Garry Wayne Tallent (born October 27, 1949), sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being bass player and founding member of the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

, Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. As of 2022, and not counting Springsteen himself, Tallent is the only original member of the E Street Band remaining in the band. Tallent was inducted as a member of the E Street Band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Biography

Growing up in Neptune City around the Jersey shore, Tallent took up first the

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

and then the bass. Tallent attended

Neptune High School Neptune High School is a comprehensive four-year community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Neptune Townsh ...

, together with future bandmate Vini Lopez. He was influenced by

James Jamerson James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases ...

, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

. He started playing with Springsteen in 1971 in two earlier bands and then was an original member of the E Street Band, who formed in 1972.Standing in the shadows of Motown: the life and music of legendary bassist James Jamerson
(1989) His bass plays a key role in Springsteen's music (both live and in-studio). Notable Tallent bass parts can be heard on "

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...

", " Prove It All Night", " Kitty's Back", and "

Incident on 57th Street "Incident on 57th Street" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen that was first released on his 1973 album ''The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle''. It has been described by critics as a key development in Springsteen's songwriting caree ...

". During the E Street Band's early years, he occasionally played the tuba in concert and on record (most notably in " Wild Billy's Circus Story"). In addition to his work with Springsteen, Tallent has recorded with numerous other artists. In 1987 Tallent produced the song "

Crying, Waiting, Hoping "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" is a song written by Buddy Holly. It was released in 1959 as the B-side to " Peggy Sue Got Married". Three versions of Holly's recording were released: the 1959 commercial release, the 1964 reissue with different orches ...

" for

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl," and " Whenever You're on My Mind." He ...

on '' La Bamba'' soundtrack. During the long time the E Street Band was inactive in the 1990s, Tallent moved to Nashville, having an affinity for country and western and

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...

music. (By this point, Tallent had already long been referred to by the nickname "The Tennessee Terror", a name given to him after once driving through Tennessee briefly on a roadtrip). There he opened the MoonDog recording studio and helped start the D'Ville Record Group label. Tallent has produced such artists as

Jim Lauderdale James Russell Lauderdale (born April 11, 1957) is an American country, bluegrass, and Americana singer-songwriter. Since 1986, he has released 31 studio albums, including collaborations with artists such as Dr. Ralph Stanley, Buddy Miller, and ...

Kevin Gordon Kevin Sysu Gordon (born 26 December 1989) is a former Philippines international rugby league footballer. A New South Wales Country and Prime Minister's XIII representative, he played as a er and for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Ru ...

, and Steve Forbert.Gold, Adam (July 29, 2011)
E Street Band/Former Long Players Bassist Garry Tallent: The Cream Interview
, ''

Nashville Scene ''Nashville Scene'' is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with ...

'' Springsteen and the E Street Band performed on

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

on December 12, 2020 however Tallent opted out of the performance due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

travel concerns. This marked the first time that Tallent had missed a show with the E Street Band. Jack Daly of the Disciples of Soul filled in for him.

Biography

References

External links