Music Industry Veteran Clive Davis Passes At 94

/by

Clive Davis.

Clive Davis passed away today (June 22) at his home in Manhattan. He was 94.

A Brooklyn, New York native, Davis graduated from Harvard Law School in 1956 and began as an in-house lawyer at Columbia Records a few years later. He rose to President of the company in 1967.

In 1974, he took charge of the Bell label and renamed it Arista, signing artists including Patti Smith, the Kinks, Lou Reed, Gil Scott-Heron and Aretha Franklin. In 1983, he signed Whitney Houston, who he championed for the rest of her career. He co-founded Arista Nashville in 1989 with Tim DuBois, which became the home to Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Pam Tillis and Brad Paisley among many others.

In 2000, he founded J Records, which launched the careers of Alicia Keys and Maroon 5.

Also in 2000, Davis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a nonperformer. In 2002, he endowed the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, an undergraduate music industry program at N.Y.U.’s Tisch School of the Arts with a $5 million donation. Davis was well known for his annual Grammy Awards parties, which he began 1976. The events were often attended by A-list musicians, politicians and more.

Davis is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his partner, Greg Schriefer.

“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives,” his family shared in a statement. “He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations. To his family, Clive was Dad and Granddaddy, the steady presence at the center of our lives, the source of wisdom, strength, encouragement, and unconditional love. No matter how extraordinary his professional accomplishments, he never lost sight of what mattered most: the people he loved. Through every chapter of his remarkable life, family remained Clive’s greatest pride and deepest joy. Today, we celebrate not only a towering figure whose influence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness. We will miss him greatly, cherish him always, and carry his love with us for the rest of our lives.”

Hit Producer & DRUMATIZED Founder Tay Keith Passes

/by

Tay Keith

Grammy-nominated producer and DRUMATIZED Founder Tay Keith passed away today (June 18) at his Nashville home. He was 29.

Known for his hard-hitting trap beats, Keith earned 11 top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and produced four No. 1 hits, including Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s “First Person Shooter.” He also holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this decade, with six. He is a two-time Grammy nominee and three-time BMI Producer of the Year.

Beyond hip-hop, Keith expanded into country music and worked to build opportunities for artists in Nashville. He founded DRUMATIZED, a label and creative space that supported both hip-hop and country musicians. The studio became the second Black-owned recording studio in Nashville and hosted private music camps for artists such as Walker Hayes, Lalo Guzman, Reyna Roberts and David J, among others. He has also worked with Kane Brown, ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman, among others.

Born Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, Keith was born and raised in south Memphis, Tennessee. Around age 14, Keith started making music and sharing it on YouTube and DatPiff. Using a piano at home, he created original beats and remade popular songs, including Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop.”

After moving to East Memphis, Keith met rapper BlocBoy JB. The two quickly connected and began making music together, starting a partnership that would help shape both of their careers.

In December 2018, Keith graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, celebrated his first No. 1 hit with “Sicko Mode,” and earned his first Grammy nomination. He also remained committed to helping other artists succeed, playing a key role in the careers of Memphis rappers like BlocBoy JB and Black Youngsta. In 2018, he produced BlocBoy JB’s biggest hit, “Look Alive,” featuring Drake, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced the Memphis rapper to a much larger audience.

In the early 2020s, he helped launch Sexyy Red into the spotlight by producing her breakout hit “Pound Town,” a song that helped turn her from a rising local artist into a major name in hip-hop.

Keith’s signature sound, which included booming drums and powerful bass, made his productions stand out. His work on songs like Eminem’s “Not Alike” and Lil Baby and Gunna’s “Never Recover” gave artists the energy and impact they were looking for while helping bring Memphis’ influence back to mainstream rap.

Additional credits also include BlocBoy JB’s “Rover” (later remixed to “Rover 2.0” featuring 21 Savage), and “Shoot,” Drake’s “Nonstop,” Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go,” Aitch’s “Rain,” featuring AJ Tracey and many more.

