Roy Gaines: Biography

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• Larry Birdsong
• Lefty Bates
• Lee Diamond
• Joe Buckner
• Jody Williams
• L.G. McKinley

• Django Reinhardt
• T-Bone Walker
• Tal Farlow
• John Lee Hooker
• Tiny Grimes

• Jimmy Morello

Born:

Jan 1, 1934 in Houston, TX

Genre:

Rock Music

Decades Active:

1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

A protege of the legendary TBone Walker, electric bluesman Roy Gaines was born in Houston in 1934; the product of a musical family his older brother Grady later went on to play saxophone in Little Richard's famed backing band the Upsetters he initially played the piano in emulation of Nat King Cole, but as a teen moved to the guitar. A huge admirer of Walker's work, at 14 Gaines met his hero at a local performance, and was even invited to back Walker onstage; dubbed "TBone Jr." thereafter, he regularly played clubs throughout the Houston area before relocating to Los Angeles two years later. There Gaines was tapped to join Roy Milton's band, followed by a stint in support of Chuck Willis; additionally, he and Walker occasionally joined forces in the years leading to the latter's 1975 death. Long a soughtafter sideman, Gaines recorded infrequently as a headliner, finally releasing an LP, Gaineling, in 1982; other albums include 1996's Lucille Work for Me, 1999's I Got the TBone Walker Blues and 2000's New Frontier Lover.

- Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide