Emory Lee Gordy Jr. (born December 25, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter and music producer. A former member of

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...

' backing band The Hot Band, he is best known for his association with country singer

Patty Loveless Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first ...

, to whom he has been married since 1989. Gordy has produced and played bass guitar on nearly all of her albums, in addition to producing albums by

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album '' ...

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...

, and

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Early life

Gordy started his musical education by age four at the piano. At six he had begun to tackle the trumpet and would soon learn the banjo, euphonium, guitar, and ukulele. In high school Gordy divided his time and talents between string bands, Dixieland bands, and a top 40 garage band, honing his musical skills and learning to arrange music. After graduation, he continued his musical studies at Middle Georgia State University and later Georgia State University, performing French horn in the concert band.Country Music, October 1993, p. 10; November/December 1993, pp. 55-58

Career

Early years

Gordy began his career as a studio musician in Atlanta in 1964 when he was asked to fill in during a performance by

Tommy Roe Thomas David Roe (born May 9, 1942) is an American rock and pop singer-songwriter. Best-remembered for his hits " Sheila" (1962), "Sweet Pea" (1966) and " Dizzy" (1969), Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of th ...

at a local concert. A week later he got the proverbial phone call; on the other end of the line was

Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, ...

, an Atlanta-based record producer who had covered Roe on guitar alongside Gordy the week before. Soon Gordy was working alongside Roe,

Mac Davis Morris Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American songwriter, singer, performer, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist and writing for Elvis Presley during his early career, pro ...

The Tams The Tams are an United States, American list of vocal groups, vocal group from Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, who enjoyed their greatest record chart, chart success in the 1960s, but continued to chart in the 1970s, and the 1980s. Two ...

and

Freddy Weller Wilton Frederick "Freddy" Weller (born September 9, 1943) is an American rock and roll and country music and artist. He recorded for Columbia Records between 1969 and 1980. He had his highest charted single in 1969 with his debut release, "Gam ...

, as well as touring with

Lou Christie Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco (February 19, 1943 – June 17, 2025), known professionally by his stage name Lou Christie, was an American pop music, pop and soft rock singer-songwriter known for several hits in the 1960s, including his 1966 US ch ...

, and

Billy Joe Royal Billy Joe Royal (April 3, 1942 – October 6, 2015) was an American country soul singer. His most successful record was " Down in the Boondocks" in 1965. Life and career Born in Valdosta, Georgia, to Clarence and Mary Sue Smith Royal, and ra ...

. With

Buddy Buie Perry Carlton "Buddy" Buie (January 23, 1941 – July 18, 2015) was an American songwriter, producer and publisher. He is most commonly associated with Roy Orbison, the Classics IV and the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Career Buie was born in Mariann ...

and J.R. Cobb, he is a co-writer on the

Classics IV The Classics IV is an American band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965. The band, founded by Dennis Yost, is known mainly for the hits " Spooky", " Stormy", and " Traces" (released 1967–69), which have become cover stand ...

hit "''Traces''", listed as number 32 in BMI's Top 100 Songs of the Century. He also arranged

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

's "''Walk On''" and The Winston's "''

Color Him Father "Color Him Father" is a song written by Richard Lewis Spencer and recorded by American rhythm and blues group the Winstons. It was released in 1969 as their debut single for Metromedia and was a No. 7 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 that year ...

''".

Musician/touring

Gordy moved to Los Angeles in early 1970 and continued working as a studio musician. Along with the studio work, he supplemented with engineering and production work for

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s. She was nom ...

and

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer and actor. He was born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish Americans, Polish origin and enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, ...

. In 1971, he had the opportunity to tour as a bass player with

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...

and played multiple instruments (including guitar, mandolin, percussion, and vibes) in the recording sessions that led up to Diamond's million-selling ''

Hot August Night ''Hot August Night'' is a 1972 live double album by Neil Diamond. The album is a recording of a Diamond concert on August 24, 1972, one of ten sold-out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. This also m ...

''.Guitar Player, March 1988, pp. 68-74. In 1972, Gordy worked with

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, playing bass on '' Separate Ways'' and ''

Burning Love "Burning Love" is a 1972 song by Elvis Presley, written by Dennis Linde, originally released by Arthur Alexander earlier in 1972. Presley found major success with the song, it becoming his final Top 10 hit in the American Hot 100 or pop charts, ...

''. He toured with Presley in 1973, playing bass for Elvis Presley's

TCB Band The TCB Band is a group of musicians who formed the rhythm section of Elvis Presley's band from August 1969 until his death in 1977 (depending on the context, the nickname may also extend to Presley's background vocalists during that same perio ...

. Later, along with fellow Presley band members

James Burton James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana, United States) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also ...

Glen D. Hardin Glen Dee Hardin (born April 18, 1939) is an American piano player and arranger. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, and Ricky Nelson. Career Hardin was born in Wellington, ...

and

Ronnie Tutt Ronald Ellis Tutt (March 12, 1938 – October 16, 2021) was an American drummer who was the principal drummer for Elvis Presley, the Carpenters, Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond, and Jerry Garcia. He was also a session drummer who recorded with some of ...

