Scotty Moore. Photo: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Scotty Moore, regarded as the founding guitarist of rock ‘n’ roll, died on Tuesday at age 84.

A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was best known as the guitar player during Elvis Presley’s rise to fame in the 1950s. Moore was also a longtime Nashville recording studio engineer.

Born in Gadsden, Tennessee, Winfield Scott Moore III began playing guitar before he reached his teens. He initially modeled himself on country/jazz stylist Chet Atkins.

After service in the U.S. Navy 1948-1952, Scotty Moore formed The Starlite Wranglers in Memphis. Sun Records owner/producer teamed the group’s Moore and Wranglers bassist Bill Black (1926-1965) with his new signee Presley. Billed as The Blue Moon Boys, Moore and Black backed Presley on his breakthrough record “That’s All Right Mama” in 1954.

Moore also served as Presley’s first manager. Later augmented by drummer D.J. Fontana, The Blue Moon Boys backed the superstar on his earliest tours, TV appearances and films.

The distinctive guitar licks of Scotty Moore can be heard on such early Elvis Presley hits as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Mystery Train,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog,” “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hard Headed Woman,” “Baby Let’s Play House,” “Too Much” and “Milk Cow Blues Boogie.” In 1957-60, Moore appeared in the Presley movies Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole and G.I. Blues.

When Presley was drafted into the Army in 1958, Moore began working at Fernwood Records in Memphis. There, he produced the hit “Tragedy” for Thomas Wayne. Moore next became the production manager at Sun Records. After Presley resumed civilian life, Moore played on such RCA hits as “Good Luck Charm,” “Such a Night,” “Surrender,” “I Feel So Bad,” “Rock-a-Hula Baby,” “Devil in Disguise” and “Bossa Nova Baby.”

In 1964, Scotty Moore released his first solo LP, The Guitar That Changed the World. In 1968, he joined Elvis Presley on the famed “comeback” NBC television special.

By then, Moore had relocated to Nashville. In 1964, he formed his Music City Recorders studio on 19th Ave. S. and launched Belle Meade Records. The studio is where he engineered the Ringo Starr LP Beaucoups of Blues.

He sold the studio in 1973 and began working as a freelance engineer, often at Monument Records. In 1976, he opened a tape-duplication business in the Monument building, which he bought. Over the years, he also continued to record as a guitarist. Among the artists he backed on disc were Sonny Burgess, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dale Hawkins, Alvin Lee, Mother Earth, Billy Swan, Ann-Margret, Charlie Rich, Ronnie McDowell and The Tractors. He produced records for Frank Frost, Tracy Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Steve Ripley and others.

Scotty Moore engineered many TV shows for Opryland Productions in the 1980s. The stars he worked with included Dolly Parton, Carol Burnett, Bob Hope, Perry Como, Minnie Pearl, Johnny Cash, Ann-Margret and Jerry Lee Lewis. He also worked on several albums by Carl Perkins.

During the 1990s, he participated in several Elvis Presley tribute events, concerts, tours and TV specials. One of the most notable was the 1997 all-star CD All the King’s Men. Also in 1997, Scotty Moore was inducted into the Guitar Center’s Rockwalk in Hollywood, alongside Chet Atkins, James Burton, Duane Eddy and Hank Garland.

In 1999, Gibson Guitars unveiled its Scotty Moore model. The company gave him its Lifetime Achievement award in 2002.

Rock greats such as Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Bruce Springsteen have all cited Scotty Moore as an inspiration. Following his 2000 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Moore continued to perform and tour. He worked with Ronnie McDowell, Lee Rocker and The Mike Eldred Trio, among others.

He was named a Memphis Music Hero by that city’s chapter of The Recording Academy in 2004. In 2007, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville. He also announced his retirement from performing in that year.

He died at home in Nashville on Tuesday, June 28. No funeral arrangements have been announced.

Bill Ham

Bill Ham, a veteran manager, producer, songwriter and publisher, passed away in his sleep in Austin, Texas, on June 20. He was 79 years old.

Although he was best known as the longtime manager, producer and publisher of ZZ Top, Ham also made his mark in country music by managing Clint Black and publishing his songs through Hamstein Music. He was instrumental in Black’s signing to RCA Records in 1989, although the business partnership between the two men landed in court after a 1992 dispute about royalties and publishing rights.

Ham was born in 1937 in Waxahachie, Texas. He began his music career as a record promoter for Bud Dailey Distributing in Dallas before encountering a Houston-based group called Moving Sidewalks, which was opening a concert for the Doors in 1968. Ham formed Lone Wolf Management to manage them.

Soon after the band’s dissolution, Billy Gibbons, their front man, founded ZZ Top with Bill Ham continuing his role as manager. After some personnel changes, the band’s enduring line-up of Gibbons (guitar) bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard solidified and continues to this day.

Ham’s vision for what ZZ Top could become was an instrumental trigger to the band’s massive success. His role was critical in shaping their image as “that little ol’ band from Texas.” A 1970 contract with London Records ensued and he became the group’s producer in the studio as well as, on occasion, a songwriting partner.

Ham’s business relationship with ZZ Top ended in 2006. Upon hearing of his death, the members of ZZ Top issued the following statement: “We were saddened to hear of Bill Ham’s passing. His early vision and continuing encouragement were invaluable; his efforts and energy will always remain deeply appreciated.”

In addition to owning the music publishing rights to ZZ Top’s catalog, Ham created Hamstein Music. Since 1987, Hamstein has accrued over 100 Top 10 singles in country music, which include 60 No. 1 records, all penned by writers signed to Ham’s company.

