Charles Ray "Charlie" McCoy (born March 28, 1941
in Oak Hill, West Virginia) is an American session musician noted for his work
on a wide variety of instruments.
Charlie McCoy was perhaps the definitive Nashville session
musician, a multi-talented performer best known for his harmonica playing and
whose mastery of the instrument virtually defined its role within the context
of modern country music. Though born in West Virginia on March 28, 1941,
Charles Ray McCoy was raised in Miami, FL, where he first picked up the
harmonica at the age of eight. By his mid-teens, he was playing harmonica and
guitar in an area rock & roll band, and a few years later graduated to travelling
the Florida rock and country circuits as a backup performer. At one local gig,
he met Mel Tillis, who instructed McCoy to move to Nashville, which he did in
1959. After finding little work as a session player, he journeyed back to
Florida, where he began studying musical theory and taking vocal lessons in
addition to work as an arranger and conductor.
In 1960, McCoy auditioned as a guitarist for singer Johnny
Ferguson, only to learn that the opening had been filled. Ferguson was still
looking for a new drummer, however, so McCoy bought a kit, learned to play, and
won the job. After contacting Tillis, he was introduced to agent Jim Denny, who
helped the upstart musician find some work in Nashville. McCoy's first session
was Roy Orbison's 1961 "Candy Man," and within months he was one of
the most sought-after players on the scene. He also toured extensively as a
drummer in Stonewall Jackson's band throughout the early '60s and released a handful
of solo singles.
By the mid-'60s, McCoy was a fixture on Elvis Presley's
Nashville and Los Angeles sessions, and in 1965, he began working with Bob
Dylan, appearing on a string of legendary LPs that included Highway 61
Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, and Nashville Skyline. As a
result, McCoy became as much in
demand among rock and folk artists as he was
within the Nashville community and began performing with the likes of Ringo
Starr, Al Kooper, Gordon Lightfoot, and John Stewart. At his peak, he was
performing on over 400 sessions annually.
Charlie with Bob Dylan |
In 1969, McCoy joined the country-rock band Area Code 615,
with whom he recorded a self-titled LP, followed by A Trip in the Country in
1970. Also in 1969, he released a solo effort, The Real McCoy; while the album
garnered little notice at the time of its release and was quickly deleted, in
1971 a Florida DJ began playing the track "I Started Loving You
Again" to massive listener response. A single was soon available, and the
song reached the Top 20 in 1972.
Even as his solo career began taking off,
McCoy remained a constant in Nashville studios, and in the early '70s alone he worked
with Paul Simon, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Russell, and Steve Young.
When the remnants of Area Code 615 reformed as Barefoot
Jerry, McCoy signed on and, with the group, issued three albums -- 1975's You
Can't Get Off With Your Shoes On, the following year's Keys to the Country, and
1977's Barefootin'. At the same time, he played on records for Waylon Jennings,
Tanya Tucker, and Wanda Jackson and also began a tenure as the musical director
for the country comedy program Hee Haw, where he remained for many years.
In 1978, he played
England's Wembley Festival with Lloyd Green, and his popularity across the
Atlantic soared. In the 1980s, he toured Europe frequently and began recording
extensively there as well. By the early '90s, McCoy had cut back considerably
on his studio work, although he continued to play with many prestigious
artists.
In 1996, he led a number of Nashville studio luminaries like the Jordanaires, Russ Hicks, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, and Bobby Ogdin during the sessions for the cult duo Ween's 12 Golden Country Greats. (Info from All Music Guide)
In 1996, he led a number of Nashville studio luminaries like the Jordanaires, Russ Hicks, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, and Bobby Ogdin during the sessions for the cult duo Ween's 12 Golden Country Greats. (Info from All Music Guide)
At present Charlie is still touring and entertaining his many fans.
6 comments:
For “Charlie McCoy – Classic Country” go here:
http://www68.zippyshare.com/v/YxrrjJpv/file.htm
1. On the Road Again
2. Crazy
3. I Started Loving You Again
4. Orange Blossom Special
5. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
6. Tennessee Waltz
7. Walkin' After Midnight
8. You Needed Me
9. John Henry
10. Here Comes My Baby Back Again
11. Lookin' for Love
12. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
13. San Antonio Rose
14. Shenandoah
Bob,
Could you please repost this album, thank you.
Charlie McCoy had four top albums on The Country Albums charts:
1972 The Real McCoy
1973 Good Time Charlie
1973 The Fastest Harp In The West
1974 The Nashville Hit Man
If every could post these albums, it would help preserve
his recorded music legacy, thank you.
Hello HP.
I have only got the first one on your list (as an extended edit) and have posted it with Classic Country (no art work included on this one). I see you haven’t downloaded Dorothy Kirsten or Steve Conway yet, only I had to search through loads of DVD’s and thumb drives to find these. (I am presently cataloguing my digital albums which are all over the place!)
https://www.imagenetz.de/db6hE
Charlie McCoy – The Real McCoy (Expanded Edition) (2019 Sony Digital)
01) Orange Blossom Special
02) Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line
03) Today I Started Loving You Again
04) Jackson
05) Hangin' On
06) The Real McCoy
07) Son Of A Preacher Man
08) Build Me Up Buttercup
09) Harper Valley PTA
10) Hooked On A Feeling
11) Games People Play
12) The Look Of Love
13) Loving Her Was Esier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
14) Easy Lovin'
15) How Can I Unlove You
16) Help Me Make It Through The Night
17) Take Me Home Country Roads
Bob,
Thank you so much for the Steve Coway, Dorothy Kirsten, Chubby Wise & Charlie McCoy albums; you are very geberous with you time and efforts :-)
sp: gererous
one more time: generous
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