“He wasn’t impressed by his success, and if he had an ego, he never showed it,” says Beverly Keel, Dean of the MTSU Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment. “He was confident in his work, but there was no arrogance. (I once asked him if he was nervous sending a song to Beyonce, and he simply said no.) He was focused on building an empire, supporting and building others’ careers along the way. He hired several MTSU students as interns.”

Funeral services have not been announced.

Industry Veteran Robert ‘Bob’ Fred Whittaker Passes

/by

Bob Whittaker.

Robert “Bob” Fred Whittaker passed away on June 5. He was 85.

Whittaker was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 10, 1941. He spent his early years in Baxter, Tennessee, where he returned later in life.

Whittaker spent a majority of his career with Opryland USA before serving as General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry for the final nine years before his retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Jean Whittaker, three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The family held a funeral service earlier this month. Memorial messages can be shared here.

BREAKING: WSM’s Bill Cody Passes

/by

Bill Cody. Photo: Grand Ole Opry, by Chris Hollo

WSM announcer Bill Cody passed away on June 9. He was 67.

Cody’s distinctive voice has resonated across international airwaves for more than five decades. For over 30 years, he served as host of WSM Radio’s flagship morning program, Coffee, Country & Cody, and became especially renowned for his longtime role as announcer and host of the Grand Ole Opry.

Inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 2008, Cody has earned multiple nominations from the CMA, ACM and Billboard. In 2024, he was honored with a star on the Music City Walk of Fame Park. He will also be posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame later this year.

A native of Lebanon, Kentucky, Cody grew up as a preacher’s son and was introduced to radio at an early age. He often accompanied his father to the local radio station to exchange tapes of Sunday worship services for broadcast. Those visits provided an early look inside the world of radio and led to opportunities to spend time at the station, where he learned more about the day-to-day work of broadcasting.

In 1971, he began his professional radio career at WLBN in his hometown of Lebanon. Six years later, he joined WVLK in Lexington, Kentucky, as an on-air personality at 17 years old. At WVLK is where his boss requested he drop his birth name, Trent Clutts, and adopted the name Bill Cody, inspired by his one of his childhood heroes, “Buffalo Bill” Cody. After two years there, he moved to WHAS in Louisville, continuing to build his career in broadcasting.

In 1985, he returned to country radio as a morning personality at WCII in Louisville before relocating to Orlando, Florida, to work with WHOO-FM. Two years later, he joined KKYX-AM in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1994, Cody moved to Nashville to join WSM Radio, beginning a chapter that would define much of his distinguished career. Joining WSM on April 25, 1994, with inaugural guest Charlie Daniels. He also eventually developed the series on the Circle Network.

Beyond radio, Cody’s work has spanned television, syndication, voice-over and film. His credits include American Saturday Night: Live from the Grand Ole Opry, GAC-TV’s Master Series, the television specials Tennessee’s Wildside and Ray Stevens’ Nashville, and appearances on The Nashville Network. He has also been heard on Bill Cody’s Classic Country Weekend, Pure American Country, Nashville Record Review, Country’s Most Wanted, programming for the Country Music Hall of Fame, Music City Walk of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium, as well as Willie’s Roadhouse on SiriusXM and United Airlines’ in-flight country music programming.

Cody married his high school sweetheart, Rebecca. The couple has three children and resided in Cross Plains, TN.

In the days ahead, WSM will honor Cody with a special marathon of moments from Coffee, Country & Cody. Saturday’s (June 13) Grand Ole Opry will be dedicated to Cody.

The Grand Ole Opry House will host visitation and funeral services honoring the life of Cody on Monday (June 15). Visitation will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. followed by a funeral service at 2:00 p.m. in the Opry House auditorium. Doors open at 1:00 p.m. Family, friends, colleagues and fans are welcome.

Nashville’s Dr. Hook Rock Singer, Dennis Locorriere, Passes

/by

Dennis Locorriere, the lead singer of the rock band Dr. Hook, has died at age 76.

He was the vocalist on a decade-long string of 1970s pop hits for the group, including “Sylvia’s Mother,” “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman,” “Sexy Eyes” and “Sharing the Night Together.” Locorriere was also a Nashville ad-jingle vocalist, a record promoter, a respected songwriter, a popular Nashville nightclub headliner and a solo recording artist.

