John Allen "Al" Gamble (born March 11, 1969) is an American,

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

and

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

based,

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

, playing Hammond B-3 organ and keyboards. He is currently the keyboard player for

St. Paul and The Broken Bones St. Paul and The Broken Bones is an American eight-piece soul music, soul band based in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, that formed in 2012. The band is composed of Paul Janeway (vocals), Browan Lollar (guitar), Jesse Phillips (bass), Kevin ...

Early life

Gamble was born in

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee ...

, United States, but his family moved to his parents' home town of Tuscumbia,

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 ...

(near

Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...

), where he was raised. After graduating from the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

in 1991 he lived in Tuscumbia, until moving to Memphis in 1994 to pursue a career in music.

Career

Gamble grew up listening to his father's record collection, which included Jimmy Smith,

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuffy (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. He was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz ...

and other jazz and soul artists on the

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

and

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

labels. He played in various bands during high school and college, and in 1992 joined the

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

-based Bluebirds, featuring Buddy Flett on guitar. Gamble spent a few years in Memphis as a

Beale Street Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of blues music. Today, ...

musician, backing such artists as Preston Shannon and A-440. In 2001, he formed the Gamble Brothers Band with his younger brother Chad Gamble (drums), Art Edmaiston (saxophone) and Will Lowrimore (bass). The band recorded three albums from 2001 to 2007. The first album, ''10 Lbs. of Hum'' (2001), was released independently and featured Lowrimore on bass. The last two albums, ''Back to the Bottom'' (2003) and ''Continuator'' (2006), were released on the Memphis-based label Archer Records. ''Back to the Bottom'' was the last recording to feature Lowrimore on bass, who left the band shortly after the album's release. ''Continuator'' featured bassist, Blake Rhea, who joined the band in 2003 to replace Lowrimore. In 2003, the Gamble Brothers Band beat out more than 1,200 other artists to win the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

-sponsored Independent Music World Series award. Edmaiston joined the

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

-based touring band JJ Grey & MOFRO in 2007, and soon after that, the Gamble Brothers Band played a show opening for the

Black Crowes Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''Psy ...

in October 2007 at Mud Island Amphitheatre in Memphis, their final live performance for 12 years. The band reunited for a show at the Crosstown Theater in Memphis on December 21, 2019. Earlier in 2007, while Edmaiston was on a break from touring, he joined Gamble, Memphis guitar player Joe Restivo, and drummer

George Sluppick George Peter Sluppick (born January 14, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American touring and session drummer, best known for his association with bands such as The City Champs, Robert Walter's 20th Congress, Sha Na Na, JJ Grey & Mofro and t ...

to form The Grip, a four-piece jazz instrumental band specializing in

boogaloo Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a music genre, genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly by stateside Puerto Ricans with ...

music. The Grip recorded the EP ''Grab This Thing'' for Archer Records (2007). The road took Edmaiston away again, and Gamble continued to play with Restivo and Sluppick as a three-piece, forming the band The City Champs. The City Champs released two albums on Scott Bomar's Electraphonic label: ''The Safecracker'' (2009) and ''The Set Up'' (2010). The City Champs have toured regularly and opened for other acts, including the

North Mississippi Allstars North Mississippi Allstars is an American blues and southern rock band from Hernando, Mississippi, founded in 1996. The band is currently composed of brothers Luther Dickinson (guitar, lowebow, vocals) and Cody Dickinson (drums, keyboards, elec ...

and

Huey Lewis Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known professionally as Huey Lewis, is an American actor and former singer-songwriter. Lewis sang lead and played harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News, until being forced into retirement due ...

. The members' other musical projects took them in different directions, but after a long hiatus they reunited to create the critically acclaimed ''Luna '68'', released in 2021 on Big Legal Mess Records. The City Champs' music has been featured in the

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

series "$5 Cover" and in the

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

-winning documentary film ''I Am A Man: From Memphis, A Lesson in Life.'' On November 29, 2010, The City Champs took part in the filming of a new Memphis music documentary. Titled ''Take Me To The River'', this Cody Dickinson/Martin Shore-produced film, released Sept. 12, 2014, showcases icons of the Memphis' music scene playing with up-and-coming young bands. The City Champs collaborated with harmonica legend

Charlie Musselwhite Charles Douglas Musselwhite (born January 31, 1944) is an American blues harmonica player and bandleader who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal figure in helping to revive the Chicago ...

and

Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is a group of American session musicians based in the northern Alabama town of Muscle Shoals. One of the most prominent American studio house bands from the 1960s to the 1980s, these musicians, individually or a ...

