FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE LIFE & TIMES OF DANNY GATTON
THE WASHINGTON POST ONCE CALLED DANNY "THE GREATEST GUITAR PLAYER YOU NEVER HEARD." WHY IS THAT? T
Start with the phenomenal chops honed on the '50s and '60s teen club scene, when he didn't hunker down at home with other people's records. Then look at the musicality and melody that sets Danny apart from the copycats.
Depending on his mood, Danny could confine himself to a 30-second solo on a vocal track ("Ugly Man": REDNECK JAZZ), or vamp for 16 minutes into the stratrosphere ("Blues Newberg": IN CONCERT 9/9/94). He knew what any situation required, an important skill for any guitar player.
WHAT MAKES DANNY GREAT?
His absorption of styles (blues, country, jazz, and rockabilly), and willingness to mix them -- often in the same song, as he did on "Comin' Home" (REDNECK JAZZ). The track opens as a fast blues, restated as a funkier shuffle, and capped by a countrified solo. Such magic defines Danny's compositional chops.
WHAT STYLES DID DANNY DO BEST, AND HOW DID HIS BACKGROUND INFLUENCE IT?
Country and jazz remained the keystone of Danny's style throughout his career (because you must follow the melody when soloing). But Danny made it his business to absorb all types of music. He felt equally at home reeling off rockabilly nuggets like "Ubangi Stomp," or Charlie Christian's "7 Come 11."
The influence of Danny's birthplace (Washington, D.C) cannot be overemphasized enough. The Southerners who moved there after World War II brought country music with them, while their children dove headfirst into rock 'n' roll. Combine the genres, and you can see how D.C.'s roots music scene started. For further reference, read Chapter 2: "Danny And Roy At The Crossroads", and Chapter 5: "American Music (And It's Mine)."
WHAT MADE YOU WRITE A BOOK ABOUT DANNY?
My April 1999 VINTAGE GUITAR cover story really got things rolling, and provided my book's title. However, I wanted more time to explore the issues that my article raised.
I'd read Danny's ROLLING STONE obituary after his death in 1994, and wondered aloud: "How'd such a major player get so overlooked?" I figured that Danny would offer a perfect example for VINTAGE GUITAR readers about how music is made, but didn't foresee anything more.
My feelings changed after I began logging untold hours on the phone with Danny's longtime friend Jay Monterose; his pickup guru, Joe Barden; bassist John Previti; and drummer Dave Elliott. Once I talked with them, I realized a deeper story lay behind my article.
Sounds cut-and-dried? Not so. The biggest problem lay in documenting the lesser-known moments in Danny's career, because people's memories tend fade after 20 or 30 years. Rummaging those bygone UNICORN TIMES stories helped immensely: so did nontraditional avenues like Tom Principato's '84 calendar, which proved handy for fleshing out the finer points of the BLAZING TELECASTERS era.
SOUNDS GREAT! HOW CAN I GET A COPY?
For a personalized one-of-a-kind, autographed copy, see my eBay page: biggreenfrog2002. Copies are also available from all the other usual online suspects, such as amazon.com...but if you a keepsake from the man who wrote it, my page is the place to go.
DOES YOUR BOOK'S TITLE ("UNFINISHED BUSINESS") REFLECT YOUR FEELING THAT DANNY DIDN'T GET THE RESPECT THAT HE DESERVED?
Yes, but I wanted to underscore another important point: Danny's legacy remains a reference point for today's players, too. His name crops up in surprising places. As Gin Blossoms guitarist Jesse Valenzuela mentioned during our VINTAGE GUITAR interview (7/15/03), he used to watch Danny's video, STRICTLY RHYTHM GUITAR (Hot Licks)..."just for entertainment."
Elsewhere, Johnny Hiland is the most overtly Gatton-influenced guitarist working among today's players. For other relevant snapshots, see Chapter 15 ("The Legacy").
WHO WERE DANNY'S PEERS, AND HOW DOES HIS STYLE COMPARE TO OTHER PLAYERS?
First, Danny listened to saxophonists or organists as often as he did to guitarists. Why? He wanted to emulate their tones and give his sound another dimension. Danny's late friend, Dick Heintze, played a crucial part in that quest.
Heintze played Hammond B-3 organ and piano with Danny (and his late rival, Roy Buchanan) from the mid- to late '60s, which they mostly spent in supper club jazz bands. Danny rated Dick the only musician who could ever beat him in a jam session. (Heintze died of Lou Gehrig's Disease in 1981.)
For other influences, start with Les Paul (creator of the guitar bearing his name). Danny devoted his preteen life working out Les's guitar style and recording approach, which surely came in handy for his legendary studio marathons (Chapter 1, "From Anacostia To Uptown").
Washington, D.C. rival Roy Buchanan inspired Danny to explore different guitar amps and tones. Roy's use of the Telecaster also persuaded Danny to make that guitar his weapon of choice (as I explain in Chapter 4, "The '53 Tele And The Fender Pickup Man").
On the jazz front, the late Charlie Christian (Benny Goodman's guitarist in the 1940s) and Lenny Breau (who worked from the '50s to the '80s) gave Danny insights on harmonic theory, as well as how to set up a solo.
WHAT ARE DANNY'S ESSENTIAL ALBUMS?
Start with REDNECK JAZZ (1978), where Danny came of age as a guitar stylist and bandleader. Then check out REDNECK JAZZ EXPLOSION: RECORDED LIVE DECEMBER 31, 1978, for a juicy snapshot of Danny's abilities in that arena.
Of the later-period stuff, check out UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1987), and 88 ELMIRA ST. (1991, his Grammy-nominated major label debut; both show a mature player in command of his powers. Jazz buffs will likely prefer RELENTLESS (1994), the last album Danny completed during his lifetime.
Not sure where to start? PORTRAITS (1998) -- the live and studio compilation assembled by Ed Eastridge -- makes a terrific introduction. The live medley of "7 Come 11," "Linus & Lucy" (the "Peanuts" theme) and "Orange Blossom Special" show Danny at the top of his game, and should not be missed!. Ed has reactivated his Big Mo label to reissue Danny's music: for more info, visit www.bigmo.com.
WHY DO ARTISTS LIKE DANNY HAVE TROUBLE GETTING RECOGNIZED?
Rock 'n' roll has been never been kind to instrumentalists since the '60s surf era (except one-offs like "Dueling Banjos," "Classical Gas" or the discofied "Beethoven's Fifth"). If you want airplay, you need a three-minute vocal track.
Even today's jam bands accept that reality to widen their audience (as Blues Traveler did, with "Runaround"). Danny was acutely aware of the problem, as shown by his sardonic self-description to his friends as "a short, fat guy who don't sing."
That said, Danny's well-documented aversion to touring -- and even the most basic shownmanship gestures -- narrowed his chances of reaching the mass audience. Like any artist of his caliber, he wouldn't have minded a major hit, but on his own terms. Did he have all the ingredients he needed? See Chapters 12 ("88 Elmira Street") and 13 ("Cruisin' Deuces") for my discussion of this point.
WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT DANNY'S LIFE?
"Why did Danny kill himself?" I always get this question at interviews and signings; needless to say, the answer is a complicated one. Relevant factors include the loss of his close friend Billy Windsor to a heart attack on January 5, 1994; a long-term propensity for depression; and a persistent numbness in his left arm that he feared would permanently impair his ability. Chapter 14 ("October 14 And The Aftermath") explores what happened on that terrible day at Danny's farm in southern rural Maryland.
WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW?
He was a loving husband and father who spent his life straddling the gap between hopes for success and the realities of pursuing it. But he doggedly hung onto his artistry, which is no small achievement in today's market-driven, consensus-dominated music business.
He remains a compelling figure: as many of my sources told me, few people felt they could approach his virtuosity, but everyone knew where to reach. For that alone, he deserves our vote. his formidable talent and legacy is the icing on the cake.
DANNY GATTON FAQS
DUNCAN M. BROWN ARTICLE: THE REDNECK JAZZMEN AND HIS FORMIDABLE WOMEN
MERRY CHRISTMAS: UNPUBLISHED GATTON ARTICLE SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY
by Duncan M. Brown
First posted: Dec 25, 2008
Merry Christmas, whether you're a Danny Gatton fan, or following the other proceedings going on here. As a holiday treat, I've made this previously unpublished article available by special arrangement with the author, Duncan M. Brown.
Several of the events mentioned -- such as the posthumous releases -- have come to pass, but I feel that Duncan's article offers valuable insights into Danny's legacy, particularly through the key women in his life (including his widow, Jan; daughter, Holly; and late mother, Norma). Enjoy the story, and feel free to write with your questions.
THE REDNECK JAZZMAN AND HIS FORMIDABLE WOMEN (2004)
By DUNCAN M. BROWN
“My dad would be appalled to see me in the music business,” says Holly Gatton. “He spent a lot of time to keep me away from popular music. No lessons. No playing in bands. And I could listen only to music he considered good! All the stuff I loved at 12 and 13—Michael Jackson and Madonna—were really lewd, he thought. A friend gave me a tape of the Red Hot Chili Peppers—which is kind of explicit, now that I think of it—and Dad recorded over it with Fats Domino!”
Gatton, a 24-year-old Virginia Tech grad student (hemlock beetles), has joined her mother Jan to launch a new family record company. Flying Deuces Records will handle the musical legacy of her father (and Jan’s husband) Danny, the DC-area guitar wizard who died in 1994. It will offer old Gatton recordings and issue new ones, on the Big Mo label.