The group was formed in 1968 as Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, a rowdy, New Jersey bar band. Locorriere was the lead singer, but Ray Sawyer (1937-2018) became its visual focus, wearing his trademark eye patch and leading the on-stage shenanigans.

Ron Haffkine (1938-2023) discovered the act and became its manager, producer and what he self-billed as its “musical director.” He arranged for the group to perform music for and appear in the 1970 Dustin Hoffman film Who Is Harry Kellerman. In 1971, Dr, Hook & The Medicine Show auditioned live in the Columbia Records office in New York, with Locorriere leading the band and Sawyer dancing on label chief Clive Davis’ desk.

Columbia issued the group’s debut LP in 1972. Shel Silverstein (1930-1999), another Haffkine management client, wrote all of the album’s songs, including “Sylvia’s Mother.” Locorriere’s plaintive/wry vocal propelled the song into the pop top-10. Later that year, the LP Sloppy Seconds yielded the Silverstein-penned “The Cover of Rolling Stone.” This was the act’s only big hit sung by Sawyer. It led to a Rolling Stone magazine cover story in 1973.

The band toured relentlessly, doing 300+ shows a year. But its carefree attitude about finances led a bankruptcy filing in 1974. The group shortened its name to Dr. Hook in 1975, signed with Capitol Records and issued the LP Bankrupt. It contained Locorriere’s Gold-selling revival of the Sam Cookie oldie “Only Sixteen,” which returned the band to the pop top-10 and became its first country-charting single. The singer also scored with “A Little Bit More” from this same collection.

Dennis Locorriere wrote/co-wrote the band’s next two successes, “A Couple More Years” and “If Not You” in 1976. The latter became Dr. Hook’s sole top-30 country single. The following year, its revival of the jug-band ditty “Walk Right In” became a No. 1 smash in Australia.

In 1977, Locorriere and the band moved to Nashville, which had long been their recording home. This coincided with its longest string of pop hits. Recorded in a style that would now be termed “yacht rock,” they included “Sharing the Night. Together” (1978), “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” (1979), “Better Love Next Time” (1979) and “Sexy Eyes” (1980). These were written by top Music Row tunesmiths. Locorriere co-wrote “Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk” (1982), the band’s last top-30 pop hit. All of these titles were recorded in Nashville and/or Muscle Shoals.

Although the hits of this era solidified their stardom, neither Locorriere nor Sawyer liked them. They remained Southern-flavored roots rockers at heart. Ray Sawyer quit the group in 1983. Locorriere kept the band going and acquired the Dr. Hook brand.

During its heyday, Dr. Hook released 11 albums and sold an estimated 50 million records. It remains one of the biggest pop/rock acts to hail from Music City.

The group retired in 1985. Locorriere remained active in the Nashville music community. He briefly worked as a country record promoter, sang backup vocals on albums by Randy Travis and others, and worked as a studio ad-jingle singer. His expressive, sandpapery voice warbled the praises of McDonald’s, Coors Light, Long John Silvers, Ruffles Potato Chips and other national products.

He also continued to write. Locorriere’s songs have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Crystal Gayle, BJ Thomas, Helen Reddy, Willie Nelson, Southside Johnny, Olivia Newton-John and Jerry Lee Lewis. Locorriere released three solo albums, Out of the Dark (2000), One of the Lucky Ones (2005) and Post Cool (2010). He also issued three concert DVDs.

In 1989, he acted in the Lincoln Center production of Silverstein’s play The Devil And Billy Markham, garnering universally positive reviews. Dr. Hook always had a large international following, with hits in Australia, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, the U.K., Holland, Ireland and South Africa. Locorriere toured overseas, performing both newly written songs and Dr. Hook classics. He moved to the U.K. in 2002.

Locorriere repeatedly sued Ray Sawyer for using “Dr. Hook” to promote Sawyer’s bookings. Ron Haffkine was sued by his business partner, Bobby Heller. Legal tangles over song-publishing deals and master recordings further dogged Locorriere. In 2002, The Tennessean’s headline read, “Dr. Hook: Band’s Legacy Shattered.”