, he accompanied

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...

and

on Parson's ''

Grievous Angel ''Grievous Angel'' is the second and final solo studio album by Gram Parsons, compiled from summer 1973 sessions and released four months after his death from a morphine and alcohol overdose in September 1973. Prominently featuring a young Emm ...

'' album, released the year after Parsons's untimely death in 1973. In the mid-1970s, he was an original member of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band along with

, John Ware,

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

and

Hank Devito Henry M. "Hank" DeVito is an American musician and photographer known primarily for his pedal steel guitar work and songwriting. Biography After high school, DeVito attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He studied graphic arts and ...

. Remaining with Harris until 1977, Gordy continued to get calls from L.A. studios, where he played bass on projects by

The Bellamy Brothers The Bellamy Brothers are an American pop and country music duo from Darby, Florida. The duo consists of brothers David Milton Bellamy (born September 16, 1950) and Homer Howard Bellamy (born February 2, 1946). The duo had considerable musical s ...

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

and

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

. Gordy would go on to play in Rodney Crowell and

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Cash. Although Cash is often classified as a country artist, her music draws f ...

’s supergroup, The Cherry Bombs, alongside other soon-to-be Nashville luminaries: guitarist Richard Bennett, keyboard player Tony Brown and

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...

on guitar. By 1979 he joined

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...

’s band, touring the U.S., Australia and Europe and later composing the bass tracks for two of Denver’s albums. Gordy played on

Phil Seymour Philip Warren Seymour (May 15, 1952 – August 17, 1993) was an American drummer, singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for the singles " I'm on Fire" (with The Dwight Twilley Band), his own solo hit "Precious to Me" and for providing b ...

's 1981 self-titled debut solo album for

Boardwalk Records Boardwalk Records is a record label founded by Neil Bogart in 1980, after PolyGram acquired Casablanca Records from him. History The label had hit acts with Joan Jett and Harry Chapin. Other artists on the Boardwalk label included, Invisible M ...

, including the hit single " Precious to Me". Gordy credits that involvement with

Shelter Records Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "worksho ...

and its owner

Denny Cordell Dennis Cordell-Lavarack (1 August 1943 – 18 February 1995), known as Denny Cordell, was an English record producer. He is notable for his mid-1960s and early 1970s productions of hit singles for The Moody Blues, Leon Russell, The Move, Proc ...

as a meaningful introduction to the rock genre. In 1986, Gordy was one of several musicians who backed Nanci Griffith as she showcased tracks from her 'Lone Star State Of Mind' album on The Nashville Network TV show 'New Country'.

Studio producer

Pivoting from major touring in 1983, Gordy became a staff producer at

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

Nashville, where he co-produced

's seminal releases '' Exit 0'' and ''

Guitar Town ''Guitar Town'' is the debut studio album from American singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released on March 5, 1986. It topped the ''Billboard'' country album charts, and the title song reached #7 on the country singles charts. Earle was also no ...

'' with Tony Brown. Gordy also produced George Jones' '' Walls Can Fall'' , which won the CMA Vocal Event of the Year for '' I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair'', Bill Monroe's '' Southern Flavor'', winning the first Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and artists

Nicolette Larson Nicolette Larson (July 17, 1952 – December 16, 1997) was an American singer. She is best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young and her 1978 hit single of Young's " Lotta Love", which hit No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary ...

, Rider's In the Sky,

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, she achieved her first ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' hit aged 12 i ...

and his future wife,

. Leaving MCA Records for independent production, Gordy produced

's '' In Pictures and Christmas Vol. II'', Vince Gill's '' Turn Me Loose'' and '' The Things That Matter'', and Aaron Tippin's '' You've Got To Stand For Something'' and '' Read Between the Lines for''

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

''.'' Other notable productions include Jimmie Dale Gilmore's '' Spinning Around The Sun'' for

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

, Delbert McClinton's ''One Of the Fortunate Few'' for Rising Tide Records and Shawn Camp's ''1995'' for Warner Bros. Records.

Current activities

Active until the mid-2000s, today Gordy is now in semi-retirement and spends most of his time at his home northwest of Atlanta. He still writes, occasionally travels to Nashville as a studio musician for one of his friends, engineers vocals at his home studio, and is seen playing guitar at most of his wife's yearly Nashville appearances at the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

. He is also an avid ham radio operator and third degree black belt in Karate. Gordy was inducted into the

Georgia Music Hall of Fame The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was a hall of fame to recognize music performers and music industry professionals from or connected to the state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It began with efforts of the state's lieutenant governor Zell Mill ...

in 1992. His wife, Patty Loveless joined him in the GMHOF in 2005. Gordy was named the first Alumnus of the Year for Middle Georgia State University in 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordy, Emory Jr. 1944 births Musicians from Atlanta American session musicians American country bass guitarists American country record producers Grammy Award winners Living people The Notorious Cherry Bombs members TCB Band members American country guitarists American male bass guitarists American multi-instrumentalists American mandolinists American rock guitarists American rock bass guitarists Guitarists from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American bass guitarists Country musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American male musicians Lyle Lovett and His Large Band members