The two formidable women did not fall into the record business by accident. They brought suit in 2000 against the family label, NRG (run by Danny’s mother Norma) in 2000 to take control of the Gatton recordings. They claimed that Danny had routinely shared with Holly his musical ideas (making her his true musical heir), and that Norma Gatton (who was aging) was putting out low-quality products, with amateurish mixes. The posthumous 1998 CD Untouchable could be offered in evidence of the second claim.
The suit was settled on April 2001. No one is going to get rich on the narrow taste for Gatton’s music. But they hope to keep his name alive among critics and record-buyers. So far, so good:
They just released FUNHOUSE, a live CD documenting a 1988 performance by Gatton’s big band of the time, plus famous pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons.
Rhino issued a nice 4-CD compilation, HOT ROD GUITAR: THE ANTHOLOGY, in 1999.
A 2003 biography (UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE LIFE & TIMES OF DANNY GATTON, by Ralph Heibutzki) documents every turn in his music and life (including his 1994 suicide).
Sixteen formal recordings under the Gatton name are available and in print on various labels, and dozens of bootleg CDs and videos (including Gatton’s instructional videos) are hot sellers on Ebay.
The Definitive Danny Gatton Web site (http://www.dannygatton.com/), a volunteer effort by family friend Steve Gorospe, provides astonishingly rich tapestry of Gattoniana for old fans and surprising numbers of new ones.
Gatton’s legendary basement tapes and his studio recordings “will give us a lot of hot stuff,” says Ed Eastridge of Big Mo. The Gatton estate included many cassettes of scorching live performances, as well as professional 24 track tapes. Outtakes from the Blue Note NEW YORK STORIES sessions are other likely sources.
The affair has split the Gatton family, with Norma and Danny’s younger brother (and occasional road manager) Brent, and his older sister Donna on the other side from Jan and Holly. Brent feels betrayed. “Jan and Holly weren’t involved in Danny’s music when he was alive, but they want to cash in now.”
A FABULOUSLY VOLATILE CAREER
Danny Gatton flirted with fame several times. He went from being the critics’ Next Big Thing in the 1970s, through decades in local honky-tonks and work as a sideman for country and rock stars, to “forgetting to call back’ John Fogerty of Credence Clearwater Revival, and signing a major label deal—finally!—in 1990 at age 45. While operating beneath the notice of the mass market, he made serious contributions to the art of the guitar. Then he died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, Oct. 4, 1994.
Gatton developed a unique jazz-country-rockabilly fusion by going strictly his own way. From the age of 10 he focused on music above all, sucking in new sounds and guitar licks from Roy Clark, Link Wray, and Charlie Byrd locally; jazz players like Charlie Christian; rock and rollers Buddy Holley, James Burton, and Scotty Moore; and country artists Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Earl Scruggs; going to college in Les Paul’s guitar and recording experiments; and graduate studies in Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and Monk. He must have noticed Jimi Hendrix, but his playing showed no sign of it.
He issued a record every decade or so, and toured as a sideman when the money was right (with Roger “King of the Road” Miller, rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon, and others). Otherwise he hung out in his garage with a couple dozen old friends, drinking beer and working on guitars and hotrods and occasionally getting some music done. Every time he closed in on show business success, he made a sharp U-turn, back home to the garage.
His first rush of intense critical praise (in the late 70s) included a West Coast road trip in late 1979, to record there, including with Al McKay of the R&B supergroup Earth Wind and Fire. He quickly hotfooted it back—after only a couple of months—when he discovered how much he hated being away from his young wife Jan and family and friends.
So he couldn’t really tour. And he got bored playing the same songs in the same order night after night. In addition, he hated and feared the record industry’s functionaries (and suspicious of strangers generally). To top it off, he was self-conscious about his appearance--kind of short and tending toward chunky.
If you wanted to hear him you had to go find him, in one of those unlamented spots with Confederate flag decals on half the pickups. He’d be playing a Horace Silver number for a dance floor full of drunk segregationists, mixing licks from a Ricky Nelson record with soulful Wes Montgomery walking octaves. Guitarists from around the world made him a DC tourist stop.
But in the end he couldn’t resist the call of fame and money, because it offered a way to pay his debts to family and friends:
Jan paid the family bills for 27 years, with a wicked commute from Southern Maryland to her federal job in DC. This financial dependence rankled Danny, some say.
Norma invested tens of thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to his career, and was eager for him to succeed.
His daughter Holly, academically gifted, deserved the educational advantages that a more stable income could provide.
Musicians and technicians all welcomed the chance of a ride to fame and glory with Gatton.
In the late 80s he put out the word that he was open to a record contract. In 1990 he signed a seven-record deal with Elektra. 88 ELMIRA ST (in 1991) was a promising start, with some solid rockabilly tunes, a haunting version of the Beach Boys’ “In My Room,” and a futuristic lounge take on Martin Denny’s “Quiet Village.” It was nominated for a Grammy. CRUISING DEUCES, in 1993, the second Elektra CD, was nowhere near as fresh-sounding. In between was NEW YORK STORIES, VOL. I, an old-fashioned jam session on Blue Note Records, which suggests what he could have done if he had challenged himself musically.
A record contract is indentured servitude: working off the cost of recording and boosting sales by touring and touring and touring. Many musicians are comfortable touring year around, but Danny wasn’t. He grew more depressed the further away he got from home, and he started making excuses and then just stopped.
Elektra dropped him, of course. The local label Big Mo (run by old friends Ed and Dixie Eastridge) picked him up and recorded a couple of fine records that won’t appeal to the mass market, but show Gatton at his best: improvising his ass off. Danny was working more cheerfully and productively than ever, friends and colleagues thought. He was probably making more money than ever (from national TV commercials for Levi jeans and so on).
And then one damp October night, Holly phoned 9-1-1, because her mother had turned into a quivering jellyfish on the floor after finding Danny’s body in the garage, and was unable to call for help herself.
THE GATTON LEGACY
Jan and Holly plan to release a one or two new CDs every year, through Big Mo. They are by no means hungry, thanks to Jan’s government retirement and Holly’s education fund, built on donations from fans around the country.
The Gattons take pride in their rural traditions, in which obligations extend from generation to generation. Holly, Jan, and the Eastridges are working to pay those debts, just as Danny did. But they may have more realistic ideas about what success involves.
Jan and Holly see the Flying Deuces venture as a way to vindicate Danny’s reputation. They are willing to be “demonized” by some family and friends, Jan says, if it will serve that purpose.
“I love the music business,” Holly Gatton says. “Beyond my Dad’s recordings, I’m hoping to find young musical acts to manage and maybe record.” (That’s another thing her father would never have understood.)
Jan is satisfied that she did the right thing. “I was so grief stricken when Dan died,” she says, “that I just collapsed. He left me with all of those responsibilities, like finishing the house. That’s a job we used to share).”
Ed Eastridge, an old friend and fellow guitarist, says “Danny is one of the greats,” he says. “I’m sure he’ll be more and more widely recognized as time goes on.” He—like everyone in this story—is trying to repay the debt he feels to his old friend’s memory.
by Duncan M. Brown
First posted: Dec 25, 2008
Merry Christmas, whether you're a Danny Gatton fan, or following the other proceedings going on here. As a holiday treat, I've made this previously unpublished article available by special arrangement with the author, Duncan M. Brown.
Several of the events mentioned -- such as the posthumous releases -- have come to pass, but I feel that Duncan's article offers valuable insights into Danny's legacy, particularly through the key women in his life (including his widow, Jan; daughter, Holly; and late mother, Norma). Enjoy the story, and feel free to write with your questions.
THE REDNECK JAZZMAN AND HIS FORMIDABLE WOMEN (2004)
By DUNCAN M. BROWN
“My dad would be appalled to see me in the music business,” says Holly Gatton. “He spent a lot of time to keep me away from popular music. No lessons. No playing in bands. And I could listen only to music he considered good! All the stuff I loved at 12 and 13—Michael Jackson and Madonna—were really lewd, he thought. A friend gave me a tape of the Red Hot Chili Peppers—which is kind of explicit, now that I think of it—and Dad recorded over it with Fats Domino!”
Gatton, a 24-year-old Virginia Tech grad student (hemlock beetles), has joined her mother Jan to launch a new family record company. Flying Deuces Records will handle the musical legacy of her father (and Jan’s husband) Danny, the DC-area guitar wizard who died in 1994. It will offer old Gatton recordings and issue new ones, on the Big Mo label.
The two formidable women did not fall into the record business by accident. They brought suit in 2000 against the family label, NRG (run by Danny’s mother Norma) in 2000 to take control of the Gatton recordings. They claimed that Danny had routinely shared with Holly his musical ideas (making her his true musical heir), and that Norma Gatton (who was aging) was putting out low-quality products, with amateurish mixes. The posthumous 1998 CD Untouchable could be offered in evidence of the second claim.
The suit was settled on April 2001. No one is going to get rich on the narrow taste for Gatton’s music. But they hope to keep his name alive among critics and record-buyers. So far, so good:
They just released FUNHOUSE, a live CD documenting a 1988 performance by Gatton’s big band of the time, plus famous pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons.
Rhino issued a nice 4-CD compilation, HOT ROD GUITAR: THE ANTHOLOGY, in 1999.