The singer persevered. In 2008, Dennis Locorriere toured the United Kingdom as a member of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings. He assembled a new Dr. Hook band to tour in celebration of the group’s 50th anniversary. In 2021-22 he led the revived Dr. Hook to concerts in Scandinavia and the British Isles. He retired in 2025.

Dennis Locorriere had been battling kidney disease in recent years. He passed away in West Sussex, England on May 16. He is survived by his wife Claire Anne, by son Jessejames Locorriere, an actor, and by daughter, Lily Locorriere. Funeral arrangements are unknown.

Country Outlaw David Allan Coe Dies At 86

/by

David Allan Coe. Photo: Matthew Woitunski via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Talented country star David Allan Coe has died at age 86.

The charismatic performer was known for recording such hits as “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile”, “The Ride”, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name”, “She Used to Love Me a Lot”, and “Longhaired Redneck.” He notched 63 singles on the Billboard charts.

Coe was a talented songwriter, with artists including Johnny Cash, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, The Oak Ridge Boys and many more recording his songs. His biggest hits as a songwriter were “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone),” recorded by Tanya Tucker, and Johnny Paycheck’s iconic rendition of “Take This Job and Shove It,” which later inspired a movie of the same name.

Coe often spurred controversy with lyrics, with frequent profanities, tales of drug use and sexually explicit material. His rebellious attitude and image garnered him the title of the ‘outlaw’s outlaw.’

Coe was born in Akron, Ohio on Sept. 6, 1939. As a boy, he was sent to the Starr Commonwealth For Boys reform school. Coe would spend the next 20 years in correctional facilities, including three years at the Ohio Penitentiary.

After ending a prison term in 1967, Coe moved to Nashville where he reportedly lived in a hearse which he parked in front of the Ryman Auditorium. While street performing, he caught the attention of the owner of the independent record label Plantation Records, Shelby Singleton, who signed him.

In 1970 Coe released his debut album Penitentiary Blues. In 1971 he signed to Pete and Rose Drake’s publishing company Windows Publishing Company, and when Tanya Tucker’s recording of his “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)” went to the top of the charts, Coe was signed to Columbia Records. He cut his own version of the song for his second Columbia album, Once Upon a Rhyme, released in 1975.

Once Upon A Rhyme also contained Coe’s biggest hit, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” written by John Prine and Steve Goodman.

His third album, The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy, was named for the rhinestones suit and a Lone Ranger mask he wore to perform.

Coe would go on to release a handful of more albums throughout the ’70s, including Longhaired Redneck (1976), Human Emotions (1978), Family Album (1978), Compass Point (1979) and Spectrum VII (1979).

In 1980 Coe enlisted producer Billy Sherrill for I’ve Got Something to Say, which included featured vocals from Guy Clark, Bill Anderson, Dickey Betts (of The Allman Brothers Band), Kris Kristofferson, Larry Jon Wilson, and George Jones.

Coe’s 1983 album Castles in the Sand would prove to be a mainstream success for Coe, peaking at No. 8 on the country albums chart. Its success was spurred on by “The Ride,” which spent 19 weeks on the Billboard country singles charts, reaching a peak of No. 4. The song tells the story of a hitchhiker’s encounter with the ghost of Hank Williams, Sr. in a ride from Montgomery, Alabama to Nashville.

1984’s Just Divorced contains Coe’s second biggest chart hit, “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile”, which rose to No. 2 on the Billboard country singles chart.

Coe’s 1986 album Son of the South featured contributions from fellow country outlaws Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Jessie Colter. His final album for Columbia, a concept album A Matter of Life…and Death, was released in 1987.

Throughout the 1990s, Coe toured throughout the United States and Europe. In 1990 he reissued his independent albums Nothing Sacred and Underground Album on CD, as well as the compilation 18 X-Rated Hits–which were very controversial for racist, misogynist and homophobic lyrics.

In 2003, Coe wrote a song for Kid Rock, “Single Father,” which appeared on Kid Rock’s self-titled album, and was released as a single. He released Rebel Meets Rebel, with Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, and Rex Brown, in 2006, two years after Darrell’s murder.

