Roy Gaines | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Roy James Gaines |
Born | Waskom, Texas, U.S. | August 12, 1937
Died | August 11, 2021 | (aged 83)
Genres | Texas blues, electric blues [1] |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
Roy James Gaines (August 12, 1937 – August 11, 2021) was an American Texas blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. [1] [2] [3] He wrote and recorded the song "A Hell of a Night", which was first issued on his 1982 album Gainelining. He was the younger brother of the blues musician Grady Gaines. [1]
Gaines was born in Waskom, Texas on August 12, 1937, [4] and relocated with his family to Houston when he was six years old. [5] Originally a piano devotee, Gaines moved to playing the guitar in his adolescence. [1] In his teens he was acquainted with another budding guitarist, Johnny Copeland. [2] By the age of 14 he had performed onstage backing his hero, T-Bone Walker, and played in Houston nightclubs. He later moved to Los Angeles, California. [1] In 1955, Gaines played as a backing musician on recordings by Bobby Bland, Junior Parker and Big Mama Thornton. [2] [5] He later backed Roy Milton and then Chuck Willis, and he worked again with Walker. [2]
He released two low-key albums in 1956 and a couple more in the 1960s for small record companies. [2] In 1966, Gaines became part of Ray Charles's backing band. [5] He was also a backing musician in sessions with the Everly Brothers, the Supremes, Bobby Darin, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight. [6]
He worked primarily as a sideman, but he released a solo album, Gainelining, in 1982. [1] He also had a small part in the 1985 film The Color Purple. [6] Another album, New Frontier Lover, was released in 2000. It was followed by Tuxedo Blues, featuring a big band billed as Roy Gaines & His Orchestra, released in 2009. The album includes the song " Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)," which Gaines had performed in The Color Purple. Also included is a cover version of Michael Jackson's " Rock with You." Gaines co-wrote the song "No Use Crying", which was recorded by George Jones and Ray Charles.
Gaines died on August 11, 2021, a day before his 84th birthday. [7]
Year | Title | Label |
---|---|---|
1982 | Gainelining | Red Lightnin' |
1996 | Lucille Work for Me | Black Gold |
1998 | Bluesman for Life | JSP |
1999 | I Got the T-Bone Walker Blues | Groove Note |
2000 | New Frontier Lover | Severn |
2000 | Guitar Clashers From Gainesville, Tokyo (w/Mitsuyoshi Azuma) | P-Vine |
2002 | Superman | Black & Blue |
2002 | In the House: Live at Lucerne, Vol. 4 | CrossCut (Germany) |
2004 | The First TB Album | Delta Groove |
2005 | Rock-A-Billy Boogie Woogie Blues Man | Black Gold |
2005 | Going Home to See Mama | Black Gold |
2009 | Tuxedo Blues | Black Gold |
With the Jazz Crusaders
With Les McCann