A 2003 biography (UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE LIFE & TIMES OF DANNY GATTON, by Ralph Heibutzki) documents every turn in his music and life (including his 1994 suicide).
Sixteen formal recordings under the Gatton name are available and in print on various labels, and dozens of bootleg CDs and videos (including Gatton’s instructional videos) are hot sellers on Ebay.
The Definitive Danny Gatton Web site (http://www.dannygatton.com/), a volunteer effort by family friend Steve Gorospe, provides astonishingly rich tapestry of Gattoniana for old fans and surprising numbers of new ones.
Gatton’s legendary basement tapes and his studio recordings “will give us a lot of hot stuff,” says Ed Eastridge of Big Mo. The Gatton estate included many cassettes of scorching live performances, as well as professional 24 track tapes. Outtakes from the Blue Note NEW YORK STORIES sessions are other likely sources.
The affair has split the Gatton family, with Norma and Danny’s younger brother (and occasional road manager) Brent, and his older sister Donna on the other side from Jan and Holly. Brent feels betrayed. “Jan and Holly weren’t involved in Danny’s music when he was alive, but they want to cash in now.”
A FABULOUSLY VOLATILE CAREER
Danny Gatton flirted with fame several times. He went from being the critics’ Next Big Thing in the 1970s, through decades in local honky-tonks and work as a sideman for country and rock stars, to “forgetting to call back’ John Fogerty of Credence Clearwater Revival, and signing a major label deal—finally!—in 1990 at age 45. While operating beneath the notice of the mass market, he made serious contributions to the art of the guitar. Then he died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, Oct. 4, 1994.
Gatton developed a unique jazz-country-rockabilly fusion by going strictly his own way. From the age of 10 he focused on music above all, sucking in new sounds and guitar licks from Roy Clark, Link Wray, and Charlie Byrd locally; jazz players like Charlie Christian; rock and rollers Buddy Holley, James Burton, and Scotty Moore; and country artists Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Earl Scruggs; going to college in Les Paul’s guitar and recording experiments; and graduate studies in Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and Monk. He must have noticed Jimi Hendrix, but his playing showed no sign of it.
He issued a record every decade or so, and toured as a sideman when the money was right (with Roger “King of the Road” Miller, rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon, and others). Otherwise he hung out in his garage with a couple dozen old friends, drinking beer and working on guitars and hotrods and occasionally getting some music done. Every time he closed in on show business success, he made a sharp U-turn, back home to the garage.
His first rush of intense critical praise (in the late 70s) included a West Coast road trip in late 1979, to record there, including with Al McKay of the R&B supergroup Earth Wind and Fire. He quickly hotfooted it back—after only a couple of months—when he discovered how much he hated being away from his young wife Jan and family and friends.
So he couldn’t really tour. And he got bored playing the same songs in the same order night after night. In addition, he hated and feared the record industry’s functionaries (and suspicious of strangers generally). To top it off, he was self-conscious about his appearance--kind of short and tending toward chunky.
If you wanted to hear him you had to go find him, in one of those unlamented spots with Confederate flag decals on half the pickups. He’d be playing a Horace Silver number for a dance floor full of drunk segregationists, mixing licks from a Ricky Nelson record with soulful Wes Montgomery walking octaves. Guitarists from around the world made him a DC tourist stop.
But in the end he couldn’t resist the call of fame and money, because it offered a way to pay his debts to family and friends:
Jan paid the family bills for 27 years, with a wicked commute from Southern Maryland to her federal job in DC. This financial dependence rankled Danny, some say.
Norma invested tens of thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to his career, and was eager for him to succeed.
His daughter Holly, academically gifted, deserved the educational advantages that a more stable income could provide.
Musicians and technicians all welcomed the chance of a ride to fame and glory with Gatton.
In the late 80s he put out the word that he was open to a record contract. In 1990 he signed a seven-record deal with Elektra. 88 ELMIRA ST (in 1991) was a promising start, with some solid rockabilly tunes, a haunting version of the Beach Boys’ “In My Room,” and a futuristic lounge take on Martin Denny’s “Quiet Village.” It was nominated for a Grammy. CRUISING DEUCES, in 1993, the second Elektra CD, was nowhere near as fresh-sounding. In between was NEW YORK STORIES, VOL. I, an old-fashioned jam session on Blue Note Records, which suggests what he could have done if he had challenged himself musically.
A record contract is indentured servitude: working off the cost of recording and boosting sales by touring and touring and touring. Many musicians are comfortable touring year around, but Danny wasn’t. He grew more depressed the further away he got from home, and he started making excuses and then just stopped.
Elektra dropped him, of course. The local label Big Mo (run by old friends Ed and Dixie Eastridge) picked him up and recorded a couple of fine records that won’t appeal to the mass market, but show Gatton at his best: improvising his ass off. Danny was working more cheerfully and productively than ever, friends and colleagues thought. He was probably making more money than ever (from national TV commercials for Levi jeans and so on).
And then one damp October night, Holly phoned 9-1-1, because her mother had turned into a quivering jellyfish on the floor after finding Danny’s body in the garage, and was unable to call for help herself.
THE GATTON LEGACY
Jan and Holly plan to release a one or two new CDs every year, through Big Mo. They are by no means hungry, thanks to Jan’s government retirement and Holly’s education fund, built on donations from fans around the country.
The Gattons take pride in their rural traditions, in which obligations extend from generation to generation. Holly, Jan, and the Eastridges are working to pay those debts, just as Danny did. But they may have more realistic ideas about what success involves.
Jan and Holly see the Flying Deuces venture as a way to vindicate Danny’s reputation. They are willing to be “demonized” by some family and friends, Jan says, if it will serve that purpose.
“I love the music business,” Holly Gatton says. “Beyond my Dad’s recordings, I’m hoping to find young musical acts to manage and maybe record.” (That’s another thing her father would never have understood.)
Jan is satisfied that she did the right thing. “I was so grief stricken when Dan died,” she says, “that I just collapsed. He left me with all of those responsibilities, like finishing the house. That’s a job we used to share).”
Ed Eastridge, an old friend and fellow guitarist, says “Danny is one of the greats,” he says. “I’m sure he’ll be more and more widely recognized as time goes on.” He—like everyone in this story—is trying to repay the debt he feels to his old friend’s memory.
NPR INTERVIEW: EXTENDED VERSION (9/30/09)
As promised, National Public Radio's long-awaited piece on Danny Gatton ran on its flagship program ("All Things Considered"), on October 4: 15 years to the day that the late instrumental musical guitar master -- known as "The Humbler," "The Master Blaster Of The Telecaster," "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitar Player," or simply, "The Telemaster," depending on the era, or press superlative of the moment -- took his own life, and left us way too soon.
Sunday's piece offered a four-and-a-half-minute primer on Gatton's legend, with all the basics present and correct, as recounted by Tom Principato, longtime bassist John Previti -- who recalled Danny referring to himself as a "Whitman sampler of music" -- and myself, who'd been interviewed (9/30/09) as the author of UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE LIFE & TIMES OF DANNY GATTON.
Kudos to NPR's producer, Phil Harrell, for being able to pack so much into such a narrow furrow, which -- of course -- is what radio production is all about!
For those who haven't heard the show, go here to find it:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113485730
You can also read a complete transcript of all the remarks from those who participated in the program, including myself. Inevitably, my interview with Phil contained way more than he could use on the air, so here is our chat, as I recorded it, on my end. For simplicity, I grouped my responses by subject, as we talked (with minor edits to improve continuity, and eliminate repetition)...enjoy!
INTERVIEW WITH PHIL HARRELL
WHAT ARE THE MOST DISTINCTIVE ERAS OF DANNY GATTON'S CARRER?
Well, there's a couple different periods you can divide it into – the first one would, of course, would be “The Teen Phenom Period,” where he starts experimenting with multi-tracking and overdubbing like his main musical hero, Les Paul.
And, from there, it sort of segues into playing with kids in the neighborhood, and eventually, being recognized by older people that he's playing with in the area, and he starts playing in all these different bands -- bar bands, dance bands, whatever you want to call them.
So there's that basic era, and where it really starts to coalesce into something more serious, of course, is when he gets a little older, in his early '20s. By the late '60s, he's touring with Bobby Charles, a soul guy. He's basically starting out as a hired gun, getting whatever experience he can -- and, in between, making the different forays to places like Nashville -- hoping that somebody will pick up on him, and recognize his talent.
But the real snowball that goes down the hill – in terms of recgonition, at least locally – is when he joins Liz Meyer's bluegrass band, in the early '70s. That's where you start to hear him develop – at least from some of the live tapes I've acquired – those fat runs, rippling banjjo-like rolls, and country experiments with tone...all those things that became so important to the evolution of his style – along with, of course, the melodic sensibility, and his sense of jazz improvisation. And that's the blender that makes up Danny Gatton, the musician.
Like I said, I've got a bootleg recording that somebody sent me – it's from Lisner Auditorium, in Washington, D.C., in 1973. He's basically getting out the electric, and getting down on his signature showcase of that time, “Orange Blossom Special” -- which, in later years, becomes the vehicle for a medley to go into anything and everything from movie themes, to the “Linus And Lucy” theme, and back again.
WASN'T DANNY'S DAD A MUSICIAN, TOO?
