Roy James Gaines (August 12, 1937 – August 11, 2021) was an American Texas blues and electric blues 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 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. 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, California. In 1955, Gaines played as a backing musician on recordings by Bobby Bland, Junior Parker and

Big Mama Thornton Willie Mae Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), better known as Big Mama Thornton, was an American singer and songwriter of the blues and R&B genres. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's " Hound Dog", in 1952, which becam ...

. He later backed Roy Milton and then Chuck Willis, 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's backing band. He was also a backing musician in sessions with the Everly Brothers, the Supremes, Bobby Darin,

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

, and Gladys Knight. 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 ...

, 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 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's " Rock with You." Gaines co-wrote the song "No Use Crying", which was recorded by George Jones and Ray Charles. Gaines died on August 11, 2021, a day before his 84th birthday.

Discography

Albums

With the

Jazz Crusaders The Crusaders (formerly known as The Jazz Crusaders) were an American jazz group that was successful from the 1960s to the 1990s. The group was known as the Jazz Crusaders from their formation in 1960 until shortening their name in 1971. The Cru ...

*'' Freedom Sound'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961) With

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (born September 23, 1935) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist.Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler (2007), ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 448. Oxford University Press. Early life Les McCann was born in ...

*''

Another Beginning ''Another Beginning'' is an album by pianist Les McCann recorded in 1974 and released on the Atlantic label.Freed., RLes McCann Discographyaccessed March 22, 2016 Reception Allmusic gives the album 2 stars. Track listing ''All compositions b ...

'' (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