Stewart’s commercial discography as a solo artist commenced with a 1966 Xerox of a Yardbirds LP track, ‘Turn Into Earth’. Very bound up in himself lyrically, he impinged on national consciousness via mild media uproar over his insertion of a rude word ...
(Founder, Stax Records, b. 1930) Stewart founded Memphis-based Stax Records in 1957 with his sister, Estelle Axton. Local musicians became the house band, Booker T. And The M.G.s. Their backing on many recordings defined the gritty Southern Soul sound. An early hit by Carla Thomas attracted Atlantic, who took options on all Stax releases ...
One of the UK’s finest rock vocalists, Roderick David Stewart was born on 10 January 1945 to Scottish parents. He went to the same school as Ray and Dave Davies of The Kinks and briefly trained as an apprentice footballer before busking around Europe. Many Faces Back in London he started singing with The Hoochie Coochie Men in 1964 alongside ...
In the Bakersfield family tree, the likes of Bill Woods and Wynn Stewart set the stage, Buck Owens put the town on the map, and Merle Haggard was the heir apparent. ‘The Hag’, as he is often known, also had the distinction of actually being born in Bakersfield, on 6 April 1937. His parents, James ...
Singing cowboy Tex Ritter enjoyed two distinctive careers, the first as ‘America’s most beloved cowboy’ (a title bestowed on him by a Hollywood publicist), and second as a recording artist and stage performer, albeit still making occasional film appearances. He also recorded one of the most memorable western themes of all time – ‘High Noon’. A Screen Icon Born ...
Like the USA itself, country music in California was built upon migrant forces, in relation to both musicians and audiences. Unlike Nashville, whose growth was mainly dependent upon local musicians, the Golden State scarcely produced any homegrown talent but, rather, was dependent upon the influx of migrant workers from other states. The greater number of ...
From its roots, country music has been associated with simplicity – in melody, in subject-matter and in instrumentation, and it is this that has perhaps ensured its longevity. However, all good musicians make their craft look simple, and the history of country music is packed with virtuosos, from the pioneering banjoist Earl Scruggs, through ...
‘The Mastersingers of Nuremberg’ Die Meistersinger has often been described as a comedy. This, though, is not ‘comedy’ as found in the operas of Rossini or in Verdi’s Falstaff: what ‘comedy’ means in this context is the bitter ‘human comedy’. The premiere of Die Meistersinger took place in Munich on 21 June 1868. Wagner based his opera on the real-life ...
(Vocal group, 1972–95) A multi-skilled foursome who operated from the self-owned Strawberry Studios, Stockport. Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, (both guitar, keyboards) Graham Gouldman, (bass) and Kevin Godley (drums) wrote, sang and produced four albums of inventive pop/rock from 1973–76. Their 1975 No. 1 ‘I’m Not In Love’ was also a Stateside smash. 10cc split ...
One of the greatest achievements any guitar player can attain is an immediately recognizable signature tone and style. And though many guitarists have realized this goal, few have done it as emphatically as Police guitarist Andy Summers (b. 1942). From the chord stabs of ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ to the arpeggios of ‘Message In A Bottle’ ...
(Piano, b. 1966) The son of Broadway composer Moose Charlap and singer Sandy Stewart, Bill Charlap was inducted into professional jazz by Gerry Mulligan and has been critically acclaimed for his deft playing, superb taste and unfailing swing feel. In 2004 he succeeded pianist Dick Hyman as director of the long-established, prestigious jazz series at New York’s ...
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An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.