That's right – his dad played in big bands in his younger days, before his family put a little pressure on him. You get that question of, “Are you gonna make a living playing that thing, son?” And so, he became a machinist, basically -- and, of course, the cycle would be repreated when Danny comes of age, and his father says, “That's a nice a way to express yourself, son, but it's no way to make a living.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE DANNY GATTON'S STYLE?
Well, I guess there's two phrases I like to use for that. Number one would be, “A living treasury of American musical styles” -- the roots of music, specifically country, jazz, a little bit of bluegrass – and, of course, the blues, a fixation which became quite a bit more pronounced toward the end.
That's one phrase, because -- unlike a lot of artists who tend to stick to one narrow furrow, Danny, as you probably are very well aware, mixed all of those styles up...sometimes, within the space of a song, or even a solo. So that's description number one.
The other description I'd use is, “The musical sound of thinking out loud,” and what I mean by that is – when you hear something like the live version of “Linus And Lucy” (from PORTRAITS) which then segues into this frenzied “Orange Blossom Special” medley, even within the solos he plays – you can literally almost hear him switching off from this thought, to the next, to the next.
And what's fascinating for the listener is -- you're sitting at home, thinking, “Well, how's he ever going to get out of this?” And somehow, he always does. Like a cat, he kind of lands on his feet. So that's the other phrase I would tend to use.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE DEFINITIVE DANNY GATTON ALBUM?
Well, I wouldn't have called the book UNFINISHED BUSINESS, obviously, if I didn't like the album. So that's one, because it's all-instrumental, and you hear him go through all the different styles that I've just described. So I would point to that.
Earlier in his career, I would look at REDNECK JAZZ as being the definitive statement – again, going from country, to the more redneck stuff, as you would say, the “honky-tonk Eric Clapton” -- to the lengthy instrumental explorations that he does on the live version of “Ode To Billy Joe,” and the elaborate multi-tracking on instrumentals like “Sax Fifth Avenue.”
So, I would point to that – and, later, toward the end of his career, I think he was doing some of his very best material, actually. I would suggest LIVE 9/9/94, which was not long before he passed – it shows you what he sounded like live, no tricks, no gimmicks, just Danny with his rhythm section.
And I would also point to the [RELENTLESS] album that he did with [keyboardist] Joey DeFrancesco – that's another one, if you want to hear him do the pure jazz kind of stuff that he was so good at, you listen to something like his version of “Well You Needn't”...it doesn't get any faster than that.
DANNY HAD SEVERAL BRUSHES WITH FAME, DIDN'T HE?
Well, there were many [brushes with fame], and this is something that gets explored in the book, at great length. Initially, perhaps, the first call you might suggest – or that might come to mind, even locally – was [his tenure] with the Redneck Jazz Explosion, which fused his country and jazz explorations into a more cohesive statement. And, along the way, he ran into Lowell George, from Little Feat – have you ever heard this story?
I heard different versions of this, and I wasn't able to totally pin them down, but he went with his buddy, Phil Zavarella, the owner of Zavarella's Music [to see Lowell at Lisner Auditorium]...somehow, they got backstage, and apparently, Lowell made some comments -– or, supposedly, made some overtures to joining his new band –- he was touring solo, having just left Little Feat. And then, the very next night, he dies; that was a bit of a shock to everyone. As Phil mentioned, Danny said, “Wow, I just had seen him a few hours earlier.”
Steve Wolf, the bass player from many area bands – including Redneck Jazz Explosion – swears that Danny told him he had had talks with Lowell, and was lobbying to add him to the rhythm section, and form a bans. Now, there's a lot of debate about those stories, but what's clear, at least, is that Danny sort of thought that he might be able to go somewhere if he was connected with Lowell, in some way. Don't forget, he had just been to the West Coast.
So that might be brush number one. Brush number two would be some of the overtures that he got during the '80s – John Fogerty wanted him to join his touring band, when he resurrected his career after CENTERFIELD. Have you heard that story?
Well, what happened, basically – according to his drummer, Dave Elliott -- Danny was in the garage, working on a car, when Fogerty called him up -- and made the offer. And he [Danny] said, “Well, I'll think about it,” and that was it. He forgot to call back, apparently, and that's why that didn't go anywhere – such was his reptuation, people [of Fogerty's caliber] would call him on an occasional, semi-regular basis, and think enough of him to add him, at least, as kind of a prominent hired gun to their bands.
And then you've got, maybe, the third major brush, of course – as many people in your area would see it – with the signing of the major label deal with Elektra Records. Right out of the box, he gets a Grammy nominated-albuim in 88 ELMIRA ST. And, unforutnately, it loses that year to Eric Johnson. So there's another example of coming, “Oh, so close, oh, so near, and yet so far” -- because, from the label's perspective, he fails to tour as much as he could to support the records. Therefore, they end up dropping him.
And that sets up the final phase of his career – he goes back to doing these independent one-off records, and it's re-establishing himself through that market, as it were. Why did it take so long [to get signed]? Well, to put it plainly, he didn't tour that much outside of his homegrown area.
As a musician, of course,. “touring is advertising,” as they like to say – if you don't spend that time going out to different areas, and trying to win over different audiences, then, basically, you're not going to be as well-known as somebody who does do that. I mean, technically, he only really did a couple national tours – on his own behalf, [including] the second Elektra album, CRUISIN' DEUCES...and then, of course, earlier in his career as a hired gun for Roger Miller.
They actually went to places like Australia during that era. This would be the late '70s, early '80s. I think I make a comment on this in the book – it's almost as if Jimmy Page, of Led Zeppelin, decided to stick with playing the local pub, and you could see him there every weekend, but he would never have gone beyond that.
DID PEOPLE REALLY CALL HIM "THE HUMBLER"?
That [“The Humbler”] was a nickname going around for quite awhile – that was, of course, stemming from the live tape with Robert Gordon that's now on CD. I've heard other variations on that [nickname]. Many people call him “the greatest unknown guitar player you've never heard”. Some people refer to him as “The Master Bnlaster of The Telecaster,” some, “The Telemaster” -- it seemed to almost change with the mood of the people who saw him, whatever show they saw...because, as you know, no two Danny Gatton shows were quite the same.
WHY DID DANNY GATTON KILL HIMSELF?
Well, as you probably know – there's a whole chapter dedicated to the issues arising from that [suicide death]. Number one, I think he had a long-standing issue with depression – a lot of anecdotes that I got from people, seem to bear that out.
For example, when [former Commander Cody guitarist] Bill Kirchen moved to Washington, D.C., Danny helped him get acquainted with the scene. He gave him gigs that he either didn't want to do, or didn't have time to do. One day, he [Kirchen] remembered being on a corporate gig with him – and, from out of the blue, Danny said something along the lines of, “Don't you just hate this shit?”
Bill looked at him, and thought he was joking, but it dawned on him that he was serious. And, when he tried to probe a little further, Danny kind of shut down, and didn't say anything more about it – so there were anecdotes like that, which were mentioned in the book, that would seem to suggest that [perception].
Number two, he had some physical health issues. And this is something that's [subject to] a little debate – because he was cremated afterwards, so there's no complete report. But he seemed to feel – or had either suffered a series of mini-strokes. This had impared his ability to play. And he had apparently stated, if that happened, he definitely wouldn't want to stick around – because that was the only thing -- other than working on his cars -- that gave him satisfaction, that he was able to do.
So, you've got those two forces coming together – and, as his widow Jan suggested, it was perhaps a case of all the stars falling into alignment, [including] his fears for his health, fears for his security, and...by implication...his family's security...all coming together in a mixture, I guess, of anger and frustration with his own situation. That might be the simplest way to explain it.
Many, many people expressed that sentiment, that it [Danny's action] sort of ccame from out of the blue – there were a few people who did say, “It wasn't the first time he tried, it wsa the first time he'd succeeded.” But Danny had a way of compartmentalizing his life, to the extent that some people maybe knew more what about was going on, than others – and he didn't necesasrily express what on his mind.
More than a few people said, that if his longtime friend, Billy Windsor – who died in January '94 – if had been there, that might not have happened, because Billy was one of those guys that Danny absolutely trusted, that ran interference with the outside world.
Which is another common thread you see in Danny's life story, there always seems to be a need for somebody like that – to take care of business, collect the money, book the gigs, keep people away that aren't perceived as doing any good. He could have done sessions, he could have done film scores, where his music would lend itself to that – and they pay you well, if you're in demand, and he wouldn't have really had to get on a bus all over the 50 states.
People couldn't understand how somebody who had all those things going for him could do something like that. For example, he was supposed to play a wedding gig for a fan in Arizona who was going to pay him something like $8,000, and was even going to fly them all there. A minor example, but a relevant example – and he was also going to do a tour with Arlen Roth, and they were going to work together on projects.
Of course, he's not the first [musician] who fell over that [vocal versus instrumental-only contradiction]. As his sax player, Roger McDuffie, pointed out to me once – unless you have a hit record, or something that keeps you in front of people, it's fairly easy to get overlooked. And he said, “Sad as it is, a lot of legends tend to be forgotten.”
SO DOES DANNY GATTON HAVE A LEGACY, AND IF SO, WHAT IS IT?
I think so – I mean, he has a legacy in the sense that I still field questions and emails from people constantly...not every day, or every week, but on a fairly regular basis. I'll hear from somebody who wants to know more about the man, or what you think his best stuff is – or, as you've just asked, why did he kill himself? I hear all sorts of questions like that.
