Longevity on par with six decades is exceedingly rare in any field, but it’s practically unheard of in the music industry. For most, a short, profound and powerful list of names
comes to mind. No introduction necessary. Yet, for one member of that esteemed, small community—a bassist nicknamed ‘Stick’ who has his spent his entire professional lifetime solely in the profession—a few words of due diligence is well-earned and -deserved.
Casual music fans of a certain age will recognize Stick’s work with The Amazing Rhythm Aces (ARA). The story of that band, while largely highlighted by the 1975 hit song, “Third Rate Romance,” and a Grammy Award for “The End Is Not In Sight (The Cowboy Tune),” only serves as an introduction. In its only unfamiliar twist, the start of Stick’s bass playing career traces back to seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan.
Newly electrified, Stick recorded his first record in 1965.
He soon moved to Chicago, then over to Minneapolis, down to Memphis, Knoxville, and Nashville, Tennessee—all the while picking up on a diverse palette of blues, country, R&B, and folk music—that he would later weave into a signature style on the bass guitar. As a precursor to the ‘Aces,’ Stick found himself squired away with his future bandmates in the early 1970’s at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis; and also, in the company of singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester. From there, seven major label releases would follow, along with hundreds of live performances, which paired The Amazing Rhythm Aces with international superstars like The Eagles and Jimmy Buffet.
When ARA folded the first time around, Stick headquartered in Memphis where he became an in-demand session player and live “hired gun” bassist, performing with B.B. King, Al Green, Johnny Jones, Memphis Slim, Otis Rush, Ace Cannon, Bo Diddley, Luther Alison, and John Mayall, among many, many others. Far from just being the “bass player,” Stick also managed tours, hired players, booked accommodations, assembled itineraries, and promoted events.
Just about anything and everything was his thing. Still is!
The stories he tells are as remarkable as the subjects themselves. Recording with Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, and collaborating with Garth Hudson (The Band), vocalist Carlton Moody and ‘Sneaky’ Pete Kleinow in Burrito Deluxe (a short-lived sequel to The Flying Burrito Brothers), along with encounters with Bob Dylan, Bill Murray, John Prine, and Jamie Lyons of The Music Explosion, and gigs with Classics IV, Pure Prairie League, Tanya Tucker, and Gary Tally of The Box Tops.
Along the way, The Amazing Rhythm Aces' run at the charts put Stick front and right-of-center on millions of TV sets across the country and around the world. Those included appearances on Saturday Night Live, Auston City Limits, and Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert, to name just a few. Mostly footprints and music memories left behind everywhere from Switzerland and The Netherlands to Germany, the U.K., Ireland, Denmark, and the U.S.
Now THAT is a well dog-eared passport by any measure.
Today, Stick firmly stamps-in as part of the Tampa Bay community. For 10 years running now ... first-time as a bandleader on Thursday, May 30, 2024 at Shark's Jaws Jam in Largo.
An amazing ace, indeed.
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