He was a session slide and rhythm guitar virtuoso who played with many of the top groups and names in the industry.
In the late 1960s/early 1970s he played on several of the recordings by the TV cartoon group The Archies alongside being a member of Mike Mainieri’s White Elephant Orchestra from 1969 to 1972 where his co-musicians included Steve Gadd and Steve Goodman.
He played with Steely Dan on many recordings and with Paul McCartney as well as recordings by other Beatles.
The many albums he appeared on include Best of B.B. King, Make It Funky – The Big Payback (1971-1975) by James Brown, Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads and Hot Water by Jimmy Buffett, Sings Lennon & McCartney by Judy Collins, Greatest Hits (1966-1992) and In My Lifetime by Neil Diamond, Television by Dr. John, Nightfly by Donald Fagen, Quite Fire by Roberta Flack, 4 by Foreigner, Let Me In Your Life, Young Gifted & Black and Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings by Aretha Franklin, Somebody Else’s Troubles by Steve Goodman, Abandoned Luncheonette by Hall & Oates, The Stranger and 52nd Street by Billy Joel, Naughty by Chaka Khan, Anthology, Milk and Honey, Shaved Fish, Wonsaponatime and Double Fantasy by John Lennon, Songbook by Gordon Lightfoot, Essential Kenny Loggins, Best of the Atlantic Years by Herbie Mann, Ram by Paul McCartney, Listen to the Band and Headquarters by The Monkees, Complete Bang Sessions by Van Morrison, Turn This Mutha Out by Idris Muhammed, Stoned Soul Picnic by Laura Nyro, Onobox by Yoko Ono, Carry It On by Peter, Paul & Mary, Carol Bayer Sager, Coming Around Again by Carly Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years and One Trick Pony by Paul Simon, Gaucho, Two Against Nature, Everything Must Go and Katy Lied by Steely Dan, Barbra Joan Streisand by Barbra Steisand and Walking Man by James Taylor.
He also appeared in the films Godspell and Long Gone as well as being a composer and/or musician on the soundtrack for Cross Words, The Wiz and Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues.
Suffering from leukaemia he died in New York City in 2013 when he was 70 years old.
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_McCracken
- http://imdb.com/name/nm0566840/
- http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Hugh%20McCracken:1927160901
- http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Hugh+McCracken/a/Hugh+McCracken.htm
- http://www.buffettnews.com/bandmember137.html
- http://www.marcogiunco.com/dischi/000561.htm