Dewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham (born June 14, 1943) is an American

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

and

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 ...

. An

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at FAME Studios as part of the

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 ...

on such hit R&B songs as

Percy Sledge Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song " When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 196 ...

's " When a Man Loves a Woman",

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...

's " Mustang Sally", and

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

's "

I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin. Released on Atlantic Records, as the first big hit of her career, it became a defining song for Franklin, peaking at number one on the r ...

". As a songwriter, Oldham teamed with

Dan Penn Dan Penn (born Wallace Daniel Pennington, November 16, 1941) is an American songwriter, singer, musician, and record producer, who co-wrote many soul hits of the 1960s, including "The Dark End of the Street" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" wi ...

to write such hits as "

Cry Like a Baby "Cry Like a Baby" is a 1968 song written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, and performed by The Box Tops. The song reached #2 in April 1968 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. It was kept out of the top spot by ...

" (the

Box Tops The Box Tops is an American rock band formed in Memphis in 1967. They are best known for the hits " The Letter", " Cry Like a Baby", "Choo Choo Train," and " Soul Deep" and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period. They perfo ...

), "

I'm Your Puppet "I'm Your Puppet" is a song written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham; the best known version is the one recorded by James & Bobby Purify which reached #5 on the US R&B chart and #6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1966. The single was nominated fo ...

" (

James and Bobby Purify James & Bobby Purify were an R&B singing duo, whose biggest hits were " I'm Your Puppet" in 1966, which reached number six in the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and in a re-recorded version number 12 in the UK Singles Chart (in May 1976), and ...

), and "A Woman Left Lonely" and "It Tears Me Up" (

Biography

Oldham is a native of

Center Star, Alabama Center Star, also known as Centre Star, or Centre (before the American Civil War), is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Lauderdale County, Alabama, Lauderdale County, in the U.S. state of Alabama. The Center Star Neighborhood Par ...

, United States. He was blinded in his right eye as a child; when reaching for a frying pan, he was hit in the eye by a spoon he knocked from a shelf. Schoolmates gave him the name "Spooner" as a result. Oldham started his career in music by playing piano in bands during high school. He then attended classes at the University of North Alabama but turned instead to playing at FAME Studios. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1967 and teamed with Penn at Chips Moman's American Studios. Oldham later moved to Los Angeles and has continued to be a sought-after backing musician, recording and performing with such artists as

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 ...

, Delaney Bramlett,

Willy DeVille Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr.; August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five-year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, DeVille created ori ...

, Joe Cocker, the

Hacienda Brothers The Hacienda Brothers is an American alternative country band composed of Chris Gaffney, Dave Gonzalez, Dave Berzansky, Dale Daniel, and Hank Maninger. They have been described as "the finest country rock band since the Flying Burrito Brothers ...

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 ...

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

, the

Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

, Bob Seger,

Dickey Betts Forrest Richard Betts (born December 12, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman, introducing melodic tw ...

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

, J.J. Cale,

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. F ...

, and

The Mountain Goats The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite the ...

. Frequently a backing musician for

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

, he played on Young's critically acclaimed 1992 album ''

Harvest Moon The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...

''. Oldham also appeared in the concert film '' Neil Young: Heart of Gold'' and backed Crosby Stills Nash & Young on their 2006 Freedom of Speech tour. In 1993, he joined a host of Memphis soul music veterans to record

Arthur Alexander Arthur Alexander (May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993) was an American country soul songwriter and singer. Jason Ankeny, music critic for AllMusic, said Alexander was a "country-soul pioneer" and that, though largely unknown, "his music is the stuff ...

's comeback and un-intended final studio recording, the album '' Lonely Just Like Me''. In 2007, Oldham toured with the

Drive-By Truckers Drive-By Truckers are an American rock band based in Athens, Georgia. Two of five current members ( Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley) are originally from The Shoals region of northern Alabama and met as roommates at the University of North Alab ...

on their The Dirt Underneath tour. In 2008, Oldham played on '' Last Days at the Lodge'', the third album released by folk/soul singer

Amos Lee Amos Lee (born Ryan Anthony Massaro, June 20, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk, rock, and soul. He was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Engli ...

