Roy James Gaines (August 12, 1937 – August 11, 2021) was an American Texas blues and

electric blues Electric blues is blues music distinguished by the use of electric amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified and used by early pioneers T-Bone Walker in the late 1930s and John Lee Ho ...

guitarist, singer and songwriter. He wrote and recorded the song "A Hell of a Night", which was first issued on his 1982 album ''Gainelining''. He was the younger brother of the blues musician Grady Gaines.

Biography

Gaines was born in Waskom, Texas on August 12, 1937, and relocated with his family to

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

when he was six years old. Originally a piano devotee, Gaines moved to playing the guitar in his adolescence. In his teens he was acquainted with another budding guitarist,

Johnny Copeland John Clyde Copeland (March 27, 1937 – July 3, 1997) was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer. In 1983, he was named Blues Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation. He is the father of blues singer Shemekia Copeland. In 2017, ...

. By the age of 14 he had performed onstage backing his hero, T-Bone Walker, and played in Houston nightclubs. He later moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, California. In 1955, Gaines played as a backing musician on recordings by Bobby Bland,

Junior Parker Herman "Junior" Parker (March 27, 1932November 18, 1971), ...

and Big Mama Thornton. He later backed Roy Milton and then

Chuck Willis Harold "Chuck" Willis (January 31, 1926 – April 10, 1958) was an American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll singer and songwriter. His biggest hits, " C. C. Rider" (1957) and " What Am I Living For" (1958), both reached No.1 on the '' ...

, and he worked again with Walker. He released two low-key albums in 1956 and a couple more in the 1960s for small record companies. In 1966, Gaines became part of

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 ...

's backing band. He was also a backing musician in sessions with the Everly Brothers, the Supremes,

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, and

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins Will ...

. He worked primarily as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

, but he released a solo album, ''Gainelining'', in 1982. He also had a small part in the 1985 film '' The Color Purple''. Another album, ''New Frontier Lover'', was released in 2000. It was followed by ''Tuxedo Blues'', featuring a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

billed as Roy Gaines & His Orchestra, released in 2009. The album includes the song " Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)," which Gaines had performed in ''The Color Purple''. Also included is a cover version of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's "

Rock with You "Rock with You" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. It was first offered to Karen Carpenter, while she was working on her first solo album, but she turned it down. It was release ...

." Gaines co-wrote the song "No Use Crying", which was recorded by

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 Ray Charles. Gaines died on August 11, 2021, a day before his 84th birthday.

Discography

Albums

With the Jazz Crusaders *'' Freedom Sound'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961) With Les McCann *'' Another Beginning'' (Atlantic, 1974)

References

External links

Roy Gaines Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaines, Roy 1937 births 2021 deaths American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers Songwriters from Texas Musicians from Houston Texas blues musicians People from Waskom, Texas Guitarists from Texas 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians Black & Blue Records artists American male songwriters