Coe is survived by his son Tyler Mahan Coe, who created the country music podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones and the podcast Your Favorite Band Sucks. He is also survived by his daughter, Shelli Coe Mackie. He is preceded in death by his son-in-law, the late Michael Mackie, formerly of Texas band Thunderosa.

Crossroads Music Co-Founder Mickey Gamble Passes

/by

Mickey Gamble

Crossroads Music Co-Founder and leader Mickey Gamble has passed away.

Under Gamble’s leadership, Crossroads and its associated labels, Horizon Records, Sonlite Records, Mountain Home Music Company and Organic Records, grew from beginnings as an acclaimed Asheville recording operation (Hear Here! Studios) and a Southern Gospel label (Horizon Music Group) to become one of bluegrass and Southern Gospel music’s preeminent issuers.

With a roster that has ranged from traditional Gospel quartets and bluegrass bands through contemporary masters and innovative new groups, Crossroads reflects Gamble’s vision of a larger musical family, rooted in his beloved western North Carolina home. His tireless advocacy for professionalism, his insistence on sound, honest business practices, relentless drive to be informed about, to understand and adapt to developments in the recording industry, and unbounded enthusiasm for the music being made by Crossroads artists earned him the respect, admiration and affection of those with whom he worked to a degree that is rare in any field.

Gamble was a recipient of the Southern Gospel Music Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2019.

“My dad loved music – and its makers – more than anyone else I’ve ever encountered,” says Gamble’s daughter Francesca Dooris. “He was a champion of the arts, of many other forms in addition to music, because of each unique human being behind the creation of a piece. The ubiquitous theme from everyone I’ve spoken with during this time is that he saw the distinctive set of characteristics a person had to give to the world, and pushed him or her to trust that part of themselves relentlessly. He believed in the gift that was the essence of a person, even if they couldn’t see it or hadn’t developed it.

“The music community was truly family to my dad, and he loved each of you in a completely one-of-a-kind way,” she continues. “If he could say one thing to everyone now, it would be that the music must go on. Keep writing. Keep creating. Keep being you and making your art, whatever form it takes.”

No arrangements have been announced at this time.

Music Industry Veteran Cliff Downs Passes Away

/by

Cliff Downs

Cliff Downs, a respected music industry veteran who spent time as an artist, composer, producer and publisher, died on Friday (April 24) after a long battle with cancer. He was 72.

As part of the 1980s duo Downes & Price with vocalist Jimmy Price, Downs began his career as a pop artist signed to Atlantic Records. He released a self-titled album in 1986 featuring AOR/pop tracks.

Later, Downs found himself in Nashville, beginning what would be a successful career as a songwriter and producer with hits across pop, country, contemporary Christian and jazz. His songs were recorded by artists such as Foreigner, Wynonna, Gabby Barrett, B.J. Thomas, Paul Rodgers, Glen Campbell and jazz artist Richard Elliott.

Additionally, Downs’ scores and songs appeared in major film and TV productions including the TNT movie Red Water, David Zucker’s film An American Carol, Red Dirt Rising and network shows such as Modern Family, MacGyver, General Hospital, One Life to Live, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless and Sunset Beach. He won an Emmy for Best Original Song for “When I Think of You” from One Life to Live and received multiple Emmy nominations and awards. Over his career, Downs’ music garnered over 1,000 television placements and was featured in promos for The Voice, American Idol, the Super Bowl, Olympics coverage and more.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the chapel at Brentwood Baptist Church (7777 Concord Rd., Brentwood, TN 37027). Visitation will precede the service from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Downs’ honor to The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum or PR Ministries.

Durable ‘Nashville Cat’ Wayne Moss Passes

/by

Wayne Moss performs at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum during his Nashville Cats program in 2009. Photo: Donn Jones, courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

A vital presence on the Nashville music scene for seven decades, Wayne Moss has died at age 88.

He was a first-choice session guitarist, a record producer, the owner of Nashville’s oldest independent recording studio and the co-founder of the seminal country-rock bands Area Code 615 and Barefoot Jerry.

