[Harp-L] 50 Cents & A Boxtop

[The Iceman]

I got to work with Charlie in a few professional situations - hosting him and his band at SPAH a few times in the 90's and also promoting a show that I produced at an Orlando location - Charlie had a close group of musicians he enjoyed working with as The Charlie McCoy Band (his "these dogs can hunt!" picks). At this show, I watched his afternoon rehearsal - have never seen a more focused band leader put his people through the paces quickly, and watched as the side men responded. Charlie wasn't the Hee Haw Musical Director for nothing, ya know! After the show, the audience remarked that it was just like a night at the Grand Ol' Opry.


Sadly, at least in the US, Charlie was touring the retirement villages and RV Parks, using local pick up musicians as he went when he wasn't given a produced show like the one in Orlando. However, every year he would do a tour in France in which he was hailed as the musical hero that he truly is.


I'll always remember what he told me about the Nashville Scene from when he first started out until now....it was a 4 stage recreation of his experience...
Producers would say...
         1. "Who is Charlie McCoy?" (at first)
then  2. "Get me Charlie McCoy"
next  3. "Get me a younger Charlie McCoy"
and finally
         4. "Who is Charlie McCoy?"





-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Jones <greg at xxxxx>
To: Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Jan 6, 2018 9:32 pm
Subject: [Harp-L] 50 Cents & A Boxtop

A good friend and great harmonica player recently gave me the book:
*50 Cents and a Boxtop.. The creative life of Charlie McCoy. *

It was a very interesting book that gives the reader a window shot of
Nashville in the 60 and 70s.  I learned a lot about Charlie that I never
really knew previously.

He owes much of his musical success to periods in his childhood growing up
in Miami. No doubt that life in West Virginia influenced him, but it was in
Miami where he joined several rock bands and it was in a Florida high
school that he studied music theory.

The story weaves in and out of his early musical experiences, but it is
pretty clear that Charlie McCoy the musician was a worker and probably
pushed harder with every success, never sitting back.  Clearly one of the
top old school Nashville session men, he played far more than just
harmonica and it was likely his multi-instrumentalist skills that put him
on the 1st call.

Although he didn't really invent the Nashville Numbering System, he
certainly had a hand in promoting its use and his understanding of it was
due significantly to musical education.

If you want to learn a little more about the music business and one of our
favorite harmonica players, grab a copy.  It moves quickly and if you are
over 50, you will certainly have a connection to much of what is discussed

*Greg Jones*
*16:23 Harmonicas*
Web Site:        1623customharmonicas.com