Thom Bresh
Encyclopedia
Thom Bresh
is a country music singer. He is the biological son of Merle Travis
.
Bresh did not begin his music career until his adult years. From age 3 to age 17, he worked as an actor and stuntman at Corriganville, where such programs as The Lone Ranger and the Billy the Kidd trilogy were filmed. He later gained stage experience singing, doing impressions and playing guitar in a country-pop lounge band led by Hank Penny
, an old friend of Travis's.
Finger-picking in the style made famous by Travis, he brings the Travis legacy to new audiences. Bresh is a singer, songwriter, impressionist, and instrumentalist, whose instrument of choice is his custom-made two-sided Langejans SuperDualette
(see photo at right), which he calls "my band." He has performed alongside performers ranging from Bob Hope
to Chet Atkins
to Gordon Lightfoot
.
Bresh hosted a weekly television variety show of his own creation, Nashville Swing, has been a regular on the Merv Griffin Show and Dinah
, and made a guest appearance on the TNN
special A Salute to the Country Greats. As a producer, he has been employed by Country legend Jerry Reed
, Classical guitarist Valerie DuChateau, and Merle Travis
. As a videographer, Bresh has shot, produced, and edited projects for Hank Thompson
, Lyle Lovett
, Brooks & Dunn
, George Jones
, Tanya Tucker
and Jerry Reed
.
is a country music singer. He is the biological son of Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
.
Bresh did not begin his music career until his adult years. From age 3 to age 17, he worked as an actor and stuntman at Corriganville, where such programs as The Lone Ranger and the Billy the Kidd trilogy were filmed. He later gained stage experience singing, doing impressions and playing guitar in a country-pop lounge band led by Hank Penny
Hank Penny
Herbert Clayton Penny was an accomplished banjo player and practitioner of western swing. He worked as a comedian best known for his backwoods character "That Plain Ol' Country Boy" on TV with Spade Cooley...
, an old friend of Travis's.
Finger-picking in the style made famous by Travis, he brings the Travis legacy to new audiences. Bresh is a singer, songwriter, impressionist, and instrumentalist, whose instrument of choice is his custom-made two-sided Langejans SuperDualette
Del Langejans
Delwyn J. Langejans is an innovative American luthier. He handcrafts everything from reversible dualette guitars to harp guitars.A descendant of farmer immigrants from Bentheim, Germany, Langejans was born and raised in Holland, Michigan, where his luthier shop keeps him busy building guitars for...
(see photo at right), which he calls "my band." He has performed alongside performers ranging from Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
to Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
to Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s...
.
Bresh hosted a weekly television variety show of his own creation, Nashville Swing, has been a regular on the Merv Griffin Show and Dinah
Dinah
According to the Hebrew Bible, Dinah was the daughter of Jacob, one of the patriarchs of the Israelites and Leah, his first wife. The episode of her abduction and violation by a Canaanite prince, and the subsequent vengeance of her brothers Simeon and Levi, commonly referred to as "The Rape of...
, and made a guest appearance on the TNN
The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
special A Salute to the Country Greats. As a producer, he has been employed by Country legend Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
, Classical guitarist Valerie DuChateau, and Merle Travis
Merle Travis
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
. As a videographer, Bresh has shot, produced, and edited projects for Hank Thompson
Hank Thompson (music)
Henry William Thompson , known professionally as Hank Thompson, was an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades...
, Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
, Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
, George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
and Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
.
Awards and nominations
- Grammy Award nomination: Merle Travis album Travis Pickin (producer)
- Academy Award nomination: Over You (theme song from movie Tender Mercies)
- Wine Lord title bestowed by World Wine Council, Bordeaux, France
- Wine Lord title bestowed by World Wine Council, Patrimonio, Corsica
- National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame inductee - 2001
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Homemade Love | 30 | Farr |
| 1977 | Kicked Back | — | ABC |
| 1978 | Portrait | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "Homemade Love" | 6 | Homemade Love |
| "Sad Country Love Song" | 17 | ||
| "Hey Daisy (Where Have All the Good Times Gone)" | 33 | ||
| 1977 | "Until I Met You" | 57 | Kicked Back |
| "That Old Cold Shoulder" | 48 | ||
| 1978 | "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! is a Western swing novelty song written by Merle Travis and Tex Williams for Tex Williams and his talking blues style of singing. Merle Travis wrote the bulk of the song.... " |
78 | Portrait |
| "Ways of a Woman in Love" | 74 | ||
| "First Encounter of a Close Kind" | 84 | singles only | |
| 1982 | "When It Comes to Love" (with Lane Brody Lane Brody Lane Brody is an American female singer-songwriter, active since the early 1980s, best known for her 1984 Billboard-topping country hit, "The Yellow Rose" , and for the Oscar nominated song "Over You" from the film "Tender Mercies". She is the first female in country music to have an... ) |
77 | |
| 1983 | "I'd Love You to Want Me" | — | |
| "Somebody Like You" | — |
Filmography
- When America Was Rocked (September 9, 1956) (2006) - composed the musical score http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=2072644http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=351128
- Buster B. JonesBuster B. JonesBuster B. Jones was an American guitarist specializing in the fingerpicking style.-Biography:Born Bradley F. Jones in Ames, Iowa, he first became known after entering Guitar Player Magazine's International Reader's Soundpage Competition in 1988 on a whim...
in Concert (2000)http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=54799 - Thom Bresh in Concert (1998)http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=54727
- The Real Merle Travis Guitar: Like Father, Like Son (1994)http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=173324
- Great Guitar Lessons: Blues and Country Fingerpickinghttp://entertainment.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=54776
- Merle Travis: Rare Performances 1946-1981 - 2 duets with Thom Bresh from 1981 http://guitarvideos.com/reviews/13012.htm
- Killing of Uncle Billy Tilman
- Killing of Ed Masterson
- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
External links
- Official website
- [ Allmusic]