He was a drummer and arranger born in Nashville, Tennessee who ventured out on his professional musical career when he was just 11 years old.
Performing with acclaimed artists from the very beginning he toured the world with Chet Atkins when he was still only 14 and also worked with Charlie McCoy and Barefoot Jerry and his co-founded Area Code 615. It was with Area Code 615 that the song “Stone Fox Chase” was brought to light in the UK when it became the theme song for the extremely successful BBC music show The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Working as a session musician from the 1970s and beyond he became highly sought after by the leading artists of the day and would be seen working regularly with singers such as Jimmy Buffett, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bob Seger, George Harrison, Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Elvis Presley in his 1971 studio sessions, Donovan, Chuck Berry and Kris Kristofferson.
On the road he was a member of the groups Rig, The Neon Philharmonic and Stray Gators, which was Neil Young’s touring band. Having featured on many hit songs he said that the song where his drumming made him the proudest was “Lay Lady Lay” by Bob Dylan . Appearing on a multitude of albums that run into the hundreds he can be heard on Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes by Jimmy Buffett , Tonight’s the Night, After the Goldrush and Harvest by Neil Young, Rock It by Chuck Berry , Blonde on Blonde, Dylan, John Wesley Harding, Masterpieces, Self Portrait and Nashville Skyline by Bob Dylan , The Instrumentals: The Best of the Chrysalis Years by Leo Kottke , Seven by Bob Seger , Have Arrived by the Oak Ridge Boys, A Trip in the Country and Southern Delight by Barefoot Jerry, Darlin’ by Tom Jones, Nashville Rebel by Waylon Jennings, That’s a Plenty by The Pointer Sisters, All American Boy by Bobby Bare , It’s a Good Night for Singin’ by Jerry Jeff Walker, Singing Ranger, Vol. 3 by Hank Snow Three Bells by The Browns, Nashville Was the Roughest by Willie Nelson, One Day At a Time by Joan Baez , Blue Suede Shoes Collection by Elvis Presley , America’s Song Butchers by Homer & Jethro, Area Code 615/A Trip in the Country, Definitive Monkees and Best of Doug Sahm & The Sir Douglas Quintet.
He died of cancer in Nashville in 2004 when he was 59 years old.
Jimmy Buffett Recordings
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (Jimmy Buffett)
(ABC Records AB-12305M 14-17207-M/ AB-12305S 14-17207-S) (US promo 45)
Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett)
(ABC Records 45-17097-M, AB-12254/45-17097-S, AB-12254) (US promo 45)
Here’s Area Code 615’s “Stone Fox Chase”…
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Buttrey
- http://www.elvispedia.org/index.php?title=Kenneth_Buttrey
- http://www.guitar9.com/summkennethbuttrey.html
- http://www.answers.com/topic/kenneth-a-buttrey?cat=entertainment
- http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Kenneth%20A.%20Buttrey:1927046640