Mac Gayden - Skyboat 1975

Mac Gayden was born in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. He played with Charlie McCoy and the Escorts and that group started playing many sessions in Nashville. In the late 1960s, he helped establish two critically acclaimed bands. These were Area Code 615 (signed with Polydor) and Barefoot Jerry (signed with Capitol Records); in which Gayden wrote the songs, played guitars, and sang. Gayden left Barefoot Jerry in 1971 to record his first solo album with Bob Johnston whom he had worked with on Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde album, and Johnston asked to produce the solo album on Gayden (McGavock Gayden. EMI). Gayden formed his own band, Skyboat in 1972 and recorded two albums for ABC Records. He also served as producer of an album by Dianne Davidson (Baby) and one by Steve Young (To Satisfy You). Gayden has recorded as a session guitar player with JJ Cale, John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Simon and Garfunkel, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Young, Rita Coolidge, Joe Simon, The Valentines, Elvis Presley, Ian and Sylvia, Jerry Jeff Walker, Loudon Wainwright, Connie Francis, The Alarm, Pearls before Swine, Ivory Joe Hunter, Robert Knight ("Everlasting Love"), Clifford Curry ("She Shot A Hole in My Soul"), Bobby Vinton and more. Gayden recorded a lot with Billy Sherrill who produced many hits.

When he was five he started to compose a song on his grandmother's piano ("Everlasting Love"). Later, when he heard Robert Knight's voice while he was performing at a fraternity house at Vanderbilt next to the one Knight's band was playing in, he ran over introduced himself, and told Knight he had a song for him. Gayden got together with Knight and began pulling in the pieces of the song. He also brought in his friend, Buzz Cason, he and Cason produced "Everlasting Love". It was Robert Knight's first hit, followed by another song Gayden wrote, "Rainbow Valley". When Gayden was introduced to Clifford Curry he presented another song he wrote "She Shot A Hole in My Soul", that started Curry's career with a hit. Gayden produced The Valentines on his song "Gotta Get Yourself Together". All these songs were included on the Grammy-winning album produced by the Country Music Hall of Fame, Night Train to Nashville.

Gayden recorded one album on EMI McGavock Gayden, two on ABC Records, Skyboat, and Hymn to the Seeker. The latter he recorded in Miami at Criteria, with Fleetwood Mac recording Rumours in one studio and the Eagles doing Hotel California in the other. Randy Meisner from the Eagles sang background with Gayden on some songs. One album on Winter Harvest Nirvana Blues was then followed by one album on Arena Records, Come Along (2020). He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Cats in 2014 with a ceremony at The Country Music Hall of Fame, and was also included in the Dylan/Cash exhibit for over six years and played many concerts for that exhibit 2014. His guitar and wah-wah pedal were on exhibit at the Hall of Fame as he innovated the slide wah technique on the JJ Cale song "Crazy Mama". Gayden published a book called The Missing String Theory - A Musicians Uncommon Spiritual Journey, which is an autobiography.

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