Gary Talley

Last updated
Gary Talley
Gary Talley.jpg
Guitarist, Songwriter, Educator
Background information
Born (1947-08-17) August 17, 1947 (age 76)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres Rock 'n' roll, blues, blue-eyed soul, indie rock
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter, educator
Instrument(s) Guitar, vocals
Website http://garytalley.com

Gary Talley (born August 17, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and author. [1] He began his career as lead guitarist for the Grammy-nominated group The Box Tops who were famous for hits like "The Letter", and "Cry Like a Baby".

Contents

Career

After his initial stint with The Box Tops, Talley played with musicians Jerry Butler, Billy Lee Riley, Hank Ballard, and Ace Cannon at the Sounds of Memphis Studio and later at Universal Studios also in Memphis. His reputation led him to the larger market of Atlanta in 1972, where he toured with Pat Boone, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Dobie Gray, Freda Payne, Billy Joe Royal, and many others.

Talley relocated to Nashville in 1981 where he recorded with Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings, Sam Moore (of the duo Sam and Dave), and others. He has written songs recorded by Keith Whitley, The Box Tops, James Cotton, T. G. Sheppard, Fish Heads & Rice and others. He has continued writing and teaching, while at the same time playing television appearances, live events or touring with artists like Billy Preston, Sam Moore, Pam Tillis, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Rufus Thomas, Tim McGraw, The Drifters, Sam "the Sham" Samudio, David Lee Murphy, Bobby Whitlock, Tracy Nelson, Mac Gayden, Bobby Bare, Ray Vega, Deirdre Reilly, the Hombres, Jason D. Williams, James Carr, Al Watkins, and Little Eva among others.

Publications like Acoustic Guitar [2] [3] and American Songwriter have published cover stories, articles and lessons about his career as a guitar instructor. In 1999, Talley created “Guitar Playing for Songwriters” the first instructional guitar video designed for songwriters. His specialized technique is tailored to accommodate the needs of songwriters. His students have included stars like Pam Tillis, and Sherrié Austin, Amanda Hunt-Taylor, Rory Bourke, Monty Powell, Holly Lamar and Tom Douglas.

After a six-year hiatus following the death of The Box Tops lead singer, Alex Chilton in 2010, Gary and remaining original bass player Bill Cunningham reunited The Box Tops and began touring in 2016. In 2017 The Box Tops joined The Happy Together Tour with The Turtles, The Association, The Cowsills, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, and Ron Dante of The Archies. The Summer tour played 48 cities across the U.S. and entertained over 200,000 fans. Gary continues to teach guitar when he's not touring with The Box Tops, and plays various live shows and recording sessions in Nashville.

On November 1, 2018, Talley was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall Of Fame, as a founding member of The Box Tops.

In 2020, Talley began accompanying the singing of his 93-year old mother Nita Talley in a series of Youtube videos. These songs, especially the old-style gospel numbers, on which they sing harmony with Belinda Lee Leslie, have been made into CDs, and a portion of the proceedings go to the Wounded Warrior Project in honor of Gary's late father, Charles Talley. In 2022, at the age of 95, with three CDs available, Nita Talley was still recording with Gary Talley.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tammy Wynette</span> American country singer (1942–1998)

Tammy Wynette was an American country music singer, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a woman's perspective to the male-dominated country music field that helped other women find representation in the genre. Her characteristic vocal delivery has been acclaimed by critics, journalists and writers for conveying unique emotion. Twenty of her singles topped the Billboard country chart during her career. Her signature song "Stand by Your Man" received both acclaim and criticism for its portrayal of women's loyalty towards their husbands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Box Tops</span> American rock band

The Box Tops is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1967. They are best known for the hits "The Letter", "Cry Like a Baby", "Choo Choo Train," and "Soul Deep" and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period. They performed a mixture of current soul music songs by artists such as James & Bobby Purify and Clifford Curry; pop tunes such as "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum; and songs written by their producers, Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, and Chips Moman. Vocalist Alex Chilton went on to front the power pop band Big Star and to launch a career as a solo artist, during which he occasionally performed songs he had sung with the Box Tops.

Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman was an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is known for working in R&B, pop music and country music, operating American Sound Studios and producing hit albums like Elvis Presley's 1969 From Elvis in Memphis and the 1985 debut album for The Highwaymen. Moman won a Grammy Award for co-writing "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song", a 1975 hit for B.J. Thomas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pam Tillis</span> American country music singer-songwriter

Pamela Yvonne Tillis is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is a daughter of country music singer and songwriter Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful pop material for Elektra and Warner Records in the 1980s before shifting to country music. In 1989, she signed with Arista Nashville, entering top-40 on Hot Country Songs for the first time with "Don't Tell Me What to Do" in 1990. This was the first of five singles from her breakthrough album Put Yourself in My Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Tillis</span> American country music singer-songwriter (1932–2017)

Lonnie Melvin Tillis was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, with a long list of Top 10 hits.

