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Prominent country bassists?

#10
Tom T. Hall started his career as a bluegrass/doghouse bassist. Johnny Paycheck was a touring sideman bassist earlier in his career as well. BTW Mr. Kesh, the perceived simplicity is the hard part. Playing a tasteful, smooth groove, without sticking out like a sore thumb, is alot harder than it looks. In other words, the 100 meter dash is "simple" in that almost anyone can do it. There ain't too many Usain Bolts out there though:)
 
#11
Terry Hale with George Strait, Spady Brannon (Reba McKintyre, Crystal Gayle), Charlie "Chopper" Anderson (Reba McIntyre, Marie Osmond and Alien Audio Bass Builder), Byron House (Dixie Chicks, Robert Plant's Band of Joy), Victor Krause (Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin,Bill Frisell) Keith Horne (who in truth plays everything very well, but played with Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood as well as Waylon Jennings), Steve Mackey (Wynonna Judd, Delbert McClinton and Dick 50), Willie Weeks (Wynonna Judd and Vince Gill), Steve Bryant (Jerry Reed), David Hungate (Vince Gill and many Nashville Sessions), Jimmy Lee Sloas (Keith Urban and anything Dann Huff produces), Amos Heller (Taylor Swift), Randy Smith (Lee Ann Womack), John Billings (Wynonna Judd, Donna Summer)., Mike Chapman (Garth Brooks), Paul Chapman (Terri Clark), David Roe (Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakum), Joe Osborne (everything in Nashville after he played on everything in LA), Dennis Crouch (Robert Plant/Allison Krause, Elvis Costello) and this guy:
http://www.nashvillesound.net/
Bob Moore is the James Jamerson, Carol Kaye and Joe Osborne of Nashville combined. The man has played on over 17,000 record dates!
I have 5 years with the late Jerry Reed, TV work with Jerry and Chet, tours with Sweethearts of the Rodeo and Dukes of Hazzard Star John Schneider and lots of sessions under my belt, so I guess I'm in there somewhere.
Think Nashville Bass is easy? Here, write down the number chart from this song you just heard, now make up your own part that sets up the lyrics and doesn't step on the singer and contributes just the right feel to the arrangement and locks with the other instruments, now lay your time back just a bit so that it feels great, you have 15 minutes tops to do all of this-Go!
 
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#12
I was just thinking about this the other day. As I am not a huge country fan I don't know who is backing up the current "stars" like Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, etc. (I do like the guy from Zack Brown Band. He likes to mix it up a bit.)

Has there been a frontman/singer that played bass and made it big in the country scene? (Other then those listed by Roy Vogt who switched.)
 
#14
Dantreige said:
I was just thinking about this the other day. As I am not a huge country fan I don't know who is backing up the current "stars" like Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, etc. (I do like the guy from Zack Brown Band. He likes to mix it up a bit.)

Has there been a frontman/singer that played bass and made it big in the country scene? (Other then those listed by Roy Vogt who switched.)
Click to expand...
Kenny Rogers was a bass player who started singing. He played bass in Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.
John Cowan, first with New Grass Revival and now with The Doobie Brothers and fronting The John Cowan Band. The man is a singin', playin' fool:


Not really a lot of front men with basses unless you count Teddy Gentry with Alabama or Jay DeMarcus with Rascal Flatts (and Jay does play on their albums).
 
#16
Roy Vogt said:
Think Nashville Bass is easy? Here, write down the number chart from this song you just heard, now make up your own part that sets up the lyrics and doesn't step on the singer and contributes just the right feel to the arrangement and locks with the other instruments, now lay your time back just a bit so that it feels great, you have 15 minutes tops to do all of this-Go!
Click to expand...

+1

Go ahead and take a listen to..."Amarillo sky", "Redneck Yaught club", and "International Harvestor" just to name 3, for those of you who think we just go dum dum dum. :D And yes they're first takes.
 
#17
countrybassist said:
+1

Go ahead and take a listen to..."Amarillo sky", "Redneck Yaught club", and "International Harvestor" just to name 3, for those of you who think we just go dum dum dum. :D And yes they're first takes.
Click to expand...

That reminds me, how could I forget Kevin "Swine" Grant and Don Kerce, two other Music City Bad**ses?!?
 
#18
Wow! Kenny Rogers? I never would have guessed. When he hit it "big" I guess the record companies wanted him to just be the front man. I wonder how many other country singers started on bass and then were handed an acoustic guitar when the powers that be wanted them to be out front. I'd be willing to bet quite a few, since bass players are usually the ones doing the high harmony parts. ;)

Thanks for the tip on John Cowan. Listening to everything I can find on Youtube.
Interesting!
 

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