bassist

David Hood David Hood (born September 21, 1943) is an American musician, hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, He is known for playing the bass guitar and trombone, and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Early life and education Hood was b ...

on bass to film a segment at Electraphonic Studios in Memphis. The film, which includes contributions from Terrance Howard and Snoop Dogg, was honored at the Raindance Film Festival awards ceremony in London as the Feature Film. In January 2013, after learning about

from friend and guitarist Browan Lollar, Gamble was asked to add organ overdubs on the band's debut album ''Half The City'', recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Later that year, Gamble joined the band full-time, prior to the release of the record in February 2014. St. Paul and The Broken Bones have toured extensively in the United States and Europe and opened two shows (June 9 in Atlanta; and July 11 in Buffalo, New York) for

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

on the band's 2015

Zip Code Tour Zip Code was a concert tour by English rock band the Rolling Stones. It began on 24 May 2015 in San Diego and travelled across North America before concluding on 15 July 2015 in Quebec City. The tour was announced on 31 March 2015 with tickets ...

. In January 2016, St. Paul and the Broken Bones played a sold-out Carnegie Hall show as part of a four-concert series curated by Rosanne Cash called Carnegie Hall's Perspectives. In February 2017, St. Paul and the Broken Bones headlined the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party in West Hollywood, California. Gamble has recorded on more than 50 albums and on various film scores. He is credited with writing or co-writing more than 40 songs, according to BMI. He has toured with The City Champs, singer/songwriter Charlie Mars, John Paul Keith and the 145s, Louisiana soul singer

Marc Broussard Marc Broussard (born January 14, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter. His style is best described as "bayou soul", a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots. He has released twelve studio albums, one li ...

, Charles Walker and the Dynamites, The Bo-Keys, and St. Paul and The Broken Bones.

Personal life

Al Gamble currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

Alabama Music Hall of Fame

Al Gamble and his brother Chad are listed as "Music Achievers" in the

Alabama Music Hall of Fame The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then oversaw construction of a facility after a statewide referendum in 1987 ...

Discography

Television performances

*''

Lopez Tonight ''Lopez Tonight'' is an American late-night television talk show that was hosted by the comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican-American to host a late-ni ...

'' - w/Marc Broussard - June 13, 2011 *'' CBS This Morning: Saturday'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - March 28, 2014 *''

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airi ...

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - April 28, 2014 *''

Jimmy Kimmel Live ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywoo ...

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - June 23, 2014 *'' ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2014'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - November 22, 2014 *''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - January 12, 2015 *''

Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - August 30, 2016 *'' CBS This Morning: Saturday'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Sept. 10, 2016 *'' CONAN on TBS'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Sept. 19, 2016 *''

Later with Jools Holland ''Later... with Jools Holland'' (also known as ''Even Later... with Jools Holland'', and previously known as ''Later Live... with Jools Holland'' and ''...Later with Jools Holland'') is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jo ...

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Oct. 21, 2016 *''

Bluegrass Underground ''Bluegrass Underground'' is a musical television show taped live at The Caverns in the base of Monteagle Mountain. From 2008 to 2018, it was held in Cumberland Caverns. In 2011, it became a nationally syndicated television show airing on PBS. Th ...

'', Season 6, Episode 11 - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Nov. 16, 2016 *''

MTV Live MTV Live may refer to: Television *MTV Live (TV network), an American music cable network known as Palladia from 2008 until early 2016 and Music: High Definition (MHD) from 2006 to 2008 *MTV Live (international TV channel), a series of internationa ...

'' Setlist, Season 1, Episode 4 - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Jan. 7, 2017 *''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American Concert, live music Television show, television program recorded and produced by KLRU, Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", an ...

'', Season 42, Episode 12 - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - July 15, 2017 *''

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Sept. 10, 2018 *'' CBS This Morning: Saturday'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Oct. 13, 2018 *''

'', Season 4, Episode 68 - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Dec. 18, 2018 *''

Late Night with Seth Meyers ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire variety talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing w ...

'', Episode 801 - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Feb. 18, 2019 *'' CBS This Morning: Saturday'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Jan. 4, 2020 *''

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Jan. 27, 2022 *'' CBS This Morning: Saturday'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Jan. 29, 2022 *''

'' - w/St. Paul and the Broken Bones - May 9, 2022

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gamble, Al Living people 1969 births Musicians from Columbus, Georgia Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee University of Alabama alumni People from Tuscumbia, Alabama Musicians from Alabama