Weldon Myrick (born Weldon Merle Myrick; April 10, 1938 – June 2, 2014) was an American

steel guitar A steel guitar ( haw, kīkākila) is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conve ...

player.Weldon Myrick Obituary
The Tennessean accessdate July 22, 2018 Myrick was born in Jayton, Texas. His debut came in 1964, when he played on the #1 country hit "

Once a Day "Once a Day" is a song written by Bill Anderson and recorded as the debut single by American country artist Connie Smith. It was produced by Bob Ferguson for her self-titled debut album. The song was released in August 1964, topping the ''Bil ...

" by

Connie Smith Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador; August 14, 1941) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity ...

. She would call Myrick "the guy who was responsible for creating the Connie Smith sound." In the late 1960s, he joined Bobby Thompson and

Charlie McCoy Charles Ray McCoy (born March 28, 1941) is a Grammy-winning American session musician, harmonica player, and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Based in Nashville, McCoy's playing is heard on ...

to form Area Code 615. He was also a member of the group of

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

s in the

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

-based group

The Nashville A-Team The Nashville A-Team was a nickname given to a group of session musicians in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, who earned wide acclaim in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. They backed dozens of popular singers, including Elvis Presley, Eddy Arnold, Patsy ...

. They backed many singers, including

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the '' Billboard'' c ...

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, Gary Stewart,

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with t ...

, and

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis mad ...

. He died in 2014, at the age of 76, after suffering a stroke.

Area Code 615 discography

*''Area Code 615'', 1969 *''Trip in the Country'', 1970

Discography as a session player

* '' Browns Sing the Big Ones from Country'',

The Browns The Browns were an American country and folk music vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, " The Three Bells". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie, had a close, smooth harmony characteris ...

, 1967 * '' Make Mine Country'',

Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Re ...

, 1968 * ''

Come from the Shadows ''Come from the Shadows'' is the thirteenth studio album (and fifteenth overall) by Joan Baez, released in 1972. After recording for the independent label Vanguard for more than a decade, Baez signed with A&M, and attempted to point her career in ...

'',

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

, 1972 * '' Home Free'',

Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his 1970s and 1980s songs, including " Longer" (1979), " Same Old Lang Syne" (1980), and ...

, 1972 * '' Jesus Was a Capricorn'',

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the Ni ...

, 1972 * ''

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

'',

, 1972 * ''

Dennis Linde Dennis Linde (pronounced LIN-dy, March 18, 1943December 22, 2006) was an American music songwriter based in Nashville who has had over 250 of his songs recorded. He is best known for writing the 1972 Elvis Presley hit, " Burning Love". Rarely w ...

'',

, 1973 * ''

Drift Away "Drift Away" is a song by Mentor Williams written in 1970 and originally recorded by John Henry Kurtz on his 1972 album ''Reunion''. Mentor Williams was a country songwriter, and John Henry Kurtz was an actor and swamp rock singer. It was late ...

Dobie Gray Dobie Gray (born Lawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter whose musical career spanned soul music, soul, country music, country, pop music, pop, and Musical theatre, musical theater. Hi ...

, 1973 * ''

Tom Jans Tom Jans (February 9, 1948 – March 25, 1984) was an American folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from San Jose, California. He is perhaps best known for his song " Loving Arms" (also known as "Lovin' Arms"), which was recorded initially by Kr ...

'',

, 1974 * '' Superpickers'',

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

, 1974 * '' Breakaway'',

and

Rita Coolidge Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945) is an American recording artist. During the 1970s and 1980s, her songs were on '' Billboard'' magazine's pop, country, adult contemporary, and jazz charts, and she won two Grammy Awards with fellow musician and th ...

, 1974 * ''

Tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing proc ...

'',

David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly ...

, 1977 * ''From a Radio Engine to the Photon Wing'',

Michael Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith or Mike Nesmith, (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series ''The Monkees (TV seri ...

, 1977 * ''

Family Album Family album may refer to: * A photo album containing family photographs Literature * ''Family Album'' (novel), a 1985 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Family Album'' (play) a 1935 short play by Noël Coward Music * ''Family Album'' (David Allan ...

'', David Allan Coe, 1978 * ''

Three on the Trail ''Three on the Trail'' is the debut studio album by the Western music (North America), Western band Riders in the Sky (band), Riders in the Sky, released in 1979 by Rounder Records Group. Riders in the Sky specializes in Western singing in the s ...

'', Riders in the Sky, 1979 * '' The Champ'', Moe Bandy, 1980 * '' Feel the Fire'',

Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed " the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 single ...

