Gary S. Paxton
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Gary S. Paxton (b. May 18, 1938 in Mesa, AZ) is an American record producer, recording artist and Christian Music Hall of FameInductee..
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[edit] Biography
- "Don't forget the "S", it's one third of my whole name", is one of Gary's favorite lines onstage speaking of his middle initial.[1]
Best known for his 1960 #1 novelty single "Alley Oop" which he did with his group, The Hollywood Argyles and in 1962, he produced and recorded the hit "Monster Mash" with Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Paxton has built a reputation as an eccentric, quixotic figure in the recording industry. He worked in Hollywood in the 1960s, and moved to Nashville in the 1970s. He moved from Nashville in 2003 and currently lives with his new wife, Vickie Sue (Roberts) Paxton [2], in Branson, MO along with his son Gary Jr. from a previous marriage. In addition to his producing credits, he is also an accomplished singer and songwriter.
[edit] Body of work
He first gained attention as one half of the 50's pop duo, Skip & Flip. They recorded the song, "It Was I" which sold over a million copies. They then recorded the popular song, "Cherry Pie". In 1965, he cut and produced "Sweet Pea" which was a solid hit for singer Tommy Roe as well as "Along Comes Mary" by The Association. Paxton was nominated for Grammy Awards for engineering those projects. [3] In 1966 he cut yet another hit for the Association called "Cherish" and "Hurray for Hazel", featuring Tommy Roe. He received another Grammy nomination for engineering. In 1972 he wrote and produced the hit song "Woman, Sensuous Woman" sung by Don Gibson. The song was nominated for the Grammy Song of the Year.
After converting to Christianity, Paxton focused his work in gospel music. In 1973 he wrote "L-O-V-E" which was recorded by the Blackwood Brothers, and they took home the Grammy that year for "Best Gospel Performance". [4]. In 1975, Paxton won the "Best Inspirational" Grammy for his album, The Astonishing, Outrageous, Amazing, Incredible, Unbelievable, Different World of Gary S. Paxton. [5]. This album contained Paxton's most noteworthy (and oft-recorded) song, "He Was There All the Time".
In 1999 Paxton was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame [6] with fellow artists Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, David L Cook, Andy Griffith, Jody Miller, Lulu Roman and Jimmy Snow. Paxton's awards and accomplishments are numerous and he has written for or produced many noted artists in the music industry. Today, Paxton continues to write and is working on several projects in Branson, MO.
[edit] NewPax Records
| NewPax Records | |||
| Parent company | |||
| Founded | 1975 | ||
| Founder(s) | Gary S. Paxton | ||
| Distributing label | Word Records | ||
| Genre(s) | Various | ||
| Country | US | ||
| Web address | |||
Paxton founded NewPax Records in 1975 to be "an outlet for his gregarious ideas in songwriting and engineering". This gave Paxton the edge he needed to create music that was "far ahead of its time".
NewPax Records was closely associated with Paragon Music, which handled Bill and Gloria Gaither's music and copyrights. [7] Later, Paxton transferred his publishing rights to Gaither Music Group, a relationship that is still in effect today.
The NewPax Records roster featured a diverse list of artists, including Paxton himself, Farrell and Farrell, Scott Wesley Brown, Don Francisco, Tammy Faye Bakker, Tom Howard, Daniel Amos, Brown Bannister, Noel Paul Stookey, Gary Dunham, Pat Terry, Bill Gaither and others. Christian recording artist and comedian, David L Cook, was also on NewPax Records; Gary helped produce several projects for David, including "Wind of Change" [8], which includes a "dance" remake of "He Was There All the Time". Paxton did a "voice cameo" in the recording.
[edit] Trouble in Gary's Life
- In 1985, NewPax Records folded due to several bad business deals and Paxton's notorious drug use problems. [9]
- Gary was accused of having an affair with Tammy Faye Bakker. [10]
- In 1980, Gary was shot in the head five times by hit men hired by a country singer he was producing. After the trial Gary visited them in prison and forgave them of what they did to him. [11]
[edit] References
- ^ Gary S. Paxton's great gospel albums. Retrieved on 2007-10-10. “Don't Forget the 'S'.”
- ^ Vickie Sue Roberts-Paxton
- ^ Grammy Nomination
- ^ 1973 Blackwood Brothers Grammy Award
- ^ 1977 Grammy Award
- ^ CGMA Hall of Fame
- ^ Paragon Music
- ^ David L Cook Wind of Change Project
- ^ Reported Drug Use
- ^ Affair with Tammy Faye Bakker
- ^ Gary Shot in Head