Born in 1938 in South Charleston, West Virginia, Moss spent his teenage years playing in local bands. He made the move to Nashville in 1959. Fellow musicians recognized his talent and began recruiting him to play on Music Row recording sessions.

The first hit song that Moss played on was “Sheila” by Tommy Roe (1962). Moss also played guitar on “Oh Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison (1964) and on Bob Dylan’s acclaimed LP Blonde on Blonde (1966). He also played on R&B star Joe Simon’s 1969 album The Chokin’ Kind and its Grammy Award winning title track.

His work on guitar and/or bass can be heard on the records of more than 30 Country Music Hall of Fame members, including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, The Everly Brothers, Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Eddy Arnold, Willie Nelson, Bobby Bare, Marty Robbins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Grandpa Jones, Porter Wagoner and Charlie McCoy.

Wayne Moss was in the studio band for Dolly Parton’s signature tunes “Jolene” (1973), “I Will Always Love You” (1974) and “Coat of Many Colors” (1971). Moss was also a guitarist on Tammy Wynette’s iconic “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and “Stand By Your Man” (1968). His guitar solo on “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line” by Waylon Jennings (1968) inspired Marty Stuart to begin playing. Moss also played on the Charlie Rich mega hit “Behind Closed Doors” (1973).

Moss was on recordings by such pop artists as Fats Domino, Joan Baez, Carl Perkins, The Beau Brummels, Artimus Pyle, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, Ronny & The Daytonas, Al Kooper, Leonard Cohen, Perry Como, Esther Phillips, Simon & Garfunkel and Peter, Paul & Mary, as well as Orbison, Dylan, Simon and Roe. He toured with Rock & Roll and Country Hall of Famer Brenda Lee as a member of her band, The Casuals, in 1959-62. Back in Nashville, he joined The Escorts, one of the city’s earliest rock & roll bands.

He and fellow West Virginia musician McCoy ran a Nashville nightclub called The Sack. When it wen out of business in 1961, they used the venue’s equipment to build a recording studio in Moss’s garage in Madison. Dubbed Cinderella Sound, the small studio has hosted recording sessions by artists including Jackie DeShannon, The Steve Miller Band, Linda Ronstadt, Grand Funk Railroad, The James Gang, Tracy Nelson, Faron Young, The Louvin Brothers and Merle Kilgore. Cinderella Sound was unusual in that it didn’t advertise and wasn’t even listed in the phone book. It has succeeded via word-of-mouth for its entire 65-year existence.

In 1969, some of Music Row’s top session musicians formed the group Area Code 615. Members included Moss and McCoy, plus Mac Gayden, Bobby Thompson, Buddy Spicher, David Briggs, Norbert Putnam, Kenny Buttrey, Ken Lauber and Weldon Myrick. Area Code 615 was a unique fusion band combining elements of rock, jazz, country and funk. It recorded two albums for Polydor Records before most of its members returned to their more lucrative session work.

Moss, Buttrey and Gayden next formed Barefoot Jerry with keyboard player John Harris. The pioneering country-rock group recorded for Capitol, Warner Bros. and Monument. Its disc debut was the 1971 LP Southern Delight. Buttrey and Gayden left. Moss and Harris recruited Russ Hicks and Kenny Malone for 1972’s LP Barefoot Jerry. The lineup expanded into a nine-member ensemble for 1974’s Watchin’ TV and Barefoot Jerry Live (recorded in 1973, released in 2007). Membership varied, but the band continued under Moss’s leadership. The title tune of You Can’t Get Off with Your Shoes On scraped the bottom of the pop charts in 1975. Keys to the Country (1976) and Barefootin’ (1977) rounded out the band’s discography. In addition to being a group member, Wayne Moss produced the Barefoot Jerry records.

Barefoot Jerry was name checked in the Charlie Daniels hit “The South’s Gonna Do It Again” in 1975. Billed as “Barefoot Jerry,” Wayne Moss appeared in the landmark 1981 documentary Heartworn Highways alongside Daniels, Guy Clark, David Allan Coe, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Young and other country “outlaws.”