Dan Penn is an American songwriter, singer, musician, and record producer, who co-wrote many soul hits of the 1960s, including "The Dark End of the Street" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" with Chips Moman and "Cry Like a Baby" with Spooner Oldham. Penn also produced many hits, including "The Letter", by The Box Tops. He has been described as a white soul and blue-eyed soul singer. Penn has released relatively few records featuring his own vocals and musicianship, preferring the relative anonymity of songwriting and producing. Dan Penn produced an album on Ronnie Milsap in 1970 on Warner Bros.

Billy Norris Sherrill was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger associated with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Glenn Sutton are regarded as the defining influences of the countrypolitan sound, a smooth amalgamation of pop and country music that was popular during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Sherrill also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Stand by Your Man" and "The Most Beautiful Girl".

Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. was an American songwriter.

<i>George Jones (We Can Make It)</i> Album by country music artist George Jones

George Jones, also titled George Jones (We Can Make It) was the 1972 country music studio album released by George Jones in April 1972. The release was Jones' 46th studio album release since a debut from 16 years previous. Also as a highlight in his career, it was the first release made on Jones' new label, Epic Records.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Pam Tillis album) Compilation album by Pam Tillis

Greatest Hits is a 1997 compilation album from American country music artist Pam Tillis. The album reached #6 on the Billboard country albums charts. It chronicles her greatest hits from her first four albums for Arista Nashville. The tracks "Land of the Living" and "All the Good Ones Are Gone" are new to this compilation. Both were released as singles, reaching Top Five on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1997. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. This was the last of her albums to receive certification in sales. "Land of the Living" would also be Pam's last top 10 appearance in the Country Singles Charts.

Brad Davis is an American country/bluegrass/rock guitar virtuoso and singer-songwriter. Guitar World Magazine named Brad as one of the greatest Texas guitarist of all time in 2022. Initially, a member of country singer Marty Stuart's road band, Davis has also performed with David Lee Roth, Bela Fleck, Roger Miller, David Lee Roth, Earl Scruggs, Sam Bush, Billy Bob Thornton, ZZ TOP and many others, in addition to writing songs for artists like Tim McGraw, Jo-El Sonnier, Tony Trischka, Tommy Shaw, and Thornton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Ring (song)</span> 1976 single by George Jones and Tammy Wynette

"Golden Ring" is a song written by Bobby Braddock and Rafe Van Hoy, and recorded by American country music singers George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It was released in May 1976 as the first single and title track to their duet album of the same name. It was a number-one hit on the Billboard country chart.

Wayne Carson, sometimes credited as Wayne Carson Thompson, was an American country musician, songwriter, and record producer. He played percussion, piano, guitar, and bass. His most famous songs as a writer include "The Letter", "Neon Rainbow", "Soul Deep", and "Always on My Mind".

<i>Invictus (Means) Unconquered</i> 1981 studio album by David Allan Coe

Invictus (Means) Unconquered is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1981 on Columbia.

<i>Lying to the Moon</i> 1990 studio album by Matraca Berg

Lying to the Moon is the debut studio album of American country music singer Matraca Berg. It was released in September 1990 via RCA Records Nashville. The album accounted for the singles "Baby, Walk On", "The Things You Left Undone", "I Got It Bad", and "I Must Have Been Crazy". Berg co-wrote all ten of the tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Chilton</span> American songwriter, guitarist, singer & producer

Alex Chilton was an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops was never repeated in later years with Big Star and in his subsequent indie music solo career on small labels, but he drew an intense following among indie and alternative rock musicians. He is frequently cited as a seminal influence by influential rock artists and bands, some of whose testimonials appeared in the 2012 documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.

Gary Steven Harrison is an American songwriter.

Gary Nicholson is an American singer-songwriter and record producer, known mainly for his work in country music and blues. He is a two-time Grammy winning producer and was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriter's Association Hall of Fame. Nicholson has more than 500 recordings and is best known for his work with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Ringo Starr, BB King, Fleetwood Mac and Billy Joe Shaver.

<i>Cry Like a Baby</i> (album) 1968 studio album by The Box Tops

Cry Like a Baby is a 1968 album by the Box Tops. The title song was released as a single and reached #2 in April 1968 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position which it held for two weeks. It was kept out of the top spot by Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey".

References

  1. Boaen Jameson, Michelle. "5 Questions with Gary Talley of The Box Tops". Gainesville Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  2. Pepper Rodgers, Jeffrey (2000). Songwriting and the Guitar. San Anselmo, CA: String Letter Publishing, Inc. p. 7. ISBN   1-890490-28-8.
  3. Editors, Acoustic Guitar Magazine. "Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Private Lessons". String Letter Publishing. Retrieved May 27, 2013.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)[ permanent dead link ]