, 1980 * ''

The Baron Baron is a title of nobility. Baron, The Baron or Barons may also refer to: Places * Barons, Alberta, Canada * Baron, Gard, France * Baron, Gironde, France * Baron, Oise, France * Baron, Saône-et-Loire, France * Baron-sur-Odon, France * Bar ...

'',

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American Country music, country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later s ...

, 1981 * ''

Heart to Heart The heart is a muscular organ found in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon ...

'', Reba McEntire, 1981 * '' One of a Kind'', Moe Bandy, 1982 * '' Unlimited'', Reba McEntire, 1982 * ''

Bobbie Sue ''Bobbie Sue'' is the seventh album by The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released on February 10, 1982. Its title song was a #1 country chart hit (on April 3, 1982) and a #12 hit on the Hot 100 singles chart. The album also featured cover versions of ...

'',

The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet originating in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was change ...

, 1982 * '' #8'', J.J.Cale, 1983 * '' Somebody's Gonna Love You'',

Lee Greenwood Melvin Lee Greenwood (born October 27, 1942) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He also plays the saxophone. Active since 1962, he has released more than 20 major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the '' Billbo ...

, 1983 * ''

Behind the Scene ''Behind the Scene'' is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Reba McEntire, released on August 15, 1983. It includes the singles "Why Do We Want (What We Know We Can't Have)", which was a top ten hit and "There Ain't No Future ...

'', Reba McEntire, 1983 * '' Just a Little Love'', Reba McEntire, 1984 * '' Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind'',

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited fo ...

, 1984 * ''

Have I Got a Deal for You ''Have I Got a Deal for You'' is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Reba McEntire, released June 10, 1985. A continuation of the same style of music that made her previous album '' My Kind of Country'' a big seller. Unlike i ...

'', Reba McEntire, 1985 * '' Just a Woman'',

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Ma ...

, 1985 * ''

Paper Roses "Paper Roses" is a popular song written and composed by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. It first was a top five hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant. Marie Osmond recorded it in 1973 and took her version to number one on the US country chart. Anita ...

'',

Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television host, and a member of the show business family the Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a country and pop ...

, 1973 * '' In My Little Corner of the World'', Marie Osmond, 1974 * '' Who's Sorry Now'', Marie Osmond, 1975 * ''

Whoever's in New England ''Whoever's in New England'' is the tenth studio album of American country music artist Reba McEntire released on February 10, 1986, through MCA Nashville. It is her first #1 album on the Billboard country albums chart, producing two singles th ...

'', Reba McEntire, 1986 * ''

Who Was That Stranger ''Who Was That Stranger'' is the thirty-eighth solo studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on May 24, 1988, by MCA Records. This was Lynn's first album to be issued on CD at the time of its release ...

'', Loretta Lynn, 1988 * ''

At This Moment "At This Moment" is a song written by Billy Vera and recorded live by Vera and his band under the name Billy Vera & the Beaters in 1981, during a string of performances at the Roxy in West Hollywood (January 15–17) and featured on their sel ...

'',

Neal McCoy Hubert Neal McGaughey Jr. (born July 30, 1958), known professionally as Neal McCoy, is an American country music singer. He has released 10 studio albums on various labels, and has released 34 singles to country radio. Although he first charted on ...

, 1990 * '' Here in the Real World'',

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as " neotraditional country"), as well as penning man ...

, 1990 * '' Greatest Hits, Vol. 3'',

Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the List of years in country music, 1970s and 1980s. Nearl ...

, 1991 * ''

You've Got to Stand for Something ''You've Got to Stand for Something'' is the debut studio album byAmerican country music artist Aaron Tippin. The title track was Tippin's first chart entry, peaking at #6 on the ''Billboard'' country charts in 1991. Also released from this alb ...

'',

Aaron Tippin Aaron Dupree Tippin (born July 3, 1958) is an American country music singer, songwriter and record producer. Initially a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music, he gained a recording contract with RCA Nashville in 1990. His debut single, "You've Got to ...

, 1991 * '' A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love)'',

, 1992 * '' In This Life'',

Collin Raye Floyd Elliot Wray (born August 22, 1960) is an American country music singer, known professionally as Collin Raye, and previously as Bubba Wray. Under the latter name, he recorded as a member of the band The Wrays between 1983 and 1987. He made ...

, 1992 * '' Delta Dreamland, Deborah Allen'', 1993 * '' Honky Tonk Angels,

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

'',

, and

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...

, 1993 * ''

If Only My Heart Had a Voice ''If Only My Heart Had a Voice'' is the twenty-fifth studio album by country music superstar Kenny Rogers. It was Rogers' first album released on the Giant Records label. However, Rogers had been signed with its parent company, WEA, since 1989. ...

'',

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...

, 1993

Notes

1938 births 2014 deaths American session musicians Steel guitarists {{authority control