He is a guitarist, trumpeter, pianist and songwriter
born in Huntsville, Alabama.He
left school while in the 11th grade and joined the band Hard
Times in California with who he appeared on the television programme Where
the Action Is.Two years
later he became a member of the rock group Steppenwolf in 1968 and with
them he would contribute his songwriting skills as well as his
musicianship, and his songs "Monster" and "Hey Lawdy Mama" both reached Top
40 status in the charts.He
left the band in 1972 and returning to Alabama he took up studio work, then
a move to Los Angeles, which would then lead him to settling in Nashville
where he began to write country songs.This led to success when Tanya Tucker took his "Feel
Right" to No. 10 in 1983.Remaining a highly sought after musician he has appeared,
toured and/or recorded with artists that include Steve
Winwood
,
Barbara Mandrell, Jimmy
Buffett, Eddie Rabbitt, Dolly
Parton, Reba McEntire, Clint
Black , Randy Travis, Kenny
Rogers , Peter Frampton and Neil
Young a well as having performed on the same stage as Paul
Simon
, Janis Joplin and Creedence Clearwater Revival
while with Steppenwolf. Also
during his time with Steppenwolf he and Jimi Hendrix were dating the same
girl and for some strange reason this led to the two of them being able to jam
together.Appearing on over
100 albums he can be heard on Come on Over by Shania Twain, No
Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
by Kenny
Chesney , Feelin' Bitchy by
Millie Jackson, Everywhere by Tim McGraw, Wild Angels by Martina
McBride
, There You'll Be by Faith Hill, How Do You Like
Me Now? by Toby
Keith , Strait Out of the Box by George
Strait , Time
by Lionel Richie, Won't Be Blue Anymore by Dan Seals, Nashville
Rebel by Waylon Jennings, I Only Wanted You by Marie Osmond, Where
Your Road Leads by Trisha Yearwood, Greatest Hits by Clint
Black ,
Last Mango in Paris by Jimmy
Buffett , Drift Away by Dobie
Gray, New Nashville Cats by Mark
O'Connor , Southern Star by Alabama
, Sweethearts of the Rodeo/One Time, One Night by Sweethearts
of the Rodeo
, Live Steppenwolf and Steppenwolf Seven. He has now been inducted into the
Alabama Hall of Fame and currently lives in Muscle Shoals.