And I think you can hear shis influence, maybe, in some of the current crop of multi-instrumentalists – people like Bela Fleck, for instance, who has a very heavy bluegrass oprientation to his sound – [or], on the country spectrum, people like Brad Paisley, who've certainly taken that melding of country and jazz and other musics into a different level. So I think his influence and his fingerprints are still being felt, yes, and beyond the immediate area of Washington, D.C.
And also, there's been quite a few posthumous releases, as you probably are aware – that's something, even at the cult level, that has fed into that interest that helps keep the whole body of his music alive for the next generation that wants to know more about it.
Sunday's piece offered a four-and-a-half-minute primer on Gatton's legend, with all the basics present and correct, as recounted by Tom Principato, longtime bassist John Previti -- who recalled Danny referring to himself as a "Whitman sampler of music" -- and myself, who'd been interviewed (9/30/09) as the author of UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE LIFE & TIMES OF DANNY GATTON.
Kudos to NPR's producer, Phil Harrell, for being able to pack so much into such a narrow furrow, which -- of course -- is what radio production is all about!
For those who haven't heard the show, go here to find it:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113485730
You can also read a complete transcript of all the remarks from those who participated in the program, including myself. Inevitably, my interview with Phil contained way more than he could use on the air, so here is our chat, as I recorded it, on my end. For simplicity, I grouped my responses by subject, as we talked (with minor edits to improve continuity, and eliminate repetition)...enjoy!
INTERVIEW WITH PHIL HARRELL
WHAT ARE THE MOST DISTINCTIVE ERAS OF DANNY GATTON'S CARRER?
Well, there's a couple different periods you can divide it into – the first one would, of course, would be “The Teen Phenom Period,” where he starts experimenting with multi-tracking and overdubbing like his main musical hero, Les Paul.
And, from there, it sort of segues into playing with kids in the neighborhood, and eventually, being recognized by older people that he's playing with in the area, and he starts playing in all these different bands -- bar bands, dance bands, whatever you want to call them.
So there's that basic era, and where it really starts to coalesce into something more serious, of course, is when he gets a little older, in his early '20s. By the late '60s, he's touring with Bobby Charles, a soul guy. He's basically starting out as a hired gun, getting whatever experience he can -- and, in between, making the different forays to places like Nashville -- hoping that somebody will pick up on him, and recognize his talent.
But the real snowball that goes down the hill – in terms of recgonition, at least locally – is when he joins Liz Meyer's bluegrass band, in the early '70s. That's where you start to hear him develop – at least from some of the live tapes I've acquired – those fat runs, rippling banjjo-like rolls, and country experiments with tone...all those things that became so important to the evolution of his style – along with, of course, the melodic sensibility, and his sense of jazz improvisation. And that's the blender that makes up Danny Gatton, the musician.
Like I said, I've got a bootleg recording that somebody sent me – it's from Lisner Auditorium, in Washington, D.C., in 1973. He's basically getting out the electric, and getting down on his signature showcase of that time, “Orange Blossom Special” -- which, in later years, becomes the vehicle for a medley to go into anything and everything from movie themes, to the “Linus And Lucy” theme, and back again.
WASN'T DANNY'S DAD A MUSICIAN, TOO?
That's right – his dad played in big bands in his younger days, before his family put a little pressure on him. You get that question of, “Are you gonna make a living playing that thing, son?” And so, he became a machinist, basically -- and, of course, the cycle would be repreated when Danny comes of age, and his father says, “That's a nice a way to express yourself, son, but it's no way to make a living.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE DANNY GATTON'S STYLE?
Well, I guess there's two phrases I like to use for that. Number one would be, “A living treasury of American musical styles” -- the roots of music, specifically country, jazz, a little bit of bluegrass – and, of course, the blues, a fixation which became quite a bit more pronounced toward the end.
That's one phrase, because -- unlike a lot of artists who tend to stick to one narrow furrow, Danny, as you probably are very well aware, mixed all of those styles up...sometimes, within the space of a song, or even a solo. So that's description number one.
The other description I'd use is, “The musical sound of thinking out loud,” and what I mean by that is – when you hear something like the live version of “Linus And Lucy” (from PORTRAITS) which then segues into this frenzied “Orange Blossom Special” medley, even within the solos he plays – you can literally almost hear him switching off from this thought, to the next, to the next.
And what's fascinating for the listener is -- you're sitting at home, thinking, “Well, how's he ever going to get out of this?” And somehow, he always does. Like a cat, he kind of lands on his feet. So that's the other phrase I would tend to use.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE DEFINITIVE DANNY GATTON ALBUM?
Well, I wouldn't have called the book UNFINISHED BUSINESS, obviously, if I didn't like the album. So that's one, because it's all-instrumental, and you hear him go through all the different styles that I've just described. So I would point to that.
Earlier in his career, I would look at REDNECK JAZZ as being the definitive statement – again, going from country, to the more redneck stuff, as you would say, the “honky-tonk Eric Clapton” -- to the lengthy instrumental explorations that he does on the live version of “Ode To Billy Joe,” and the elaborate multi-tracking on instrumentals like “Sax Fifth Avenue.”
So, I would point to that – and, later, toward the end of his career, I think he was doing some of his very best material, actually. I would suggest LIVE 9/9/94, which was not long before he passed – it shows you what he sounded like live, no tricks, no gimmicks, just Danny with his rhythm section.
And I would also point to the [RELENTLESS] album that he did with [keyboardist] Joey DeFrancesco – that's another one, if you want to hear him do the pure jazz kind of stuff that he was so good at, you listen to something like his version of “Well You Needn't”...it doesn't get any faster than that.
DANNY HAD SEVERAL BRUSHES WITH FAME, DIDN'T HE?
Well, there were many [brushes with fame], and this is something that gets explored in the book, at great length. Initially, perhaps, the first call you might suggest – or that might come to mind, even locally – was [his tenure] with the Redneck Jazz Explosion, which fused his country and jazz explorations into a more cohesive statement. And, along the way, he ran into Lowell George, from Little Feat – have you ever heard this story?
I heard different versions of this, and I wasn't able to totally pin them down, but he went with his buddy, Phil Zavarella, the owner of Zavarella's Music [to see Lowell at Lisner Auditorium]...somehow, they got backstage, and apparently, Lowell made some comments -– or, supposedly, made some overtures to joining his new band –- he was touring solo, having just left Little Feat. And then, the very next night, he dies; that was a bit of a shock to everyone. As Phil mentioned, Danny said, “Wow, I just had seen him a few hours earlier.”
Steve Wolf, the bass player from many area bands – including Redneck Jazz Explosion – swears that Danny told him he had had talks with Lowell, and was lobbying to add him to the rhythm section, and form a bans. Now, there's a lot of debate about those stories, but what's clear, at least, is that Danny sort of thought that he might be able to go somewhere if he was connected with Lowell, in some way. Don't forget, he had just been to the West Coast.
So that might be brush number one. Brush number two would be some of the overtures that he got during the '80s – John Fogerty wanted him to join his touring band, when he resurrected his career after CENTERFIELD. Have you heard that story?
Well, what happened, basically – according to his drummer, Dave Elliott -- Danny was in the garage, working on a car, when Fogerty called him up -- and made the offer. And he [Danny] said, “Well, I'll think about it,” and that was it. He forgot to call back, apparently, and that's why that didn't go anywhere – such was his reptuation, people [of Fogerty's caliber] would call him on an occasional, semi-regular basis, and think enough of him to add him, at least, as kind of a prominent hired gun to their bands.
And then you've got, maybe, the third major brush, of course – as many people in your area would see it – with the signing of the major label deal with Elektra Records. Right out of the box, he gets a Grammy nominated-albuim in 88 ELMIRA ST. And, unforutnately, it loses that year to Eric Johnson. So there's another example of coming, “Oh, so close, oh, so near, and yet so far” -- because, from the label's perspective, he fails to tour as much as he could to support the records. Therefore, they end up dropping him.
And that sets up the final phase of his career – he goes back to doing these independent one-off records, and it's re-establishing himself through that market, as it were. Why did it take so long [to get signed]? Well, to put it plainly, he didn't tour that much outside of his homegrown area.
As a musician, of course,. “touring is advertising,” as they like to say – if you don't spend that time going out to different areas, and trying to win over different audiences, then, basically, you're not going to be as well-known as somebody who does do that. I mean, technically, he only really did a couple national tours – on his own behalf, [including] the second Elektra album, CRUISIN' DEUCES...and then, of course, earlier in his career as a hired gun for Roger Miller.
They actually went to places like Australia during that era. This would be the late '70s, early '80s. I think I make a comment on this in the book – it's almost as if Jimmy Page, of Led Zeppelin, decided to stick with playing the local pub, and you could see him there every weekend, but he would never have gone beyond that.
DID PEOPLE REALLY CALL HIM "THE HUMBLER"?
That [“The Humbler”] was a nickname going around for quite awhile – that was, of course, stemming from the live tape with Robert Gordon that's now on CD. I've heard other variations on that [nickname]. Many people call him “the greatest unknown guitar player you've never heard”. Some people refer to him as “The Master Bnlaster of The Telecaster,” some, “The Telemaster” -- it seemed to almost change with the mood of the people who saw him, whatever show they saw...because, as you know, no two Danny Gatton shows were quite the same.
WHY DID DANNY GATTON KILL HIMSELF?
