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McGavock Dickinson Gayden (June 5, 1941 – April 16, 2025) was an American rock and
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer working in
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
during the latter half of the 20th century. As a session guitarist, Gayden was featured on
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's album ''
Blonde On Blonde ''Blonde on Blonde'' is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as a double album on June 20, 1966, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musici ...
'' , but was inadvertently left off the album's credits. He co-wrote "
Everlasting Love "Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since covered numerous times. The most successful version in the UK was performed by Love Affair and the highest-charting version ...
", his most successful song. It became an enduring hit, recorded by other artists at least two dozen times over a 60 year span and achieved top-40 status worldwide. He was president of Wild Child Records, formed in 2004. In 2013, he was honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame as one of the "Nashville Cats".


Background

Mac Gayden was born in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
on June 5, 1941. He played with Charlie McCoy and the Escorts and that group started playing many sessions in Nashville. In the late 1960s, he helped establish two critically acclaimed bands. These were
Area Code 615 Area codes 615 and 629 are area codes in Tennessee serving Nashville ( Davidson County) and the twelve surrounding counties. 615 is the parent area code, created in 1954, while 629 was added to the 615 numbering plan area in formation of an ove ...
(signed with Polydor) and
Barefoot Jerry Barefoot Jerry is an American progressive country rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They have been described as a seminal southern rock band. The band was most active from 1971 to 1977. It was composed of area studio musicians under the tut ...
(signed with Capitol Records); in which Gayden wrote the songs, played guitars and sang. Gayden left Barefoot Jerry in 1971 to record his first solo album with producer
Bob Johnston Donald William "Bob" Johnston (May 14, 1932 – August 14, 2015) was an American record producer, best known for his work with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, and Simon & Garfunkel. Early life and career Johnston was born into a profe ...
whom he had worked with on
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's ''
Blonde on Blonde ''Blonde on Blonde'' is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as a double album on June 20, 1966, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musici ...
'' album. Johnston asked to produce the solo album by Gayden entitled ''McGavock Gayden'' (EMI). Gayden formed his own band, "Skyboat" in 1972 and recorded two albums for ABC Records. He also served as producer of an album by Dianne Davidson (''Baby'') and one by
Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...
(''To Satisfy You''). Gayden recorded as a session guitar player with J.J. Cale, John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Simon and Garfunkel, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Young, Rita Coolidge, Joe Simon, The Valentines, Elvis Presley, Ian and Sylvia, Jerry Jeff Walker, Loudon Wainwright, Connie Francis, The Alarm, Pearls before Swine, Ivory Joe Hunter, Robert Knight ("Everlasting Love"), Clifford Curry ("She Shot A Hole in My Soul"), Bobby Vinton and more. Gayden recorded frequently with
Billy Sherrill Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger associated with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Glenn Sutton are regar ...
who produced many hits. When he was five he started to compose a song on his grandmother's piano ("
Everlasting Love "Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since covered numerous times. The most successful version in the UK was performed by Love Affair and the highest-charting version ...
"). Later, when he heard Robert Knight's voice while he was performing at a fraternity house at Vanderbilt next to the one Knight's band was playing in, he ran over, introduced himself, and told Knight he had a song for him. Gayden got together with Knight and began pulling in the pieces of the song. He also brought in his friend,
Buzz Cason James Elmore "Buzz" Cason (November 27, 1939 – June 16, 2024) was an American rock singer, songwriter, record producer and author. Life and career James Elmore Cason was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 27, 1939. He was a founding mem ...
. He and Cason produced "Everlasting Love." It was Robert Knight's first hit, followed by another song Gayden wrote, " My Rainbow Valley". When Gayden was introduced to Clifford Curry, he presented another song he wrote, "She Shot A Hole in My Soul," that started Curry's career with a hit. Gayden produced The Valentines on his song "Gotta Get Yourself Together." All these songs were included on the Grammy-winning album produced by the Country Music Hall of Fame, ''Night Train to Nashville''. Gayden recorded one album on EMI ''McGavock Gayden'', two on ABC Records, ''Skyboat'', and ''Hymn to the Seeker''. The latter he recorded in Miami at Criteria, with
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...
recording ''Rumours'' in one studio and
the Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in ...
doing ''Hotel California'' in the other.
Randy Meisner Randall Herman Meisner (March 8, 1946 – July 26, 2023) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and founding member of both Eagles and Poco. Throughout his professional musical career, both as group member and session musician, his main r ...
from the Eagles sang background with Gayden on some songs. One album on Winter Harvest ''Nirvana Blues'' was then followed by one album on Arena Records, ''Come Along'' (2020). He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Cats in 2013 with a ceremony at The Country Music Hall of Fame, and was also included in the Dylan/Cash exhibit for over six years and played many concerts for that exhibit. His guitar and wah wah pedal were on exhibit at the Hall of Fame as he innovated the slide wah technique on the JJ Cale song "Crazy Mama". Gayden also published an autobiography, entitled ''The Missing String Theory − A Musicians Uncommon Spiritual Journey''.


