b. Nashville, Tennessee, June 5, 1941
Nashville Cat
Mac Gayden grew up fascinated by the R&B acts he heard in his hometown of Nashville. That interest helped him develop a style as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter distinctly different from other Nashville studio pros.
Most notably, Gayden became known for playing slide guitar through a wah-wah pedal, as heard on J.J. Cale’s memorable “Crazy Mama.” Gayden’s slide playing drew him work in all genres of popular music.
His songwriting also had a R&B bent. He co-wrote Robert Knight’s 1967 hit, “Everlasting Love,” with Buzz Cason; new versions of the song made it a hit again in four consecutive decades. Gayden also co-wrote “She Shot a Hole in My Soul,” a Clifford Curry favorite subsequently recorded by the Box Tops and other acts.
Besides Cale, Gayden recorded with soul singer Gene Allison and singer-songwriters Bob Dylan, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Steve Young. Gayden’s guitar lent a bluesy touch to recordings by Bobby Bare, Tompall Glaser, Kris Kristofferson, and Gary Stewart.
Gayden also participated in the acclaimed bands Area Code 615 and Barefoot Jerry, and he led his own band, Skyboat.
Mac Gayden used this Lincoln electric guitar and Gibson Maestro Boomer 2 wah-wah pedal to create the distinctive slide guitar licks on J.J. Cale’s 1972 hit “Crazy Mama.” Courtesy of Mac Gayden
Mac Gayden used this Lincoln electric guitar and Gibson Maestro Boomer 2 wah-wah pedal to create the distinctive slide guitar licks on J.J. Cale’s 1972 hit “Crazy Mama.” Courtesy of Mac Gayden
Mac Gayden performed regularly at Nashville's Exit/In in the 1970s.
Listen to Mac Gayden
Selected Songs
J.J. Cale, “Crazy Mama” (J.J. Cale)
The musicians featured on this recording are Mac Gayden, electric slide guitar; J.J. Cale, rhythm guitar; Carl Radle, bass; Karl Himmel, drums.
From the album Naturally, 1972. Produced by Audie Ashworth at Moss Rose Studio, Nashville.
Loudon Wainwright III, “Nocturnal Stumblebutt” (Loudon Wainwright III)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Mac Gayden, guitar; Pig Robbins, piano; Tommy Cogbill, bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums.
From the album Attempted Mustache, 1973. Produced by Bob Johnston at Ray Stevens Sound Lab, Nashville.
Barefoot Jerry, “The Hospitality Song” (Mac Gayden, John Harris)
The musicians featured on this recording are Mac Gayden, electric guitar; Bobby Thompson, acoustic guitar; John Harris, keyboard; Charlie McCoy, harmonica; Wayne Moss, bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums.
From the album Southern Delight, 1971. Produced by Wayne Moss at Cinderella Sound Studio, Madison, Tennessee.
Mac Gayden, “Morning Glory” (Mac Gayden)
The musicians featured on this recording are Mac Gayden, electric slide guitar; Bobby Ogdin, keyboard; Jack Williams, bass; Karl Himmel, drums; Buzz Cason, backing vocals.
From the album Skyboat, 1975. Produced by Mac Gayden and Buzz Cason at Creative Workshop, Nashville.
Robert Knight, “Everlasting Love” (Mac Gayden, Buzz Cason)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Mac Gayden, electric guitar and Farfisa organ; Pig Robbins, piano; Charlie McCoy, glockenspiel; Norbert Putnam, bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums; Carol Montgomery, backing vocal; Buzz Cason, backing vocal.
From the album Everlasting Love, 1967. Produced by Mac Gayden and Buzz Cason at Fred Foster Sound Studio, Nashville.
Clifford Curry, “She Shot a Hole in My Soul” (Mac Gayden, Chuck Neese)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Mac Gayden, electric guitar; Larry Butler, keyboards; Norbert Putnam , bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums; Bergen White, horn arrangement.
Single, 1967. Produced by Buzz Cason at Cinderella Sound Studio, Madison, Tennessee.
Meet the Cats
Best known for his harmonica technique—distinguished by speed, clarity, and exceptional phrasing, Charlie McCoy is a multi-instrumentalist who has been recorded on bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, saxophone, trumpet, and tuba.
Charlie Daniels proved pivotal to many of the Nashville recording sessions of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Because Daniels had a strong blues influence, Johnston felt he would fit with the adventurous singer-songwriters.
Ben Keith was a prominent Nashville pedal steel guitarist and dobro specialist before becoming a producer and instrumentalist for Neil Young.
One of country music’s most admired and influential steel guitarists, Weldon Myrick taught himself to play lap steel and, at age thirteen, landed a job on a radio station near his hometown of Jayton, Texas.
Mac Gayden grew up fascinated by the R&B acts he heard in his hometown of Nashville. That interest helped him develop a style as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter distinctly different from other Nashville studio pros.
Lloyd Green developed an emotional, resonant style of pedal steel guitar playing that gave him a distinct sound apart from other top steel specialists.
At age eighteen, Pete Drake heard steel guitarist Jerry Byrd on the Grand Ole Opry during a trip to Nashville. Duly inspired, Drake purchased a steel guitar in an Atlanta pawnshop. The decision not only changed his life, but impacted the sound of country and rock music.
Pig Robbins earned his stripes by creating the rocking piano on George Jones’s “White Lightnin’.” Over the ensuing decades, his integral role on Music Row recording sessions earned him membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
In his distinctive fiddle style, Buddy Spicher combined a rich tonal quality with bluegrass precision and an adventurous sense of swing. After arriving in Nashville, he quickly gained attention as a dazzling instrumentalist capable of handling country, jazz, pop, and rock.
Inspired by Country Music Hall of Fame members Chet Atkins and Earl Scruggs, Wayne Moss’s iconic guitar riffs helped forge the identifiable sounds of country and rock hits.
Norbert Putnam is a widely admired bassist, record producer, and studio owner. He started his career in his teens recording with soul singer Arthur Alexander at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, as part of a renowned rhythm section that included keyboardist David Briggs and drummer Jerry Carrigan.
Grady Martin was a member of a loose collection of legendary studio musicians known as the Nashville A-team. His versatility and creativity as a guitarist also appealed to younger rockers and singer-songwriters who came to Nashville.
David Briggs began playing piano on R&B, pop, and country hits in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in his teens. After a brief stint as a pop singer, Briggs moved to Nashville in 1964 to focus on a career as a studio musician.
Three-time Grammy winner Jerry Reed is most famous for his colorful, catchy story songs steeped in Southern attitude and lore. He was recognized as a groundbreaking guitarist with a guitar technique that gave an extra layer of funky, back-country grease.
The preferred drummer for artists across America—he built a lasting legacy with his work in R&B and rock.
Fred Carter Jr. began his career in northeastern Louisiana playing rock & roll. He backed Dale Hawkins, known for his rock hit “Susie-Q,” and later played with Ronnie Hawkins, Dale’s cousin, in his backing group, the Hawks. Carter left and was replaced by Robbie Robertson before the group evolved into the Band.