Well, as you probably know – there's a whole chapter dedicated to the issues arising from that [suicide death]. Number one, I think he had a long-standing issue with depression – a lot of anecdotes that I got from people, seem to bear that out.
For example, when [former Commander Cody guitarist] Bill Kirchen moved to Washington, D.C., Danny helped him get acquainted with the scene. He gave him gigs that he either didn't want to do, or didn't have time to do. One day, he [Kirchen] remembered being on a corporate gig with him – and, from out of the blue, Danny said something along the lines of, “Don't you just hate this shit?”
Bill looked at him, and thought he was joking, but it dawned on him that he was serious. And, when he tried to probe a little further, Danny kind of shut down, and didn't say anything more about it – so there were anecdotes like that, which were mentioned in the book, that would seem to suggest that [perception].
Number two, he had some physical health issues. And this is something that's [subject to] a little debate – because he was cremated afterwards, so there's no complete report. But he seemed to feel – or had either suffered a series of mini-strokes. This had impared his ability to play. And he had apparently stated, if that happened, he definitely wouldn't want to stick around – because that was the only thing -- other than working on his cars -- that gave him satisfaction, that he was able to do.
So, you've got those two forces coming together – and, as his widow Jan suggested, it was perhaps a case of all the stars falling into alignment, [including] his fears for his health, fears for his security, and...by implication...his family's security...all coming together in a mixture, I guess, of anger and frustration with his own situation. That might be the simplest way to explain it.
Many, many people expressed that sentiment, that it [Danny's action] sort of ccame from out of the blue – there were a few people who did say, “It wasn't the first time he tried, it wsa the first time he'd succeeded.” But Danny had a way of compartmentalizing his life, to the extent that some people maybe knew more what about was going on, than others – and he didn't necesasrily express what on his mind.
More than a few people said, that if his longtime friend, Billy Windsor – who died in January '94 – if had been there, that might not have happened, because Billy was one of those guys that Danny absolutely trusted, that ran interference with the outside world.
Which is another common thread you see in Danny's life story, there always seems to be a need for somebody like that – to take care of business, collect the money, book the gigs, keep people away that aren't perceived as doing any good. He could have done sessions, he could have done film scores, where his music would lend itself to that – and they pay you well, if you're in demand, and he wouldn't have really had to get on a bus all over the 50 states.
People couldn't understand how somebody who had all those things going for him could do something like that. For example, he was supposed to play a wedding gig for a fan in Arizona who was going to pay him something like $8,000, and was even going to fly them all there. A minor example, but a relevant example – and he was also going to do a tour with Arlen Roth, and they were going to work together on projects.
Of course, he's not the first [musician] who fell over that [vocal versus instrumental-only contradiction]. As his sax player, Roger McDuffie, pointed out to me once – unless you have a hit record, or something that keeps you in front of people, it's fairly easy to get overlooked. And he said, “Sad as it is, a lot of legends tend to be forgotten.”
SO DOES DANNY GATTON HAVE A LEGACY, AND IF SO, WHAT IS IT?
I think so – I mean, he has a legacy in the sense that I still field questions and emails from people constantly...not every day, or every week, but on a fairly regular basis. I'll hear from somebody who wants to know more about the man, or what you think his best stuff is – or, as you've just asked, why did he kill himself? I hear all sorts of questions like that.
And I think you can hear shis influence, maybe, in some of the current crop of multi-instrumentalists – people like Bela Fleck, for instance, who has a very heavy bluegrass oprientation to his sound – [or], on the country spectrum, people like Brad Paisley, who've certainly taken that melding of country and jazz and other musics into a different level. So I think his influence and his fingerprints are still being felt, yes, and beyond the immediate area of Washington, D.C.
And also, there's been quite a few posthumous releases, as you probably are aware – that's something, even at the cult level, that has fed into that interest that helps keep the whole body of his music alive for the next generation that wants to know more about it.
WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT UNFINISHED BUSINESS
DAVID LARSON REVIEW: ROCKABILLY MAGAZINE (ISSUE #46)
Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton
by Ralph Heibutzki
Danny stirred country, jazz, blues, and rockabilly into oneness as few if any could. Benefitting from Ralph's music and journalism backgrounds, his book freights both passion and detail. And while there can be no substitute for the records, themselves, in these pages one locates sterling literary complement.
DAVID LARSON is the CD Review Editor for ROCKABILLY MAGAZINE (http://www.rockabillymagazine.com). His credits include GOLDMINE, BLUE SUEDE NEWS and COUNTERPUNCH.
He also runs a music blog (http://www.damnationdanceparty.blogspot.com), as well as a political one (http://www.trueleftiowa.blogspot.com).
PAUL SEARS (www.paulsears.net, www.myspace.com/muffinspaul: sent 4/06/08, posted 3/13/09)
"Hey man,
"My ex recently gave me an autographed (2003) copy of your Gatton book.
GREAT WORK. Jimmy Cavanaugh, the bass player, was both a friend and tenant of mine, and Danny rehearsed right across the street from my house in DC in the 80s when he was working with that sorta low rent Elvisy singer guy. Forget his name this minute. I first met Danny in the early 70s when FT RENO parks in DC rented my sound system for LIZ MYER when she had the FAT BOYS backing her.
I also took HENRY KAISER (look him up) to see Danny when he had his club
BENEATH IT ALL in Georgetown DC back then.
Danny was an interesting if a bit reticent fellow. I had ten
opportunities to play with him and never did. Stupid me. His drummer Dave bought a drum set from me that I lent him. I nearly bought Danny's
ES295 that was brokered by a friend of mine back in the 90s, but I did not want to even touch it!!! Blasphemy! I hope a real git player got it. Anyway, great book. Re-read many times!!!"
SCOTT DETCHON (Boardman, OH: Email, posted 12/10/08 by author)
"Ralph:
"I purchased 2 copies of UNFINISHED BUSINESS and I just finished it. It was very interesting reading about the early years, Unfortunately I didn't discover Danny until 1991, after reading the 1989 ROLLING STONE article I was so fascinated I looked Norma's number and called her, she was a great lady.
"We had built up a relationship over the phone, it seemed like every time I would call to order something from her we would be on the phone for over an hour! She knew that I really wanted to see Danny live but he never seemed to have any gigs near Youngstown, Ohio.
"So one day I called her to ask where he was going to be, she said he had an upcoming show at The Birchmere, and it was a real nice place. So I said 'I'm there'. Norma arranged a front row center table for us, Brent (Danny's brother) greeted me at the door and said, 'You're the guy from Ohio, follow me.' He said not to leave after the show, that he would be out to bring us backstage.
"It was musically the most fulfilling experience ever for me, and getting to hang out with him afterwards was just the icing on the cake. Danny was very nice to talk with. He said to me, 'You're my mom's phone buddy'. He was so appreciative that I had driven so far to come see him play. He said jokingly, 'I hope I was worth it.'
"Danny inspired me to keep playing, and for that I thank him, my band had pretty good little run in the 90s, but I don't think I would have had enough motivation if I hadn't seen Danny play. I cherish that experience.
"Anyway Ralph, excellent book, I really enjoyed it and will highly recomend to all my musician friends."
VIC McCULLOUGH (Ireland: 8/27/07 email)
hi Ralph. I've just come across reading about your book about Danny Gatton. It sounds fantastic. I had the greatest privilige playing with Danny for 1 hour one night (around 1982 or so). I was playing guitar with the Johnny Seaton band [managed by Billy Poore], and Danny turned my whole head around. I had first heard him in N C in The Cats Cradle in Chapel Hill. and that was that for me. He really blew my mind forever, and i chatted to him that night for half hour, and would have chatted to him all night, but he was dragged off to a party somewhere. Anyhows, that's about it. I look forward to reading your book. Thanks for bringing it out.
AKU VALTA
RAPALA VMC CORPORATION: Finland (12/26/06 email)
Dear Ralph,
I just finished your fantastic book of the guitarist of all guitarists. Congratulations. If there was a Rock Pulitzer, you should have won it.
JIM MOODY (From 3/19/06 email)
Reading that book (along with a few other events) brought me back to what I love about music. Between (what seemed to be) his true lack of comprehension of the business, his pure musical mastery, and perhaps some emotional issues that might have brought on his untimely end, there was a man that could have gone a lot farther and could have taken all of us with him.
It was a very healthy reminder that it's not all about money. It's not about connecting with new folk that might be influential. It's not about how marketable this "thing" will be. It's about the music. It's about the vibe that you and the musicians you're working with at that gig, that particular moment, are projecting towards the crowd. It's about the love and respect you operate with on-stage towards your bandmates and towards your crowd.
...Thank you for the hard work you did on the book. It opened my eyes and answered a lot of questions I had. I was nowhere near where I am now, and far from happy when I started it. I've read it twice and preparing to start a third time. I can't thank you enough for the hard work you've done. This one goes right next to the Stevie Ray biography.
MICHAEL WINTERS: (9/05/05 email)
Ralph,
Just finished your Danny Gatton book. Enjoyed it!
I used to see Danny Gatton play all the time back in the 70s and 80s.
There was a bar called "My Friends House" next to Al's Auto Transmission, at the corner of Piney Branch and Univ. Blvd. Saw Danny play with the Fat Boys. They played all these Elvis numbers, Rockabilly stuff. Cover charge was $2 back then!
Another place was "The Pub" at Univ. of Md. They took one of the dining halls and had live bands with cheap beer.