. In May 2011, Oldham backed

Pegi Young Margaret Mary "Pegi" Young (née Morton; December 1, 1952 – January 1, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter, environmentalist, educator and philanthropist. Music career After marrying Canadian folk rock musician Neil Young in 1978, her d ...

on a six-show tour of California. Oldham was among the hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Awards

Oldham was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

in 2009 as a sideman. In 2014, he was inducted into the

Alabama Music Hall of Fame The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a facility ...

Solo album

''Pot Luck'' (Family Productions, 1972)

Collaborations

With

* 1962: ''You Better Move On'' (

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved ...

) * 1993: ''Lonely Just Like Me'' (Elektra) With

Shelby Lynne Shelby Lynne (born Shelby Lynn Moorer, October 22, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter and the older sister of singer-songwriter Allison Moorer. The success of her pop rock album '' I Am Shelby Lynne'' (1999) led to her winning the Grammy ...

* '' Tears, Lies and Alibis'' (Everso, 2010) With Steve Cropper * ''Dedicated – A Salute to the 5 Royales'' (429 Records, 2011) With

* ''

Comes a Time ''Comes a Time'' is the ninth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, released by Reprise Records in October 1978. Its songs are written as moralizing discourses on love's failures and recovering from worldly troubles. They are la ...

'' (Reprise Records, 1978) * ''

Old Ways ''Old Ways'' is the 14th studio album by Canadian / American musician and singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on August 12, 1985 on Geffen Records. Background Young has referred to this album in interviews as ''Old Ways II'', as he had origi ...

'' (Reprise Records, 1985) * ''

Silver & Gold Silver and Gold may refer to: Chemistry Electrum, also called white gold, is gold that has silver added to it. Music * ''Silver & Gold'' (Vanessa Williams album), also featuring the song by Burl Ives * ''Silver & Gold'' (Neil Young album), ...

'' (Reprise Records, 2000) * '' Prairie Wind'' (Reprise Records, 2005) With

Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...

* ''The SnakeDoctor Circus'' (BBR, 2019) With

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 the ...

* ''

'' (A&M Records, 1971) With

* ''

Don't Cry Now ''Don't Cry Now'' is the fourth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt and the first of her studio releases for Asylum Records, following six albums recorded for and released on Capitol Records including three she recorded as a member of The Stone Po ...

'' (Asylum Records, 1973) With

* ''

The Exciting Wilson Pickett ''The Exciting Wilson Pickett'', released in 1966, was the third album by R&B and soul singer Wilson Pickett. The album charted at #3 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' R&B albums chart and #21 on the popular albums chart, becoming the highest-charting ...

'' (Atlantic Records, 1966) * ''The Wicked Pickett'' (Atlantic Records, 1967) * ''

The Sound of Wilson Pickett ''The Sound of Wilson Pickett'' is a studio album by Wilson Pickett, released in 1967. Track listing Personnel *Wilson Pickett – vocals *Spooner Oldham – keyboards, piano, organ *Chips Moman – lead guitar * Jimmy Johnson - rhythm guitar ...

'' (Atlantic Records, 1967) With

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

* '' Aimless Love'' (Oh Boy Records, 1984) * ''

A John Prine Christmas ''A John Prine Christmas'' is the 11th studio album by United States, American Folk music, folk singer John Prine, released in 1993. "If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man" is a duet with Margo Timmins, lead singer of the Cowboy Junkies. Recep ...

'' (Oh Boy Records, 1994) With

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet "Up Where We Belong" and in 1987 for ...

* ''

Jennifer Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) * Jenifer (singer), French pop singer * Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and tele ...

'' (Reprise Records, 1972) With

* '' Aretha Arrives'' (Rhino Records, 1967) * ''

Lady Soul ''Lady Soul'' is the twelfth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in early 1968, by Atlantic Records. Background ''Lady Soul'' was Franklin's third R&B chart-topper and reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, tying with ...

'' (Rhino Records, 1968) * ''

Aretha Now ''Aretha Now'' is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on June 14, 1968, by Atlantic Records. Quickly certified Gold, it eventually reached a million in US sales. It hit No. 3 on ''Billboards album chart. In 19 ...

