Steve Ripley

Steve Ripley (born Paul Steven Ripley, January 1, 1950, Boise, Idaho, United States)^[1] is an American recording artist, songwriter, studio engineer, guitarist, and inventor. He has been active in the music industry since 1977. He is also the leader/producer of country rock band The Tractors.

Biography

Ripley attended Glencoe High School in Glencoe, Oklahoma. As a producer, recording engineer, and studio musician, he has worked with Bob Dylan (on Shot of Love) and on the "Shot of Love" tour,^[2] with J. J. Cale (on Shades, 8, and Roll On), and he produced Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Roy Clark (on Makin' Music) and Johnnie Lee Wills (on Reunion).^[3] Bob Dylan listed Ripley as one of the good guitarist he had played with. ^[4]

Ripley started Ripley Guitars in 1982. He created guitars for Steve Lukather, J. J. Cale, John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, Jimmy Buffett and Eddie Van Halen, before moving to Tulsa to buy Leon Russell's former recording studio called "The Church Studio.^[5] In 1994 he formed the country band, The Tractors. In 2002, he created his own record label (Boy Rocking Records) to produce artists including The Tractors, Leon Russell and The Red Dirt Rangers. ^[6] In 2009, he produced a 20 part radio series on the history of Oklahoma rock and roll, that aired on Oklahoma public radio stations. It was entitled "Oklahoma Rock and Roll with Steve Ripley."^[7] In 2013 Ripley produced the album Lone Chimney by the Red Dirt Rangers. ^[8]

Discography

The Tractors

• 1994 : The Tractors (Arista)
• 1995 : Have Yourself a Tractors Christmas (Arista)
• 1998 : Farmers in a Changing World (Arista)
• 2001 : Fast Girl (Boy Rocking)
• 2002 : The Big Night (Boy Rocking)
• 2005 : The Kids Record (Boy Rocking)
• 2009 : Trade Union (Boy Rocking)

Solo discography

• 2002 : Ripley (Boy Rocking Records) with The Jordanaires

Incidental music

• 1976: "Flying Upside Down in My Plane" (part of the soundtrack in the film, Deportee)

References

External links

• The Tractors official website