Well, your book brought back great memories of seeing Danny play.
Michael Winters (Silver Spring, MD)
STEVE GLOS (6/1/05 email)
I just finished the book, and was so overwhelmed I had to get in touch with you -- thanks for making this a labor of love and a fitting documentary of a troubled genius.
My introduction to Danny's fabulous guitar playing came in 1981 from the Robert Gordon ARE YOU GONNA BE THE ONE? LP. I've been in the record business for almost 30 years now, and was the National Marketing Director for the Chicago-based distributor of Big Mo -- never physically met Ed and Dixie Eastridge, but had the pleasure of many phone conversations with them.
In 1993 I finally did get a chance to meet and talk for a while with Danny at a music festival in Rockford, Illinois during the CRUISIN' DEUCES tour.
Needless to say I treasure those few moments like you wouldn't believe.
There was a paragraph you wrote on the very last page of text that really made me want to contact you:
"One of the hardest things for any artist to accept -- and for the public to understand -- is how many factors fall outside anyone's control. No matter how talented the artist, a certain amount of luck and timing are crucial in determining if the big time is only a phone call away or eternally out of reach..."
For all of my experience in the industry, Ralph, truer words were never spoken or written. I don't know how many times, when talking about the music business with friends or other musicians, I have elaborated on just that phenomenon. It truly explains why every major city (and small-town America, as well, I'm sure) has its unbelievably talented musicians who slog through their local and regional gigs, have been doing them for years, and will continue to do so without any or little recognition. And it is REALITY -- something that many folks are reluctant to believe.
My advice to young musicians has always been, "Just play -- and keep on playing. You can't set a timeline on how your success is going to happen, IF it's going to happen...".
If I had a nickel for every time a label head, manager or financial backer asked me. "What do we need to do to make everything happen?" (like I had the magic wand), I'd be retired and living in the Bahamas by now.
Congratulations on an extremely well-written book and continued success.
Steve Glos (Wheeling, IL)
CATHI NORTON (5/21/05 email)
Here's what I can say about that book.
I ran across it in the bookstore some time ago. Fact of business -- my husband saw it first. He's a huge Telecaster nut. After years of playing/performing hard, we both just hung it up (for the most part) and scaled back to occasional performingŠmy husband (Stuart) especially. But you probably know enough about guitar players to know that it's not something that "lets" you go. He saw this book on Gatton (who he already much admired) and as soon as his back was turned, I bought it and gave it to him for Christmas.
He read it without a break, and an amazing thing happened. He started building a custom Tele with a wizard guitar tech we know, and broke back into playing. It took nine months to build the guitar, and in that time, he got his hands on just about everything Gatton ever put out. I read the book as well, because I was so inspired by the change in Stuart.
To say we are both big fans of Gatton is to put it more than mildly. I very much appreciate your work on the book, and would be delighted to recommend it (and Gatton's work) to anyone. As an artist, his story is particularly painful and a reminder (or wake up to anyone who didn't previously know) of what a hard road music can be when music is your life and passion...yet what a thing of artistry and beauty. I expect Gatton will be inspiring and re-inspiring people for a long time to come, and not a little of that is due to you.
DICK SHURMAN (JUKE BLUES):(12/11/03 email to author)
I thought it was an excellent read...and it motivated me to pull out a lot of Danny's recordings and listen again, which is one of my main tests of a good music biography...a good book helps people remember for him for what he accomplished and not just how he ended his life.
GENE HAUENSTEIN (9/14/03 email to author)
Hello Mr. Heibutzki,
Thanks for a great read! Received the book yesterday and finished it this morning. I've been a big fan of Danny for years. I only saw him play once as I live in Arizona. I caught his Scottsdale, AZ gig. Before the show I found his tour bus and he was very gracious signing a large poster of himself. My friend Mike is a guitar player but couldn't make it as he had to work. Danny signed his poster, "Mike, Thanks for teaching me all those great licks! Danny Gatton. He was very down to earth and of course the show smoked! Another guitar player (professional -- 35 years playing) went with me and was actually peeved! Why? Because he said Danny was so good that it made him want to quit!
PEDRO SERA-LEYVA (9/10/03 email to author)
Dear Mr. Heibutzki,
I just finished reading your book, "Unfinished Business, The Life and Times Of Danny Gatton", less than 10 minutes ago and felt compelled to write you regarding the book.
First, thank you so much for making the effort to write this book and doing such an exceptional job with what I can only assume was a monumental task. It took me a couple of tries and a month to get through it not because of any flaw with the book but because, emotionally, it was a little tough for me at first. Lot's of memories that I have been avoiding since Danny died.
However, on many levels, your book is a total joy in it's recollections of Danny's gigs, many of which I was fortunate enough to have attended, many of which I was fortunate enough to be on stage with him and learn. Danny was a stand up guy and always had a kind word of encouragement for everyone he met. I cannot emphasize enough how loved and respected he was.
Your portrayal of the DC music scene left me waxing nostalgic for a time I sincerely miss. As well, all the familiar references and people in your book made me feel as if I were sitting down with some buddies after a gig and talking over old times. I miss them all, especially Evan Johns and yes, even Billy Poore. Two of the most interesting guys on the face of the planet. Evan needs a book of his own someday. The Huck Finn of American music.
Without going into great detail, I was present at many of the scenes depicted in your book. Though I was not as close to Danny as many of the people mentioned in your book (but much closer than others), I considered Danny a friend and somewhat of a mentor. And, it wasn't until recently when Jim Cavanaugh, in fine "spirits" called me to give me a piece of his mind for my negligence as a friend, that I was made aware of how much a friend Danny considered me.
In that, I am humbled and privileged.
I struck up a friendship with Danny when I was with Evan Johns & The H-Bombs through The Johnny Seaton Band and when my band, Pink & Black did shows with him. I wish that I had had the opportunity to speak to you as you were writing your book. I feel confident I could have provided you with further insight...
Well, I think I've gone on more than I wanted. Please forgive my melodrama....
Again, thanks for the book and best of luck in all your future endeavors.
Sincerely, Pedro Sera-Leyva Washington, DC
FROM THE TELEMASTER ARCHIVES:
The long-awaited biography, "Unfinished Business: The Life & Times of Danny Gatton" by Ralph Heibutzki (Backbeat Books) has finally been released. 290 pages about Danny, expanded from Ralph's cover story for Vintage Guitar. Covers all phases of his life and legacy. I can't say it included all the details I would have wanted to see, but the author does a good job given the editorial restrictions, and in light of the fact that some sources declined to be interviewed for the book. It is definitely a good read. He is also kind enough to include a review of this little site (which made my year). Thanks, Ralph!
Support your local bookseller and go buy this book.
Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton
by Ralph Heibutzki
Danny stirred country, jazz, blues, and rockabilly into oneness as few if any could. Benefitting from Ralph's music and journalism backgrounds, his book freights both passion and detail. And while there can be no substitute for the records, themselves, in these pages one locates sterling literary complement.
DAVID LARSON is the CD Review Editor for ROCKABILLY MAGAZINE (http://www.rockabillymagazine.com). His credits include GOLDMINE, BLUE SUEDE NEWS and COUNTERPUNCH.
He also runs a music blog (http://www.damnationdanceparty.blogspot.com), as well as a political one (http://www.trueleftiowa.blogspot.com).
PAUL SEARS (www.paulsears.net, www.myspace.com/muffinspaul: sent 4/06/08, posted 3/13/09)
"Hey man,
"My ex recently gave me an autographed (2003) copy of your Gatton book.
GREAT WORK. Jimmy Cavanaugh, the bass player, was both a friend and tenant of mine, and Danny rehearsed right across the street from my house in DC in the 80s when he was working with that sorta low rent Elvisy singer guy. Forget his name this minute. I first met Danny in the early 70s when FT RENO parks in DC rented my sound system for LIZ MYER when she had the FAT BOYS backing her.
I also took HENRY KAISER (look him up) to see Danny when he had his club
BENEATH IT ALL in Georgetown DC back then.
Danny was an interesting if a bit reticent fellow. I had ten
opportunities to play with him and never did. Stupid me. His drummer Dave bought a drum set from me that I lent him. I nearly bought Danny's
ES295 that was brokered by a friend of mine back in the 90s, but I did not want to even touch it!!! Blasphemy! I hope a real git player got it. Anyway, great book. Re-read many times!!!"
SCOTT DETCHON (Boardman, OH: Email, posted 12/10/08 by author)
"Ralph:
"I purchased 2 copies of UNFINISHED BUSINESS and I just finished it. It was very interesting reading about the early years, Unfortunately I didn't discover Danny until 1991, after reading the 1989 ROLLING STONE article I was so fascinated I looked Norma's number and called her, she was a great lady.
"We had built up a relationship over the phone, it seemed like every time I would call to order something from her we would be on the phone for over an hour! She knew that I really wanted to see Danny live but he never seemed to have any gigs near Youngstown, Ohio.
"So one day I called her to ask where he was going to be, she said he had an upcoming show at The Birchmere, and it was a real nice place. So I said 'I'm there'. Norma arranged a front row center table for us, Brent (Danny's brother) greeted me at the door and said, 'You're the guy from Ohio, follow me.' He said not to leave after the show, that he would be out to bring us backstage.