'' (Atlantic Records, 1968) * ''

Soul '69 ''Soul '69'' is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in 1969 by Atlantic Records, the album features covered material. The album charted at number 1 on ''Billboard''s R&B albums chart and at number 15 on ''Billboa ...

'' (Atlantic Records, 1969) With

* ''Nobody's Fool'' (Bell Records, 1973) * ''Do Right Man'' (Sire Records, 1994) * ''Moments From This Theatre'' (Proper American, 1999) * ''Something About the Night'' (Dandy Records, 2016) With

* ''

Honeycomb A honeycomb is a mass of Triangular prismatic honeycomb#Hexagonal prismatic honeycomb, hexagonal prismatic Beeswax, wax cells built by honey bees in their beehive, nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen. beekeeping, Beekee ...

'' (Cooking Vinyl, 2005) * ''

Fast Man Raider Man ''Fast Man Raider Man'' is the eleventh studio album and a double-album by Frank Black released in 2006. Track listing All tracks are written by Frank Black, except where noted. Disc one Disc two Personnel Credits adapted from the album's ...

'' (Cooking Vinyl, 2006) With Jewel * ''

Pieces of You ''Pieces of You'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Jewel, released on February 28, 1995, by Atlantic Records. It was produced by Ben Keith, who has also produced works for artists such as Neil Young and Patsy Cline. Featuri ...

'' (Atlantic Records, 1995) With Bob Seger * '' Beautiful Loser'' (Capitol Records, 1975) With

* ''

For Everyman ''For Everyman'' is the second album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). The album peaked at number 43 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and the single " Redneck Friend" reached number 85 on the ''Bi ...

'' (Asylum Records, 1973) With

Tony Joe White Tony Joe White (July 23, 1943 – October 24, 2018), nicknamed the Swamp Fox, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his 1969 hit " Polk Salad Annie" and for " Rainy Night in Georgia", which he wrote but which was first ...

* ''

Closer to the Truth ''Closer to the Truth'' is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer and actress Cher. It was released on September 20, 2013 by Warner Bros. Records. Opting to re-establish her music career, she began planning the project in 2011, shortly ...

'' (Festival Records, 1991) With

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...

* '' Threads'' (Big Machine Records, 2019) With

J. J. Cale John Weldon "J. J." Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and sound engineer. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Mark Knop ...

* '' 8'' (Mercury Records, 1983) * ''

Travel-Log The genre of travel literature encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. One early travel memoirist in Western literature was Pausanias, a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE. In the early modern perio ...

'' (Silvertone Records, 1990) * '' Number 10'' (Silvertone Records, 1992) * '' Closer to You'' (Virgin Records, 1994) With

* '' Last Days at the Lodge'' (Blue Note Records, 2008) With

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...

* ''

Illuminations Illuminations may refer to: Shows and festivals * IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, a nightly fireworks show currently at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort *'' IllumiNations'', original nightly firework show at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resor ...

'' (143 Records, 2010) With Maria Muldaur * '' Maria Muldaur'' (Reprise Records, 1973) * ''Waitress in a Donut Shop'' (Reprise Records, 1974) With

* '' Saved'' (Columbia Records, 1980) With

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

* '' Crosseyed Heart'' (Reprise Records, 2015) With Boz Scaggs * ''

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

'' (429 Records, 2013) With

Peter Parcek Peter Parcek is an American blues rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In 2021, Parcek's album, ''Mississippi Suitcase'' was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Blues Rock Album' category. Parcek has released four albums since 2000, af ...

* ''Mississippi Suitcase'' (Lightnin' Records, 2020)

References

External links

* * *
Spooner Oldham Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Oldham, Spooner 1943 births Living people American session musicians Songwriters from Alabama Musicians from Alabama People from Lauderdale County, Alabama Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section members Drive-By Truckers members American rock keyboardists American rock pianists American male pianists American organists American male organists Rhythm and blues pianists American soul keyboardists 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century organists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century American keyboardists Proper Records artists American male songwriters The Stray Gators members