Jimmie Lee Sloas | |
---|---|
Born | Sandy Hook, Kentucky, U.S. | November 11, 1959
Genres | |
Occupation | Bassist |
Years active | 1982–present |
Jimmie Lee Sloas is an American session musician, producer, and songwriter, who plays bass.
Jimmie Lee Sloas, born in Ashland, Kentucky, grew up in Fairborn, Ohio and Isonville, Kentucky. His father, Dave, was a member of the popular bluegrass group, The Sloas Brothers. His older brother, David, served as Tammy Wynette's lead guitarist from the early 1980s until her death.
In 1982, Sloas co-founded, with singer-songwriter Robert White Johnson, the album-oriented rock band RPM. The band released two albums between 1982 and 1984, with the albums produced by Brent Maher and Gary Langan, respectively. [1] [2]
From 1986 to 1990, Sloas was a member of the contemporary Christian vocal band The Imperials (as lead singer and sometimes bass player). He holds several session musician and production credits, primarily in country & contemporary Christian music with artists such as Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Carman, LeAnn Rimes, Kellie Pickler, Reba McEntire, PFR, Switchfoot, and Jessica Simpson. In 1996, he co-founded the group Dogs of Peace with former Whiteheart guitarist Gordon Kennedy. Sloas also recorded with the heavy metal band Megadeth on their album The System Has Failed . He was nominated for Top Bass Player of the Year in the 2006, 2008, and 2009 Academy of Country Music awards. [3]
Sloas is co-producer, with Bob Ezrin, of the artist Christian Kane for Bigger Picture Group, at Anarchy Studios in Nashville.
Virginia's musical contribution to American culture has been diverse, and includes Piedmont blues, jazz, folk, brass, hip-hop, and rock and roll bands, as well as the founding origins of country music in the Bristol sessions by Appalachian Virginians.
Alabama has played a central role in the development of both blues and country music. Appalachian folk music, fiddle music, gospel, spirituals, and polka have had local scenes in parts of Alabama. The Tuskegee Institute's School of Music, especially the Tuskegee Choir, is an internationally renowned institution. There are three major modern orchestras, the Mobile Symphony, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra; the last is the oldest continuously operating professional orchestra in the state, giving its first performance in 1955.
David Albert Alvin is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s and has been involved in various side projects and collaborations. He has had brief stints as a member of the bands X and the Knitters. He often refers to himself as "Blackjack Dave," in reference to his 1998 album and song of the same name.
A session musician is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a tour. Session musicians are usually not permanent or official members of a musical ensemble or band.
Christopher Hillman is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his work with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas and the country-rock group the Desert Rose Band. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Byrds.
Exile, formerly the Exiles, is an American band founded in Richmond, Kentucky, in 1963. The band consists of J.P. Pennington, Les Taylor, Sonny LeMaire, Marlon Hargis (keyboards), and Steve Goetzman (drums). With a founding membership including original lead singer Jimmy Stokley, the band played cover songs and local events in the state of Kentucky for a number of years before becoming a backing band on the touring revue Caravan of Stars. After a series of failed singles on various labels, Exile achieved mainstream success in 1978 with "Kiss You All Over", a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. This iteration of the band mostly played soft rock and pop music.
Gordon Scott Kennedy is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee whose most successful composition is the international hit song "Change the World", recorded by Eric Clapton, for which Kennedy and his co-writers received a Grammy Award for Song of the Year (1996). Kennedy also received a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album (2007), co-producing, composing, and performing on Peter Frampton's Fingerprints album. He was a member of the Christian rock band White Heart for six years in the 1980s. Kennedy has written 15 songs recorded by Garth Brooks, and has done projects with Frampton and Ricky Skaggs. Kennedy's songs have been recorded by artists including Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Stevie Nicks, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood. His compositions have been heard in the film soundtracks of Tin Cup, For Love of the Game, Where the Heart Is, Almost Famous, Summer Catch, Someone Like You, The Banger Sisters, Phenomenon and Disney's The Fox and the Hound 2.
So Much for Substitutes is the second official album release by Christian rock band Downhere, 1st album to include current bassist Glenn Lavender, and last album released under Word Records. The label dropped the band from their roster in 2004, despite the band garnering nominations and awards for the album; 2003 Covenant Award for Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year, nomination for both the 2004 GMA Music Award for Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year, and the 2004 Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year. The song "What It's Like" won the 2003 Covenant Award for Alternative Song of the Year and the song "Breaking Me Down" won the 2004 GMA Music Award for Modern Rock Recorded Song of the Year.
Rickie Lee Skaggs, known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster, and banjo.
Robert White Johnson is an American songwriter and musician, based on Nashville, best known for co-writing "Where Does My Heart Beat Now", which was a major hit for Celine Dion.
Dogs of Peace are an American Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, and they started making music together in 1995. They have released two studio albums, Speak (1996) and Heel (2016).
This Year's Model is the 32nd studio album by Christian music vocal group The Imperials, released in 1987 on Myrrh Records. This is the first album to feature new members Jimmie Lee Sloas and Ron Hemby, replacing long-time tenor Jim Murray and lead singer Paul Smith. It was a change in direction as This Year's Model's sound was more rock-oriented alienating long-time fans of the Imperials' four-part harmony of their early years. The track "Power of God" became a theme song for Christian bodybuilders the Power Team and new younger fans began to come to Imperials concerts. Production duties were done by Brown Bannister, who produced their previous album Let the Wind Blow (1985) with songwriting contributions from fellow CCM acts Pam Mark Hall, Chris Eaton and Paul Smith who co-wrote the lead single "Wings of Love". This Year's Model peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.
Free the Fire is the 33rd studio album by Christian music vocal group The Imperials released in 1988. This is their third and final album on the Myrrh label and after more than 10 years, their final album overall on Word Records. The Imperials would switch over to Star Song Records for their next album Love's Still Changing Hearts (1990). It is also the last time for the lineup of Jimmie Lee Sloas, Ron Hemby, David Will and Armond Morales from their previous album This Year's Model (1987) as Sloas left the group in 1989 to focus more behind the scenes as a bass guitar player, producer and songwriter and would go on to form the Christian Rock band Dogs of Peace with former Whiteheart guitarist and vocalist Gordon Kennedy. It was a reunion of sorts as the Imperials reunited with Bill Schnee who produced their 1982 album Stand by the Power and the husband and wife team of Michael and Stormie Omartian with music and lyrics on the title song. Baritone singer David Will sings lead on the Cliff Richard track "Better Than I Know Myself" from Richard's 1981 album Wired for Sound. Free the Fire debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.
Love's Still Changing Hearts is the 34th studio album by Christian music vocal group The Imperials released in 1990. This is the first album recorded on the Star Song label. This album's personnel line-up consists of Armond Morales, David Will, Ron Hemby and David Robertson. Robertson replaced Jimmie Lee Sloas in 1989 but only for this album as he would leave the group for a solo career. This is also Ron Hemby's final album with the group as both Hemby and Robertson were replaced by new tenor leads Jonathan Pierce and Jason Beddoe. Beddoe replaced Hemby but he left the group but Pierce would stay on to record their next album. Former member Sloas co-wrote the track "Goin' Away." The album's final track is a near-9 minute medley of six of the Imperials' best beloved songs and a cover of "Gospel Ship" called "Platinum Medley." Love's Still Changing Hearts peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.