Doyle Holly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doyle Holly

Background information
Birth name Doyle Floyd Hendricks
Born June 30, 1936
Perkins, Oklahoma, USA
Origin Bakersfield, California, USA
Died January 13, 2007
Nashville,Tennessee, USA
Genre(s) country, rockabilly
Bakersfield sound
Occupation(s) musician, songwriter
Instrument(s) bass guitar
rhythm guitar
Years active 1961-2006
Label(s) Barnaby Records
OMS Records
Associated acts Buck Owens
The Vanishing Breed
Website www.doyleholly.com

Doyle Floyd Hendricks, known by the stage name Doyle Holly (June 30, 1936 - January 13, 2007) was an American musician best known as the bass guitar player of the country music band Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. Holly's contributions on bass guitar and rhythm guitar were a key component of the Bakersfield sound. The Buckaroos had more than 30 Top 40 singles on the country music charts in the 1960s and early 1970s, with hits such as "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail," "Love's Gonna Live Here,"and "Act Naturally." Their sound influenced later artists such as Jackson Browne, The Eagles, and the Desert Rose Band.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Holly was born in Perkins, Oklahoma. As a young man, he spent four years in the United States Army[1] and worked in oil fields in Oklahoma, Kansas, and California.[2] He eventually made his way to Bakersfield, California, where he discovered the country and rock music scene in the area. He began to play guitar and bass in local clubs at night while working in the oil fields during the day. In the early 1960s Holly played with Johnny Burnette,[3] toured the rodeo circuit with a pre-Hawaii Five-O Jack Lord,[2] and appeared with several country and rock bands and artists.

[edit] The Buckaroos

Holly was playing with Joe Maphis in 1963 when he was asked by Don Rich to fill in as bassist for the Buckaroos.[4] The spot became his permanently after Merle Haggard left the group,[4] and the Buckaroos began their most creative and successful period, from 1963 to 1971. The group had more than 30 singles in the country music top 40 in that time, of which more than half went to #1. "Act Naturally," a #1 single for the Buckaroos in 1963, was covered by The Beatles on their 1965 album Help! [2] Other hits included "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail," "Together Again," and "Love's Gonna Live Here," which occupied the top position on the country chart for 17 weeks near the end of 1963.[2][4]

The Buckaroos recorded a live album, The Carnegie Hall Concert, in 1966, which Holly said was his favorite recording as a Buckaroo. At the time, it was only the second album recorded at Carnegie Hall by a country music group, and it is widely regarded as one of the best live albums in country music history.[2] [5] During the Carnegie Hall concert, the Buckaroos returned a favor to The Beatles and played "Twist and Shout" while wearing Beatles wigs.[2]

Holly and the Buckaroos toured widely in North America and Europe during the 1960s and enjoyed the peak of their creative success. They served as the house band for the American television variety show Hee Haw, and for Owens' syndicated television show, Buck Owens Ranch House, from 1966 to 1972.[6] Holly was nominated several times as "Bass Player of the Year" award from the Academy of Country Music, and he received the award in 1970.[7]

[edit] Solo years

In 1971, Holly left the Buckaroos, stating, "(I) went just as far as I could go" with the Buckaroos.[2] He formed a band called the Vanishing Breed and signed with Barnaby Records.[3] He recorded two albums and some of his own songs, such as "Woman Truck Drivin' Fool", "Queen of the Silver Dollar", and "Lila".[6] Seven singles hit the country music charts, of which "Lila" made the most successful peak at #17 in 1973.[2] Holly received a block in the Walkway of Stars at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980.[8]

Holly tired of life on the road in the early 1980s[2] and opened a guitar store in Hendersonville, Tennessee in 1982,[9], which he operated for nearly two decades and sold a few years before his death.[2] He also continued to play a handful of live dates across the United States and Canada, and for a time Holly even drove tour buses, for an Elton John/Billy Joel tour[10] and for Shania Twain.[11]

In 2000 Owens, Holly, Johnny Russell, and the remaining Buckaroos (Rich died in a motorcycle accident in 1974) began to record a bluegrass-influenced album of Buckaroo hits, with Holly on vocals. The project was about two-thirds complete when Russell's health failed, and production stalled after his death soon afterward. The project was finally completed in 2003.[2]

Holly was hospitalized in December 2006 for treatment of end-stage prostate cancer. He entered a Nashville hospice in January 2007 and died on January 13 at his home in Nashville.[4][12] He was survived by Ginny Holly, his wife of 37 years.[13] His body was cremated and his ashes were buried in the Black Hills in eastern Wyoming.[14]

[edit] Solo albums

  • Doyle Holly
  • Just Another Cowboy Song
  • Together Again

[edit] References

  1. ^ Morrison, Bill (September 2005). Rockabilly Country News & Views. Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Johnson, Jon (June 2003). Doyle Holly and the Buckaroos are together again. CountryStandardTime.com. Jeffrey Remz. Retrieved on 2007-05-25.
  3. ^ a b Clarke, Donald. Buck Owens. MusicWeb Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Randy. "Doyle Holly, bass player for Buck Owens' Buckaroos", Los Angeles Times, Canton Repository, 2007-01-17. 
  5. ^ Buck Owens' Bassist Doyle Holly Dies at 70. CMT.com. Country Music Television (2007-01-14). Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  6. ^ a b Doyle Holly dies in Nashville. OMS News. OMS Records (January 2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  7. ^ 1970 6th Academy of Country Music Awards. The Envelope. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  8. ^ Walkway of Stars. Country Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-05-25.
  9. ^ Mack, Bill. Buck Owens and the Buckaroos Band Mate. Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Rockabilly Music Preservation. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  10. ^ Miller, Bill (2001-05-07). The Blue Chip Radio Report. ClubNashville.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  11. ^ Price, Robert. "Then There Were Two...", Bakersfield Californian, 2004-01-14. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. 
  12. ^ "Buckaroo Bassist Doyle Holly in hospice with cancer", Bakersfield Californian, 2007-01-12. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. 
  13. ^ Buck Owens Buckaroo Died Today. Bakersfield.com (2007-01-13). Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  14. ^ "Fading' ex-Buckaroo to be honored Sunday", Bakersfield Californian, 2007-01-12. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. 

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Holly, Doyle
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American bass player
DATE OF BIRTH June 30, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Perkins, Oklahoma
DATE OF DEATH January 13, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH Nashville, Tennessee