These writers include Clint Black, Hayden Nicholas, Frankie Miller, members of Little Texas, Tom Shapiro, Chris Waters, Rick Giles, Chuck Jones, Tommy Barnes, Stephen Allan Davis, Billy Kirsch, Tony Martin, Reese Wilson, Lee Thomas Miller, Monty Criswell, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and others. In 2002, Ham sold Hamstein Music’s copyrights and publishing assets to Mosaic Media Group in a multi-million dollar transaction.

Ham’s latest venture had been a return to country music and the Nashville publishing business. He recently had launched Wolftracks Music Publishing Company and signed songwriters Presley Tucker and Spencer Bartoletti, professionally known as the group Reverie Lane. They are also signed to Lone Wolf Management.

Chips Moman

Chips Moman, a songwriter and producer who made his mark in country music after a significant career in R&B, died Monday (June 13) in LaGrange, Georgia, after a long illness. He was 79.

Moman was born with the name Lincoln Wayne Moman in LaGrange, Georgia, on June 12, 1937. He received his nickname because of his skills as a poker player.

As a songwriter, his credits include 1977’s “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” for Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, co-written with Buddy Emmons.

With Emmons, Moman also wrote the two-week No. 1 single, “The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want to Get Over You,” recorded by Waylon Jennings. Prior to that, Moman and co-writer Larry Butler composed a two-week No. 1 country hit for B.J. Thomas titled “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” The recording won a 1975 Grammy for Best Country Song.

R&B staples from his catalog include “Dark End of the Street” and “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” co-written with Dan Penn.

As a country producer, he won ACM Awards for Willie Nelson’s single “Always on My Mind” and corresponding album, also titled Always on My Mind. Nelson and Merle Haggard enlisted him to produce “Pancho & Lefty.” In addition, he collected a 1985 ACM Award as producer of “Highwayman,” the iconic single recorded by Johnny Cash, Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Nelson, known collectively as the Highwaymen. Moman also produced the first two albums for the Highwaymen.

He produced a collaborative 1986 album titled Class of ’55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming that brought together Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins. Interviews from that session won a 1986 Grammy for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording.

Elvis Presley fans know Moman as the producer of standards like “In the Ghetto,” “Suspicious Minds” and “Kentucky Rain.” Presley recorded those songs at American Sound Studio for the 1969 album, From Elvis in Memphis.

Moman had strong ties to Memphis by working at Stax Records and producing the label’s first hit single—Carla Thomas’ 1960 release, “Gee Whiz.” Within a few years, after leaving Stax, he opened American Sound Studio in Memphis, where Dusty Springfield recorded her enduring 1969 album, Dusty in Memphis. Moman was also an accomplished guitarist who played numerous sessions in Memphis and Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Only making occasional appearances in the last few decades, Moman had lived in LaGrange since 1994. In 2012 he gave a public interview at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Chips Moman after a Country Music Hall of Fame program in 2012. Pictured (Back row, L-R): Museum Editor Michael Gray with musicians Gene Chrisman, Bobby Emmons and Weldon Myrick; (Front row, L-R): Musicians Bobby Wood, Chips Moman and Reggie Young. Photo: Donn Jones

Phoebe Binkley

Phoebe Binkley, who coached dozens of Nashville superstars and thousands of unknowns for more than 40 years, passed away on May 11 at age 78.

She was officially a vocal coach, but her many clients thought of her as a career counselor, a life advisor, a guidance guru, a confidante and much more. Among her high-profile students were Kathy Mattea, Ronnie Milsap, Hilary Williams, Ronnie Dunn, Ranger Doug Green, Barbara Cloyd and Crystal Gayle.

Binkley also coached Reese Witherspoon in her Oscar-winning performance singing the songs of June Carter in the Johnny Cash bio movie Walk the Line.

The coach was born Phoebe Knox in Memphis in 1937. Her career began as a radio singer-pianist. One early gig was on the Nashville show “Youth on Parade” alongside Pat Boone. She graduated from Vanderbilt University.

She sang as a soprano for several seasons with the St. Louis Municipal Opera, then went to Manhattan to study and perform.

Returning to Music City, she was recruited by Theatre Nashville to sing the lead in its production of La Boheme. The opera’s musical director was Bob Binkley (1934-2012), whom she married in 1960.

She first entered the country music world as a songwriter. Superstar Marty Robbins (1925-1982) recorded a dozen compositions by Bob & Phoebe Binkley in the 1960s and 1970s. Phoebe assumed leadership of Bob’s vocal-coaching business in 1971, when he became more involved in conducting, arranging and music education. She was noted for treating aspiring amateurs with the same care and attention she provided to Nashville’s biggest stars.

She became so well known in her field that she was chosen to appear on TV’s To Tell the Truth (“Will the real Phoebe Binkley please stand up!?”). She also continued to compose. She and her sister-in-law Ella Prince Knox created the musical Belle! Another notable relative was her father, Jack Knox (1910-1985), who was an editorial cartoonist for The Nashville Banner for many years.

Phoebe Knox Binkley died from complications of Post-Poliomyletis Syndrome. She is survived by son Ed Binkley and daughter Carolyn Knox Binkley. Carolyn, a former Belmont University instructor, will continue the family’s Nashville business, “Voice By Binkley.” Other survivors include Phoebe’s brothers Joseph and Britt Knox, her grandchildren, her nieces and her nephews.

A celebration of her life will be held at Vine Street Christian Church on Friday, June 3 at 8 p.m. Everyone is invited to sing in the choir. Come dressed as Binkley would have you, in a way that makes you feel best about yourself.

Memorial contributions may be made in Phoebe Binkley’s name to BrightStone, P.O. Box 682966, Franklin, TN 37068 or to the W.O. Smith Community Music School, P.O. Box 121348, Nashville, TN 37212.