Roy Gaines | |
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![]() Gaines in 1977
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Background information | |
Roy James Gaines | |
Born | Waskom, Texas, United States |
August 12, 1934
Genres | Texas blues, electric blues, East Coast blues[1] |
Guitarist, songwriter | |
Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
Labels | Various |
T-Bone Walker, Roy Milton, Chuck Willis, Grady Gaines, Ray Charles |
Roy James Gaines (born August 12, 1934[1][2] or 1937[3]) is an American Texas blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[4] He wrote and recorded the song "A Hell of a Night", which was first issued on his 1982 album Gainelining.
He is the younger brother of the blues musician Grady Gaines.[1]
Gaines was born in Waskom, Texas, 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 of Michael Jackson's "Rock with You."
Gaines co-wrote the song "No Use Crying", which was recorded by George Jones and Ray Charles.
Year | Title | Label |
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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 |
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