Spooner Oldham
| Spooner Oldham | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dewey Lindon Oldham, Jr. |
| Born | 14 June 1943 Center Star, Alabama |
| Occupations | Songwriter, Session musician |
| Instruments | Organ, piano, keyboards |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Associated acts | FAME Studios, Dan Penn |
Dewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham (born June 14, 1943)[1] is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and at FAME Studios on such hit R&B songs as "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett and "I Never Loved a Man" by Aretha Franklin.
As a songwriter, Spooner Oldham teamed with Dan Penn to write such hits as "Cry Like a Baby" (The Box Tops), "I'm Your Puppet" (James and Bobby Purify), "A Woman Left Lonely" and "It Tears Me Up" (Percy Sledge).
Career[edit]
A native of Center Star, Alabama, Oldham started out playing piano in bands during high school. He then attended classes at the University of North Alabama but turned instead to playing at FAME Studios. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1967 and teamed up with Penn at Chips Moman's American Studios.
Oldham later moved to Los Angeles and has continued to be a sought-after backing musician, recording and performing with such artists as Bob Dylan, Delaney Bramlett, Willy DeVille, Joe Cocker, the Hacienda Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, the Everly Brothers, Dickey Betts, Cat Power, J. J. Cale and Frank Black.
Frequently a backing musician for Neil Young, he played on Young's critically acclaimed 1992 album Harvest Moon,[2] which was the follow-up to Young's 1972 album Harvest released 20 years previous. Oldham also appeared in the concert film, Neil Young: Heart of Gold and backed up Crosby Stills Nash & Young on their 2006 "Freedom of Speech" tour.
In 2007, Oldham toured with the Drive-By Truckers on their "The Dirt Underneath" Tour. In 2008, Oldham played on Last Days at the Lodge, the third album released by folk/soul singer Amos Lee.
On April 4, 2009, Oldham was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a sideman.
In May 2011, Oldham backed Pegi Young on a six-show tour of California.
References[edit]
- ^ "Spooner Oldham: inducted in 2009 | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. 1943-06-14. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- ^ Neil Young. "Harvest Moon (album) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
External links[edit]
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