"It was musically the most fulfilling experience ever for me, and getting to hang out with him afterwards was just the icing on the cake. Danny was very nice to talk with. He said to me, 'You're my mom's phone buddy'. He was so appreciative that I had driven so far to come see him play. He said jokingly, 'I hope I was worth it.'
"Danny inspired me to keep playing, and for that I thank him, my band had pretty good little run in the 90s, but I don't think I would have had enough motivation if I hadn't seen Danny play. I cherish that experience.
"Anyway Ralph, excellent book, I really enjoyed it and will highly recomend to all my musician friends."
VIC McCULLOUGH (Ireland: 8/27/07 email)
hi Ralph. I've just come across reading about your book about Danny Gatton. It sounds fantastic. I had the greatest privilige playing with Danny for 1 hour one night (around 1982 or so). I was playing guitar with the Johnny Seaton band [managed by Billy Poore], and Danny turned my whole head around. I had first heard him in N C in The Cats Cradle in Chapel Hill. and that was that for me. He really blew my mind forever, and i chatted to him that night for half hour, and would have chatted to him all night, but he was dragged off to a party somewhere. Anyhows, that's about it. I look forward to reading your book. Thanks for bringing it out.
AKU VALTA
RAPALA VMC CORPORATION: Finland (12/26/06 email)
Dear Ralph,
I just finished your fantastic book of the guitarist of all guitarists. Congratulations. If there was a Rock Pulitzer, you should have won it.
JIM MOODY (From 3/19/06 email)
Reading that book (along with a few other events) brought me back to what I love about music. Between (what seemed to be) his true lack of comprehension of the business, his pure musical mastery, and perhaps some emotional issues that might have brought on his untimely end, there was a man that could have gone a lot farther and could have taken all of us with him.
It was a very healthy reminder that it's not all about money. It's not about connecting with new folk that might be influential. It's not about how marketable this "thing" will be. It's about the music. It's about the vibe that you and the musicians you're working with at that gig, that particular moment, are projecting towards the crowd. It's about the love and respect you operate with on-stage towards your bandmates and towards your crowd.
...Thank you for the hard work you did on the book. It opened my eyes and answered a lot of questions I had. I was nowhere near where I am now, and far from happy when I started it. I've read it twice and preparing to start a third time. I can't thank you enough for the hard work you've done. This one goes right next to the Stevie Ray biography.
MICHAEL WINTERS: (9/05/05 email)
Ralph,
Just finished your Danny Gatton book. Enjoyed it!
I used to see Danny Gatton play all the time back in the 70s and 80s.
There was a bar called "My Friends House" next to Al's Auto Transmission, at the corner of Piney Branch and Univ. Blvd. Saw Danny play with the Fat Boys. They played all these Elvis numbers, Rockabilly stuff. Cover charge was $2 back then!
Another place was "The Pub" at Univ. of Md. They took one of the dining halls and had live bands with cheap beer.
Well, your book brought back great memories of seeing Danny play.
Michael Winters (Silver Spring, MD)
STEVE GLOS (6/1/05 email)
I just finished the book, and was so overwhelmed I had to get in touch with you -- thanks for making this a labor of love and a fitting documentary of a troubled genius.
My introduction to Danny's fabulous guitar playing came in 1981 from the Robert Gordon ARE YOU GONNA BE THE ONE? LP. I've been in the record business for almost 30 years now, and was the National Marketing Director for the Chicago-based distributor of Big Mo -- never physically met Ed and Dixie Eastridge, but had the pleasure of many phone conversations with them.
In 1993 I finally did get a chance to meet and talk for a while with Danny at a music festival in Rockford, Illinois during the CRUISIN' DEUCES tour.
Needless to say I treasure those few moments like you wouldn't believe.
There was a paragraph you wrote on the very last page of text that really made me want to contact you:
"One of the hardest things for any artist to accept -- and for the public to understand -- is how many factors fall outside anyone's control. No matter how talented the artist, a certain amount of luck and timing are crucial in determining if the big time is only a phone call away or eternally out of reach..."
For all of my experience in the industry, Ralph, truer words were never spoken or written. I don't know how many times, when talking about the music business with friends or other musicians, I have elaborated on just that phenomenon. It truly explains why every major city (and small-town America, as well, I'm sure) has its unbelievably talented musicians who slog through their local and regional gigs, have been doing them for years, and will continue to do so without any or little recognition. And it is REALITY -- something that many folks are reluctant to believe.
My advice to young musicians has always been, "Just play -- and keep on playing. You can't set a timeline on how your success is going to happen, IF it's going to happen...".
If I had a nickel for every time a label head, manager or financial backer asked me. "What do we need to do to make everything happen?" (like I had the magic wand), I'd be retired and living in the Bahamas by now.
Congratulations on an extremely well-written book and continued success.
Steve Glos (Wheeling, IL)
CATHI NORTON (5/21/05 email)
Here's what I can say about that book.
I ran across it in the bookstore some time ago. Fact of business -- my husband saw it first. He's a huge Telecaster nut. After years of playing/performing hard, we both just hung it up (for the most part) and scaled back to occasional performingŠmy husband (Stuart) especially. But you probably know enough about guitar players to know that it's not something that "lets" you go. He saw this book on Gatton (who he already much admired) and as soon as his back was turned, I bought it and gave it to him for Christmas.
He read it without a break, and an amazing thing happened. He started building a custom Tele with a wizard guitar tech we know, and broke back into playing. It took nine months to build the guitar, and in that time, he got his hands on just about everything Gatton ever put out. I read the book as well, because I was so inspired by the change in Stuart.
To say we are both big fans of Gatton is to put it more than mildly. I very much appreciate your work on the book, and would be delighted to recommend it (and Gatton's work) to anyone. As an artist, his story is particularly painful and a reminder (or wake up to anyone who didn't previously know) of what a hard road music can be when music is your life and passion...yet what a thing of artistry and beauty. I expect Gatton will be inspiring and re-inspiring people for a long time to come, and not a little of that is due to you.
DICK SHURMAN (JUKE BLUES):(12/11/03 email to author)
I thought it was an excellent read...and it motivated me to pull out a lot of Danny's recordings and listen again, which is one of my main tests of a good music biography...a good book helps people remember for him for what he accomplished and not just how he ended his life.
GENE HAUENSTEIN (9/14/03 email to author)
Hello Mr. Heibutzki,
Thanks for a great read! Received the book yesterday and finished it this morning. I've been a big fan of Danny for years. I only saw him play once as I live in Arizona. I caught his Scottsdale, AZ gig. Before the show I found his tour bus and he was very gracious signing a large poster of himself. My friend Mike is a guitar player but couldn't make it as he had to work. Danny signed his poster, "Mike, Thanks for teaching me all those great licks! Danny Gatton. He was very down to earth and of course the show smoked! Another guitar player (professional -- 35 years playing) went with me and was actually peeved! Why? Because he said Danny was so good that it made him want to quit!
PEDRO SERA-LEYVA (9/10/03 email to author)
Dear Mr. Heibutzki,
I just finished reading your book, "Unfinished Business, The Life and Times Of Danny Gatton", less than 10 minutes ago and felt compelled to write you regarding the book.
First, thank you so much for making the effort to write this book and doing such an exceptional job with what I can only assume was a monumental task. It took me a couple of tries and a month to get through it not because of any flaw with the book but because, emotionally, it was a little tough for me at first. Lot's of memories that I have been avoiding since Danny died.
However, on many levels, your book is a total joy in it's recollections of Danny's gigs, many of which I was fortunate enough to have attended, many of which I was fortunate enough to be on stage with him and learn. Danny was a stand up guy and always had a kind word of encouragement for everyone he met. I cannot emphasize enough how loved and respected he was.
Your portrayal of the DC music scene left me waxing nostalgic for a time I sincerely miss. As well, all the familiar references and people in your book made me feel as if I were sitting down with some buddies after a gig and talking over old times. I miss them all, especially Evan Johns and yes, even Billy Poore. Two of the most interesting guys on the face of the planet. Evan needs a book of his own someday. The Huck Finn of American music.
Without going into great detail, I was present at many of the scenes depicted in your book. Though I was not as close to Danny as many of the people mentioned in your book (but much closer than others), I considered Danny a friend and somewhat of a mentor. And, it wasn't until recently when Jim Cavanaugh, in fine "spirits" called me to give me a piece of his mind for my negligence as a friend, that I was made aware of how much a friend Danny considered me.
In that, I am humbled and privileged.
I struck up a friendship with Danny when I was with Evan Johns & The H-Bombs through The Johnny Seaton Band and when my band, Pink & Black did shows with him. I wish that I had had the opportunity to speak to you as you were writing your book. I feel confident I could have provided you with further insight...
Well, I think I've gone on more than I wanted. Please forgive my melodrama....
Again, thanks for the book and best of luck in all your future endeavors.
Sincerely, Pedro Sera-Leyva Washington, DC
FROM THE TELEMASTER ARCHIVES:
The long-awaited biography, "Unfinished Business: The Life & Times of Danny Gatton" by Ralph Heibutzki (Backbeat Books) has finally been released. 290 pages about Danny, expanded from Ralph's cover story for Vintage Guitar. Covers all phases of his life and legacy. I can't say it included all the details I would have wanted to see, but the author does a good job given the editorial restrictions, and in light of the fact that some sources declined to be interviewed for the book. It is definitely a good read. He is also kind enough to include a review of this little site (which made my year). Thanks, Ralph!
Support your local bookseller and go buy this book.