Hits

Gayden's biggest hit as a writer is considered to be the song "
Everlasting Love "Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since covered numerous times. The most successful version in the UK was performed by Love Affair and the highest-charting version ...
", which he co-wrote with
Buzz Cason James Elmore "Buzz" Cason (November 27, 1939 – June 16, 2024) was an American rock singer, songwriter, record producer and author. Life and career James Elmore Cason was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 27, 1939. He was a founding mem ...
, recorded originally by Robert Knight, a Top 20 hit in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. It became a number one hit in the United Kingdom when covered by the Love Affair in January 1968. Also in 1968, a cover by the Australian group Town Criers reached No. 2 in the Australian charts.
Carl Carlton Carl Carlton (born May 21, 1953) is an American R&B, soul, and funk singer-songwriter, best known for his hits " Everlasting Love" and " She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)". Background Carlton was born in Detroit, Michigan, an ...
's popular soul version was a number six hit in the U.S. in 1974 and has logged over five million plays, according to BMI. Many artists have recorded the song, including German singer Sandra, who had a hit with it in Germany and all across Europe in 1987, and
Gloria Estefan Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
, who reached the top of the Billboard
Hot Dance Club Play The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart in 1995. U2 recorded the song on the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
of "All I Want is You", Jamie Cullum had a hit with the song in 2009, and it was used in the films '' Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'' (two versions were used), ''
America's Sweethearts ''America's Sweethearts'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Joe Roth and written by Billy Crystal and Peter Tolan. It stars Julia Roberts, Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and John Cusack, with Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, ...
'', '' Forces of Nature'', and ''
Veronica Guerin Veronica Guerin Turley (5 July 1959 – 26 June 1996) was an Irish investigative journalist focusing on organised crime in Ireland, who was murdered in a contract killing believed to have been ordered by a South Dublin-based drug cartel. Bor ...
''. Gayden wrote another hit entitled "She Shot a Hole in My Soul" recorded by Clifford Curry, also covered by the Box Tops. Gayden wrote songs for several black singing groups, Robert Knight (see above), the Valentines, and Clifford Curry. Gayden performed with
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...
and the
Stone Poneys Stone Poneys (also the Stone Poneys, Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys, and the Stone Poneys with Linda Ronstadt) were a folk rock trio formed in Los Angeles, consisting of Linda Ronstadt on vocals, Bobby Kimmel on rhythm guitar and vocals, ...
,
John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New wave music, new wave, blues, and country music, country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Gramm ...
, Loudon Wainwright,
Joe Simon Joseph Henry Simon (born Hymie Simon; October 11, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s–1940s Golden Age of Comic Books ...
,
Ivory Joe Hunter Ivory Joe Hunter (October 10, 1914 – November 8, 1974) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid-1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recordi ...
,
Margie Hendrix Marjorie Hendrix (sometimes Hendricks) (March 13, 1935 – July 14, 1973) was an American rhythm and blues singer and founding member of the Raelettes, who were the backing singers for Ray Charles, the father of her child, Charles Wayne Hendr ...
,
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
, Gregg and
Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock and blues guitarist and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam ...
,
Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...
,
Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He also wrote t ...
,
Ian & Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. History Early ...
,
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 ...
,
Hoyt Axton Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voic ...
,
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
, and
Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...
among others. Gayden wrote country hits for
Bobby Bare Robert Joseph Bare Sr. (born April 7, 1935) is an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for the songs "Marie Laveau", " Detroit City", and " 500 Miles Away from Home". He is the father of Bobby Bare Jr., also a musician. Earl ...
and
Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. In 1967, he introduced singer Dolly Parton on his television show, ''The Por ...
.


Guitar work

Gayden was also a session guitarist and is renowned for his innovative wah-wah slide guitar technique, as showcased on the early 1970s
J. J. Cale John Weldon "J. J." Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Neil Young, Mark Knopf ...
hit "Crazy Mama". He also wrote a number of successful songs, including "Hayride", which was a major Australian hit for
Flying Circus Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...
. "La La" was an even bigger hit. He also co-wrote and co-produced Robert Knight's " Love on a Mountain Top".
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
recorded Gayden's "Love on a Mountaintop" with
Sinitta Sinitta Malone known mononymously as Sinitta, is a British-American singer. She initially found commercial success in the mid-1980s with the single " So Macho" and had several other hits during the decade. In the 2000s, she became known for te ...
(Top 20, 1989). When Gayden played on Bob Dylan's album ''Blonde on Blonde'', Dylan's producer Bob Johnston asked to produce an album for him; the album, ''McGavock Gayden'', was released by EMI Records.


Producing

Gayden was latterly producing groups, one of which was his daughter Oceana Gayden, and performed at
Bonnaroo Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...
and other festivals with her. The other group he was working with is a group called Sweetwater Rose, which he put together and produced and was performing with. In 2020, Gayden released a new album ''Come Along'' on Arena Records, and was recording a family revolutionary album about the times. In his last five years, Gayden tried to help young artists by producing music for them, and helping them write. These included Alexis Saski, Olivia Jones and Bailey Hyneman.


Death

Gayden died in Nashville due to
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
on April 16, 2025, at the age of 83.


Discography

*''McGavock Gayden'' (produced by Bob Johnston) *''Skyboat'' *''Hymn to the Seeker'' *''Nirvana Blues'' (CD)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gayden, Mac 1941 births 2025 deaths American male singers Songwriters from Tennessee Record producers from Tennessee Singers from Nashville, Tennessee American Southern rock musicians American male songwriters Storm King School alumni