Michael Richard Gee (3 July 1944 – 21 January 2009) was a
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
guitarist who played alongside some of the most prominent Welsh musicians of the last forty years.
He died on 21 January 2009 in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
Born at 13 Garth Street, Cardiff, Gee's early influences were
Scotty Moore
Winfield Scott Moore III (December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968.
Rock critic ...
and
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 ...
and, aged 18, he went to Nashville and Memphis, but failed to meet his heroes. He worked in New York, on a working visa, but quickly left when he received draft papers for the US Army.
Early in his career Gee was the musical director of The Senators, Tom Jones' backing band when he was still known as Tommy Scott. Gee left and joined Joe Cocker's Grease Band.
Later in the 1960s, he played alongside Dave Edmunds and close friend, bassist John David Williams, in the band Human Beans. His relationship with Edmunds continued for many years playing on several of his records, most notably on his multi-million selling number one single "
I Hear You Knocking
"I Hear You Knocking" (or "I Hear You Knockin'") is a rhythm and blues song written by Dave Bartholomew. New Orleans rhythm and blues singer Smiley Lewis first recorded the song in 1955. The lyrics tell of the return of a former lover who is re ...
" in 1970.
Mickey also teamed up with drummer Rob (Congo) Jones and bassist/vocalist Eddie Williams to form the band Arthur Mellow in the 1960s. This trio produced some outstanding music and were highly thought of by fellow musicians. Congo went on to work with Dave Edmunds in Love Sculpture, spent time with Sassafras and toured with Budgie.
During the 1980s, Gee became a member of
Shakin' Stevens
Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s.
His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...
' backing band adding lead guitar to the number one singles
This Ole House
"This Ole House" (sometimes written "This Old House") is an American popular song written by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954. Rosemary Clooney's version reached the top of the popular music charts in both the US and the UK in 1954. The so ...
,
Green Door
"The Green Door" (or "Green Door") is a 1956 popular song, with music composed by Bob "Hutch" Davie and lyrics by Marvin J. Moore. It was first recorded by Jim Lowe which reached number one on the US chart in 1956. The song has been covere ...
and Oh Julie (a relationship that dated back to a brief stint in Shaky's earlier backing band The Sunsets in 1971).
Gee's distinctive playing style was much in demand during the 1980s. Gee's band Memphis Bend regularly supported Carl Perkins on Uk tours which led to Gee becoming part of Carl Perkins' star studded backing band in 1985, which, along with Edmunds, also included George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton for his '' Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session''. During the same year, Gee was involved in Bill Wyman's ''Willie and the Poor Boys'' project which also featured Charlie Watts and Jimmy Page.
Gee provided the soundtrack of the 1997 film ''
Twin Town
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
'', and was still regularly performing until shortly before his death from emphysema at Cardiff's
University Hospital of Wales
University Hospital of Wales ( cy, Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru) (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a major 1,000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Constr ...
I Hear You Knocking
"I Hear You Knocking" (or "I Hear You Knockin'") is a rhythm and blues song written by Dave Bartholomew. New Orleans rhythm and blues singer Smiley Lewis first recorded the song in 1955. The lyrics tell of the return of a former lover who is re ...
Subtle as a Flying Mallet
''Subtle as a Flying Mallet'' is the second solo album by Dave Edmunds, principally focused on sound-alike remakes of late 1950s and early 1960s hits. All of the vocals (except on the live tracks) are by Edmunds, and many of the songs are true s ...
'' (1975)
*
Geraint Watkins
Geraint Meurig Vaughan Watkins (born 5 February 1951) is a Welsh singer, songwriter, rock and roll pianist and accordionist. He has backed many notable artists, including Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney, Ro ...
and the Dominators – ''Geraint Watkins and the Dominators'' (1979)
*
Andy Fairweather Low
Andrew Fairweather Low (born 2 August 1948) is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman's R ...
– ''Mega Shebang'' (1980)
* Shakin' Stevens – '' Marie, Marie/This Ole House'' (1980)
* Dave Edmunds – '' Twangin...'' (1981)
* Shakin' Stevens – '' Shaky'' (1981)
* Dave Edmunds – '' D.E. 7th'' (1982)
* Shakin' Stevens – ''Give Me Your Heart Tonight'' (1982)
* Ted Herold - ''Ready Teddy'' (1982) (At the songs "Cool wie Humphry Bogart", "Ready "Teddy & "Alte Liebe rostet nicht")
*
Phil Everly
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, 1939 ...
and
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
– "She Means Nothing to Me" (1983), on ''Phil Everly'' (self-titled album, 1983) and Richard's ''
The Rock Connection
The Rock Connection is the twenty-seventh solo studio album by Cliff Richard. Released in November 1984 on EMI, the album is a part studio, part compilation album. It includes seven studio tracks recorded exclusively for the album, five tracks f ...
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and New wave music, new wave,Pinker and Prouder than Previous'' (1988)
* Shakin' Stevens – ''Merry Christmas Everyone'' (1991)