Tommy Hays
Encyclopedia
Tommy Hays is a guitarist, band leader and vocalist. He started playing the guitar in church when he was 10 years old. He performed on the Billy Mize
TV Show, Cousin Herb
Show, was a member of the house band for the Lucky Spot and the Blackboard and had his own radio show on KMPC
. Tommy played on stage with many of the old timers who were part of creating the Bakersfield Sound
.
Tommy has been playing in the honky-tonks
in and around Bakersfield for over fifty years. Recognized as one of the original “Bakersfield Sound
” pioneers, he has helped forge this unique and definitive sound. Driven by the piano
, steel
and Telecaster guitar
, the Bakersfield Sound
was a reaction to the early ‘50s and ‘60s sweetening of country music
epitomized by the Nashville Sound
.
Along with the Western Swingsters, he released the CD, “60 Years of Western Swing
” in 2006.
He currently resides in Bakersfield, California
, and still plays locally.
Billy Mize
Billy Mize is a steel guitarist, band leader, vocalist, songwriter, and TV show host.-Biography:...
TV Show, Cousin Herb
Herb Henson
Herb Henson, known as Cousin Herb, was a country music performer and television host on KERO-TV, channel 10 in Bakersfield, California. He is the first cousin once removed of musician Jeff Tweedy.-External links:...
Show, was a member of the house band for the Lucky Spot and the Blackboard and had his own radio show on KMPC
KMPC
KMPC is a radio station based in Los Angeles, California and is owned by P&Y Broadcasting Licensee, LLC. Radio Korea is a division of the Radio Korea Media Group. The station airs Korean-language programming...
. Tommy played on stage with many of the old timers who were part of creating the Bakersfield Sound
Bakersfield sound
The Bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The many hit singles were largely produced by Capitol Records country music head, Ken Nelson. Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly produced, string...
.
Tommy has been playing in the honky-tonks
Honky tonk
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
in and around Bakersfield for over fifty years. Recognized as one of the original “Bakersfield Sound
Bakersfield sound
The Bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The many hit singles were largely produced by Capitol Records country music head, Ken Nelson. Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly produced, string...
” pioneers, he has helped forge this unique and definitive sound. Driven by the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, steel
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
and Telecaster guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, the Bakersfield Sound
Bakersfield sound
The Bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The many hit singles were largely produced by Capitol Records country music head, Ken Nelson. Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly produced, string...
was a reaction to the early ‘50s and ‘60s sweetening of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
epitomized by the Nashville Sound
Nashville sound
The Nashville sound originated during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of honky tonk music which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s...
.
Along with the Western Swingsters, he released the CD, “60 Years of Western Swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
” in 2006.
He currently resides in Bakersfield, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and still plays locally.
External links
- Echoes of Bakersfield, an informational archive site.
- Article about the Bakersfield Sound, Tales and Reflections.
- TV News Article about Tommy playing the Crystal Palace from KERO-TVKERO-TVKERO-TV is a television station serving Bakersfield, California. It is an ABC affiliate owned by McGraw-Hill, and transmits its digital signal on VHF channel 10. Syndicated programming on KERO includes: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and Ellen....
- Another Bakersfield Sound article Totally Explained.