In the 1980s, Wayne Moss returned to studio work. He spent 15 years in the house band of TV’s Hee Haw. He also had some success as a songwriter. Among those who have recorded his tunes are Hall of Famers The Oak Ridge Boys, Chet Atkins, Brenda Lee and Willie Nelson.

Cinderella Sound continued to be active in the ‘80s, ‘90s and beyond. Jerry Reed, Connie Smith, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Joe White, John Hartford, Kathy Mattea and Mel McDaniel have been among the studio’s dozens of clients. Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Gretchen Peters recorded her Mickey Newbury tribute album at Cinderella Sound in 2020.

The Country Music Hall of Fame honored Wayne Moss as a Nashville Cat in 2009. Moss was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Three years later, author Michael Selke published the biography Nashville Cat: The Wayne Moss Story.

Wayne Moss passed away on Monday, April 20. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Noted Percussionist/Producer/Songwriter Craig Krampf Passes

/by

Craig Krampf, who drummed on dozens of Nashville recordings, died on April 16 at age 80.

He was formerly the Secretary/Treasurer of Nashville Local 257 of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).

Krampf was a West Coast rock artist who migrated to Music City to become a session musician in the 1990s. He also worked as a record producer, notably on Nashville rocker Ashley Cleveland’s 1991 Big Town and 1993 Bus Named Desire collections for Atlantic and on the 1994 album by the Americana act Disappear Fear for Rounder.

His session credits in Nashville included percussion work on records by Tanya Tucker, Dan Seals, The Remingtons, Townes Van Zandt, Radney Foster, The Sky Kings, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis, Ty Herndon, LeAnn Rimes, Jack Ingram, The Randy Rogers Band, The Kinleys, Billy Burnette and Burrito Deluxe. He did percussion and production work on Dolly Parton’s 1987 Rainbow album. He was also a mainstay of Alabama’s recording sessions, appearing on the group’s million-selling Southern Star, Pass It On Down, American Pride, Cheap Seats and In Pictures albums in 1989-95.

Over the years, he also logged session credits with such Nashville pop artists as Webb Wilder, Van Stephenson, Steve Cropper, Jason Ringenberg, Jill Sobule, Will Kimbrough, Newsboys, Bonepony, The Features, Essra Mohawk, Josh Leo, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Tom Kimmel and Jonell Mosser.

The Wisconsin native originally rose to prominence in L.A. in 1965-89, working in the studio with Alice Cooper, Cher, Lita Ford, Paul Stanley, Joan Armatrading, Flo & Eddie, Art Garfunkel, Santana and Warren Zevon, among others. Krampf played on hits such as Nick Gilder’s “Hot Child in the City” (1978), “Only the Lonely” by The Motels (1982), and Melissa Etheridge’s “Bring Me Some Water” (1989) from her debut album that he co-produced.

He was particularly noted for his work with Kim Carnes on her 1980s albums Romance Dance, Mistaken Identity, Voyeur, Café Racers, Barking at Airplanes, Light House and View from the House. Krampf can be heard on the Carnes hit singles “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981) and “Crazy in the Night” (1986).

While on the West Coast, he was a member of such rock bands as Silver Condor, Alien Project, The Robbs and Cherokee. The Robbs were signed to Mercury and were the house band on Dick Clark’s 1965-67 ABC-TV series Where the Action Is.

As a songwriter, Krampf’s biggest hit was with Steve Perry’s “Oh Sherrie” (co-written with Perry, Randy Goodrrum, and Bill Cuomo), which peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s pop chart in 1984. Krampf also co-wrote Perry’s “Strung Out,” which made it to No. 40. He also co-wrote “I’ll Be Here Where the Heart Is” on the Grammy-winning Flashdance soundtrack album of 1983.

Craig Krampf was the father-in-law of WPLN radio producer and WNXP program director Jason Moon Wilkins. He is married to Krampf’s daughter Carrie. Craig Krampf and his wife Susie, who passed away in 2004, were married for 34 years and have three daughters, Carrie, Courtney and Katie.